Basic Dialogue Workshop

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Basic Dialogue Workshop
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Introduction
This workshop is designed to strengthen your
skills and understanding relative to conducting
dialogue. Since we all come to this workshop
with varying levels of knowledge and skills, your
full participation is necessary for shared
learning to take place. As individuals and as a
group, we will benefit from developing the skills
associated with leading dialogue and, in
particular, dialogue about topics associated with
our diversity. Diversity dialogue provides us
with an opportunity to increase our understanding
of ourselves and our community/organization.
Furthermore, dialogue in general enables us to
better identify and confront many issues and
concerns before they become problems and makes it
easier for us to solve or fix real problems.
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Learning Objectives

• To gain a better understanding of diversity
  dialogue.
• To develop the necessary skills for leading or
  participating in effective Diversity Dialogue
  Sessions.
• To understand the responsibilities and
  requirements in creating successful dialogue.

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Why Lead or Participatein Diversity Dialogue?

• To cultivate an organization that fosters
  cultural diversity, and strategic and tactical
  planning.
• To engender a climate that encourages all members
  to grow and cooperatively use their talents and
  skills.

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Through Dialogue expect that

• You will
• Learn about differences through group process.
• Engage in open and frank dialogue about
  assumptions, and individual perceptions of
  differences.
• Promote effective teamwork.
• Improve communications.

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Dialogue Objectives

• 1. To understand and value different
  perspectives.
• 2. To correct stereotypes and erroneous
  assumptions.
• 3. To develop trust and find value in diversity.
• 4. To enhance communication skills.
• 5. To remove artificial barriers.
• 6. To have a positive impact on the organization.
• 7. To provide for individual and organizational
  growth.

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Your Commitment

• To be open to learning.
• To be willing to listen and be non-judgmental.
• To focus on team development.
• To search for new and improved ways of working
  together.

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Dialogue - The First Step In Problem Solving
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Linguistic Origins
Discussion Latin discutere to smash
to pieces
Dialogue Greek dia through logos
the word or meaning a free flow of
meaning between people
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What is the Difference?

• Discussion
• To tell, sell, persuade
• To gain agreement on one meaning
• To evaluate and select the best
• To justify/defend assumptions
• I wonder which of these is the right one?

• Dialogue
• To inquire to learn
• To unfold shared meaning
• To integrate multiple perspectives
• To uncover and examine assumptions
• I wonder how these pieces combine to create a
  whole?

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Dialogue - What is it?

• A free-flow of meaning through a group, allowing
  the group to discover insights not attainable
  individually.
• An opportunity for a group to access a larger
  pool of common meaning.
• Exploration of complex issues from many points of
  view.
• An exploration between individuals that brings to
  the surface the full depth of peoples experience
  and thought.
• A process in which all individuals believe they
  have had an opportunity to be heard and that they
  have had a fair hearing.

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Dialogue - Setting the Stage

• 1. All participants regard one another as
  colleagues
• A mutual quest for deeper insight and clarity.
• Observe the thoughts that govern how we see the
  world to enhance our understanding of ourselves.
• Slow down and hear not only the words but also
  the meanings behind them.
• 2. All participants suspend their assumptions
• Hold assumptions in front of you so that they
  are accessible to questioning and observation.
• Do not disregard, suppress, or avoid these
  assumptions.
• 3. A facilitator holds the context
• To assist participants in maintaining ownership
  of the process and the outcomes and keeping the
  dialogue moving.

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Dialogue - Key to Building Trust
Dialogue
Effective teams are strengthened by dialogue
Trust is generated through open and honest
communication
Effective leaders create a climate for
dialogue...Through words and actions the leader
conveys the message that it is perfectly
acceptable to speak up, to be open, and to
express both thoughts and feelings.
Effective leadership and teamwork
Trust
from The Model Leader William D. Hitt
Effective leadership is based upon a foundation
of trust between leader and team members
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Dialogue is Not New...It Draws on the Work of
Three Key 20th Century Thinkers

• Martin Buber (Philosopher) used the term
  dialogue in 1914 to describe a mode of exchange
  among human beings in which there is a true
  turning to one another, and a full appreciation
  of another not as an object in a social function,
  but as a genuine being.
• Patrick De Mare (Psychologist) suggested in the
  1980s that large group socio-therapy meetings
  could enable people to engage in understanding
  and altering the cultural meanings present within
  society.
• David Bohm (Physicist) conceived that dialogue
  would kindle a new mode of paying attention, to
  perceive - as they arose in conversation - the
  assumptions taken for granted, the polarization
  of opinions, the rules for acceptable and
  unacceptable conversation, and the methods for
  managing differences.

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A productive session requires each persons best.
Use these tips for supporting dialogue in a
group

• Clarifying Establish objectives for the session.
• Attending Use nonverbal behavior to communicate
  non-evaluative listening.
• Acknowledging Give verbal and nonverbal
  indications of being involved in the
  conversation.
• Probing Ask questions and directing.
• Reflecting State in one's own words what the
  other person has said or is feeling.
• Indicating respect Use behaviors that do not
  ridicule, generalize, or judge.

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• Creating Immediacy Draw attention to what is
  happening in the conversation.
• Summarizing Pause in the conversation to
  summarize key points.
• Concreteness Be specific and objective in
  communicating information and expectations.
• Resourcing Give information, advice,
  instruction, and referring.
• Confirming Close the loop - ensure that
  information has been received and learning has
  occurred.

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• Reviewing Go over key points of session to
  ensure common understanding.
• Planning Build strategies and agree on next
  steps.
• Affirming Comment on the others strengths and
  value.

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The Four Layers of Diversity
External Dimensions
Functional Level/Classification
Management Status
Geographic Location
Internal Dimensions
Work Content/ Field
Personal Habits
Marital Status
Physical Ability
Rec. Habits
Race
Gender
Income
Personality
Age
Religion
Parental Status
Ethnicity
Sexual Orientation
Seniority
Appearance
Work Experience
Work Location
Educational Background
Division Dept/ Unit/Group
Union Affiliation
Organizational Dimensions
Adapted from Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener,
Workforce America! (Business One Irwin, 1991)