Getting Great at Dialogue

Context

Dialogue is not another word for conversation. Dialogue is a particular form of conversation in which people suspend what they hold dear – assumptions, judgments and beliefs, in service of truly understanding what someone else is trying to say. These judgments otherwise get in the way of our listening and lead to misunderstandings, tension, and conflict. Dialogue is a form of conversation in which people are able to give each other clear and open feedback, again free of judgment, leveraging a curiosity and genuine respect for the other person. Dialogue is hard, particularly amidst the busy-ness of today’s workplace, but an organisation’s capacity to engage in dialogue is directly related to its ability to collaborate, engage, innovate, and to make good collective decisions. Many organisations are not good at dialogue, such that programs to enhance dialogue can have a huge impact on its ability to perform.

Program & Outcomes

We work with groups of six to twelve leaders over a period of time, helping them to understand the principles of dialogue and, more importantly, to put those principles into action. Participants support each other in their learnings and work on their dialogue skills in between sessions. Participants leave our programs better able to listen purposefully to the people they engage with, and to provide direct, respectful feedback that is well received, and that leads to the learning and development of others. Participants are able to co-create the environments in which people build connection and trust, and are able to engage with each other much more effectively and to make much better decisions.