Diversity in Dialogue: Meaning Making in a Complex World

Program Description: Dialogue is a critical process of Board work. This session will focus on creating actionable understanding of complex situations through the process of rich dialogue. Participants will assess their board’s ability to engage in meaningful deliberation and explore barriers that challenge and pathways to enrich the process.

What is Dialogue?•How do you know you have engaged in

dialogue?•What is your measure?

Dia (through) – logos (meaning)• Gathering and unfolding meaning from many parts

▫Opening up about the problem, issue or topic Expands what is being communicated by opening up

many different perspectives▫Seeing the whole among the parts▫Seeing the connections between the parts▫Inquiring into assumptions▫Learning through inquiry and disclosure▫Creating shared meaning among many

• Can only happen when there is no push for conclusion or a solution.

Fundamental Choice Point

Deliberation ‘to weigh out’

Conversation ‘to turn together’

Suspend ‘listening without resistance; dis-identify’

Reflective Dialogue Explores underlying causes, rules, and assumptions to get to deeper questions and framing of problems

Generative Dialogue Invents unprecedented possibilities and new insights. Produces a collective flow

Defend “to ward off, protect from attack”

Controlled Discussion Advocacy, competing

Debate Resolve by beating down Unproductive

Defensiveness

Skillful Conversation Analytic, uses data, reasoning made explicit.

Dialectic Tension and synthesis of opposites

Choice Point

Productive Defensiveness

Thinking Alone

Thinking Together

From Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together by William Isaacs

What is Actionable Understanding?•Seeing the same pattern in a variety of

contexts•Making sense of the pattern in a

particular context•Requires meaning-making

▫Requires insights

What are Complex Situations?•When multiple factors are converging on

a particular situation.

What is “Rich” Dialogue?•Multiple views/perspectives•Synergistic quality•Insights shared•New alternatives created through the

dialogue

What is Meaningful Deliberation?•Weighing out, exploring root causes, rules

and assumptions to get to a deeper meaning and framing of the problem.

•Shared meaning-making, moving to a shared understanding in the context of the situation.

•Coming to an actionable understanding.

Assessing Your Own Board•On a scale from 10-1, how would you

assess your board’s ability to truly dialogue?

•What gets in the way?

What Barriers Challenge the Process?•Inability to suspend judgment•Fear•The display or exercise of power •Mistrust•External influences•Distractions •Poor communication conditions

Pathways to Enrich the Dialogue Process

Dialogue Requires Us To:· Respect each other · Suspend our reactions and judgment

· Inquiry into and examine underlying assumptions· Listen respectfully to others

· Listening deeply to self, others and for collective meaning

· A slower pace with silence between speakers.· Reflect on our own underlying assumptions to

get to deeper questions that frame the issue, and ultimately allow for a generative process where new insights and unprecedented possibilities are able to emerge.

· Voice what needs to be spoken· Insights shared

Respecting•Holding a space open for the other.

▫“I see you as legitimate.” Sawa bono

▫We accept that the other has something to teach us.

▫Treat the other as a mystery you can never fully comprehend.

•Respecting leads to inquiry about the experience of the other.▫Treating the experience that informs them as

legitimate.•Loss of respect =

▫when you look for a way to change the other.▫“Let me help you see the error of your ways.”

Suspending•Suspend OUR opinion and certainty

▫Loosen our grip and gain perspective•Absence of suspending = certainty

▫What makes you so sure you are right? •Mind the gap!

▫Put on hold the impulse to fix, correct, problem-solve.

Listening· Listening deeply to self, others and for

collective meaning· A slower pace with silence between speakers.

· Reflective listening

•Listen to the “net” of thought – listen to the spaces

•Listen to the “negative space” •Listen to disconfirm what you “know”.•Listen and notice your resistance to the

message of the other.▫Share your dilemmas about your own resistance.

Listening•How do you prepare to listen?

Voicing•What needs to be spoken now?•Whose voice is speaking now?•What voice is speaking now?

Who Do You Want to Be in Your Response?

Something happens Space to consider Choose who you want to be(The stimulus) alternative responses in that moment

(The gap) (The Response)

Sarcastic?Ignore?

Get Revenge?Thank them?

Inquire further?

Affirm your understandin

g of their message?

Voicing•What needs to be spoken now?•Whose voice is speaking now?•What voice is speaking now?

Voicing•Have insights been shared?

Closing