What is Dialogue?

Dialogue is one of the rich tools available to us on the path to conscious relationship and transformative leadership.

Laura Mack invites you to attend one, two, or all three Authentic Leadership Circle Dialogues that she will facilitate this fall. Join non-profit leaders, social entrepreneurs and 'conscious capitalists' (corporate leaders wanting to use their position of influence to make a difference) to discuss the following topics:

Tuesday, September 22nd
What is Emotional Intelligence, and how does it support leading from my authentic self?

Tuesday, October 20th
Who do you think you are? How do I manage my own inner critic (negative inner voice), and how is this limiting my leadership?

Tuesday,  November 24th
But I don’t have the time? How do I balance everything in my life? – leadership, family, aging parents, fun?

Click here for more information.

Dialogue is for the purpose of deep listening and understanding. Its sole purpose is inquiry and learning. Dialogue is a process that enables people from all walks of life to talk deeply and personally about some of the major issues and realities that divide them. Dialogues are powerful, transformational experiences that often lead to both personal and collaborative action. Dialogue is often deliberative, involving the weighing of various options and the consideration of different viewpoints for the purpose of reaching agreement on action steps or policy decisions.

"Genuine listening means suspending memory, desire and judgment--and, for a moment at least, existing for the other person."
Michael P. Nichols

"People are leading dialogues across the country in schools, in churches, in workplaces, and in virtually every other venue imaginable. They are encouraging people to engage in dialogue about issues ranging from race relations in their communities and violence in their schools to how to handle the buildup of nuclear waste or the rapid rate of development in their region. People are organizing dialogues in order to resolve conflicts, to increase citizen participation in governmental decisions, to educate, to help people build self-awareness, to improve communication skills, to strengthen teams or build coalitions, to stimulate innovation and to foster effective community change."
Excerpt from Dialogue and Deliberation.

'Within the field of management and the social sciences, renewed interest in collective or organizational learning through dialogue is often connected to the work of Peter Senge (1990). He makes a distinction between forms of discourse and describes the special properties and limitations of dialogue in contrast to "discussion."

"In a discussion, decisions are made. In a dialogue, complex issues are explored. When a team must reach agreement and decisions must be taken, some discussion is needed."

When they are productive, discussions converge on a conclusion or course of action. On the other hand, dialogues are diverging; they do not seek agreement, but a richer grasp of complex issues. ... The ground rules are different. The goals are different. Failing to distinguish them, teams usually have neither dialogue nor productive discussions. A unique relationship develops among team members who enter dialogue regularly. They develop a deep trust that cannot help but carry over to discussions'.
Jerry M. Calton, University of Hawaii-Hilo

For information on how to integrate Dialogue into addressing your organizational or leadership challenges, contact us here.