Storytelling in Mentoring: An Exploratory, Qualitative Study of Facilitating Learning in Developmental Interactions

Abstract

In the hushed darkness of a chilly night, a fire truck carrying six men rolled toward its Brooklyn firehouse. They had just finished up at a women's shelter, where steam wisping from an iron had set off an alarm. Not much to it . . . for Jordan Sullivan, another 15 hour shift was unspooling without what he so eagerly awaited. A fire. In his 96 days in the field as a firefighter, a probie out of the Fire Academy-the Rock, as it's familiarly known-it had not happened. Around the firehouse, the veterans continually swapped fire stories. That was how they both taught and regaled one another, and the stories were good ones. He could not contribute. He hadn't had a fire (Kleinfield, 2014, p. A1).Mentors are all around us. In our own lives-both professional and personal-they help us set goals, navigate difficult situations, overcome challenges, develop skills, and learn the ropes. But how is it that mentors impart their wisdom? How do they act on the influence they have? What do they say to inspire and role model for their protégés? Those questions about how mentors actually mentor are at the heart of the current research.Mentoring relationships are central themes in many forms of popular culture and literature.

The Role of Business Mentors in Assisting the Growth of Education-Supported MSMEs

“…The utilisation of technology can also assume a significant function in facilitating the connection between mentors and business owners (D'Abate & Alpert, 2017). Online platforms have the potential to facilitate the connection between mentors and mentees who are situated in diverse geographical regions.…”

Mentorship and professional growth for conservationists in primate‐range countries

“…It connects mentors and mentees on a deeper level while serving as a way to impart experience (Figure 1). The technique has been explored in its role in mentoring (e.g., Aaker, 2022;Dicks, 2018;Storr, 2020) and as an educational tool (Abu Bakar, 2012;D'Abate & Alpert, 2017). Since stories capture peoples' attention, they are excellent channels through which to share life experiences that motivate others (Bloom, 2020).…”

Stories in management education: Relevance, insights, and perspectives

“…Considering that our experiences are shared via stories, their importance to the ME process stands out. Broadly speaking, stories enable people to connect with what is important and what helps them make sense of their current situations in society, business, organizations, and in their own careers (D'Abate & Alpert, 2017). Because we use narratives to describe the world, we employ metaphors to assist us in describing organizations and conveying meanings and interpretations (Drummond, 1998).…”

“…For example, we find research that highlights the role of narratives in stability and change in organizations (Brown, Gabriel & Gherardi, 2009;Frost, Nord & Krefting, 2003;Reissner & Pagan, 2013;Vaara, Sonenshein & Boje, 2016). Research also focuses on the relations of stories to organizational learning (Brown, Gabriel & Gherardi, 2009;Taylor, Fisher & Dufresne, 2002), organizational strategy and culture (Etmanski, 2018;Gabriel, 2004;Gold, Holman & Thorpe, 2002;Hamilton, 2013;Hansen & Kahnweler, 1993;McCarthy, 2008), entrepreneurship (D'Abate & Alpert, 2017;Komulainen, Siivonen, Kasanen & Räty, 2020;Mars, 2021), and leadership (Boje, Rosile, Saylors & Saylors, 2015;Clark & Kayes, 2019;Clifton, 2019;González, Rodríguez & Segovia, 2021;Grisham, 2006;Jones, Sambrook, Henley & Norbury, 2012;Maclean, Harvey & Chia, 2011;Schedlitzki, Jarvis & MacInnes, 2015). Despite their importance, stories resist reduction to a form of resolution for all organizational problems nor should we position the storyteller as the great "hero" (Reissner & Pagan, 2013).…”