For conversationally driven web-based live online learning programs, Terrence Gargiulo recommends “telling stories, listening to stories and triggering stories,” the “Triple Threat of Storytelling,” as he calls it.

Last week, Terrence whetted my appetite by posting on Facebook a link to a short blog post by Lenn Millbower that mentioned an article Terrence wrote for the ASTD newsletter — available only to ASTD members. Terrence was kind enough to share the article with me.

Terrence absolutely knows how to design and deliver conversationally driven web-based live online learning programs; his webinars are stellar learning experiences. He emphasized the most important theme of his article:

Learning events need to trigger and elicit stories. from participants.

The article is just one juicy nugget after another. He suggests that learning organizations establish story banks. Here are his ideas on how to garner stories for a story bank:

• Listen carefully to comments during live online learning events, meetings, project debriefs, mentor and coaching programs.
• Invite veteran employees to special focus groups designed to elicit stories.
• Mine your social media outlets on a regular basis for stories.
• Hold story contests. Go here for more info.
• Provide story prompts to get people going. Stories are some of the best prompts I know. One story usually leads to another.
• Give people timelines.
• Generate a good stream of questions.
• Show genuine interest and curiosity in others, their experiences, and how they have formed their worldviews.

Terrence also generously offers these three useful tools, all documents of his on Scribd:

• How to Select a Story for Training
• Nine Ground Rules for Working with Stories
• Using Stories at All Hands-on Meetings