Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2024 - 23

Mo'olelo
Learning Through Storytelling
By Makana A. L. Agcaoili
" It's time for a break, " my grandfather grumbled
to himself leaving his workbench and walking into
the house. I was a teenager at the time, playing
outside and watching him fix our family car under
the humid heat in Hawai'i. The car's ignition wasn't
working, and after hours of reading and tinkering,
he seemed to have made zero progress.
As I watched him enter the house, I inspected
the car. As a teenager with grand bravado, I was
certain I could find the solution. Going over the
numerous sketches of wiring, pieces of metal
hanging around, and the bizarre puzzle that is
a car engine, I realized this was not a problem
worthy of my time.
After 20 minutes of playing volleyball, my
grandfather picked up his tools and began to work
at a silent and meaningful pace. Though I was
determined to practice my serve, I couldn't help
but be pulled in by how quickly he was moving at
his age. He moved gracefully between operating
giant metal contraptions and soldering wires.
By the end of the day, the car was working again,
and I had been slammed in the face multiple
times for not paying attention to the ball. While my
friends departed laughing, I walked over to help
my grandfather clean.
My grandfather wasn't a mechanic. While he drove
buses in the past, he never fixed them. However,
he had achieved something in a single day that
people dedicate years of their lives to accomplish.
We silently worked, and as we finished, I asked,
" How did you figure out what to do? "
He looked at me with soft eyes before smiling
and saying, " If you take the time to plan where
you need to go, you won't get lost on your
journey there. "
Mo'olelo
Mo'olelo, or storytelling, has been an integral
part of my identity. Throughout my career, I've
worked in universities teaching students and
on corporate learning and development (L&D)
teams at global companies. I saw the power of
storytelling, whether I was teaching students how
to create an effective elevator pitch or training a
group of managers how to lead effective oneon-ones.
Storytelling
provides a vehicle to help people
understand information in a manner that allows
for better long-term retention. Let's explore my
opening story as an example.
Why Stories
Are Memorable
Many people in the training industry know the
power of storytelling and backward planning. A
stakeholder comes to you with a problem and you
utilize your consulting skills to identify the root
cause. You start with the behaviors that need to
be developed and then work backward to create
the training solution. Throughout the process, you
create storyboards and project plans, and map out
what needs to be done and by when.
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2024 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
23

https://trainingindustry.com/articles/content-development/storytelling-why-and-when-to-use-the-brains-best-friend/ https://trainingindustry.com/articles/content-development/storytelling-why-and-when-to-use-the-brains-best-friend/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2024