HowToEstablishDialogues

Huw, James Bach and Johanna, I believe, did a session on dialogues at a previous AYE. Perhaps they can be prevailed upon to help you out with this, either here, or at the conference, or both. - JerryWeinberg 2004.08.22

My interest was rekindled in this subject upon reading 'The Fifth Discipline'. Page 238 'Dialogue and Discussion' describes the basic phenomena.

Essentially, dialogue is when a group 'becomes open to the flow of a larger intelligence' or 'a free flow of meaning between people'. Whilst in a discussion 'different views are presented and defended' which 'may provide a useful analysis of the whole situation.'

In my experience, too much discussion without much concern for the other can lead to a downward spiral of communication.
-- HuwLloyd 2004.10.06

That's one of the issues James and I explored in our previous session. But part of the problem can be how people perceive "concern for the other." Placating isn't helpful -- you can't establish a useful dialogue with placating. Being congruent, balancing Self-context-other, is necessary.

Dialogues play out differently in situations. A discussion is one thing. Looking for information is another form of dialogue. I'll be working that issue in SessionFour008. -- JohannaRothman

In order to have a dialog of the Senge kind the people involved must have some threshold of trust and respect for each other. Each party must be interested in exploring the subject.

But you can have that and still have a contentious, vigorous debate. Dialog of a useful kind is not merely a cacophony of unexamined opinions. Sure, in the Satirian temperature reading or in an open brainstorm it is important to let information come to public view that is not judged or rejected (at least not openly). That's not really a dialog, though.

Sometimes people see a debate and assume that dialog isn't happening when it actually is happening.

For an interesting example of dialog, see Proofs and Refutations, by Imre Lakatos.

-- JamesBach

Updated: Saturday, October 9, 2004