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This module is an introduction to dialogue and its importance in an organisational setting. It will help you understand why dialogue is important in leadership, how it differs from other forms of conversation and introduce you to the core
skill of inquiry.
Watch this 27 minute video
21st century leadership the heroic model
More traditional models of leadership emphasise the role of the leader in :
Direction setting
Vision creation
Culture design
In keeping with this model, early in our managerial careers, we learn the skills of Advocacy – the ability to put a point of view, state our opinion, communicate our recommendations and decisions.
21st century leadership - The dialogic model
As we develop further in our leadership, Inquiry skills come to the fore, as we recognise we cannot:
see all angles on every situation
know what everyone else really thinks and feels
have all the answers!
This is particularly true when:
we are exploring complex issues where no one person can hold all the answers
we want to draw on diverse perspectives for creativity or innovation
we are working with users and citizens and want to fully understand their needs and assets.
New public service roles emphasise a more relational approach
As you will remember from the module 'An introduction to the capabilities', we referred to the research on the qualities of the 21st century leader of public service. Many of the new roles identified have a strong relational emphasis which
brings the skills of dialogue and personal connection to the fore.
The municipal entrepreneur
The municipal entrepreneur pulls together organisations, civic groups and citizens to create new services and innovate in existing ones.
Dialogue approaches support this role by helping us ensure that all the relevant perspectives are taken into account and by making opportunities for creative collaboration.
The navigator
The navigator supports citizens and service users by helping them to find their way around the complex public and third sector systems so that they can access the resources and services they need.
The navigator uses their deep listening skills to really 'stand in the shoes' of the individual they are supporting so they can gain an understanding of what is required and how that person might like to be assisted.
The storyteller
The storyteller works with colleagues to improve services and the experiences of users by sharing examples about real situations and by creating narratives about how things could be done differently.
They use stories and illustrations to make sure that learning is based in real life rather than organisational beliefs about how things work.
The storyteller has their 'ear to the ground' to listen for what matters and uses their creative speaking skills to craft new ideas.
The networker
The networker suggests and facilitates new connections between colleagues, volunteers and users so that people can learn together and collaborate on the things that matter to them.
The networker will have strong facilitation skills and will know how to bring people together by 'holding spaces' for their dialogue.
Our brains are beautifully designed for meaning-making, observing, categorising, and concluding.
Our minds filter information on the basis of what is familiar, unfamiliar, attractive or dangerous. However, we can be prone to generalisations.
The opportunity in dialogue is to notice how we 'make meaning', so that we can better articulate our ideas to others, whilst also being sensitive to the limitations of our meaning-making.
We can learn from others through deep listening. This helps us to shift perceptions and change position, to expand what we see and perceive as ‘truth’, get into the shoes of others, and see the wider system of which we are a part.
Ultimately deep dialogue enables us to generate engagement towards a shared vision by taking into account the multiple parts, positions, and possibilities beyond our own.
What do we mean by 'dialogue'? From 'conversation' to 'dialogue'
The term 'dialogue' comes from Greek and signifies a 'flow of meaning'.
The essence of dialogue is an inquiry that surfaces ideas, perceptions, and understanding that people do not already have. This is not the norm. In our organisations, we typically try to come to important conversations well prepared. A hallmark of
success for many of us is that there are “no surprises” in our meetings. Yet this is the antithesis of dialogue.
You have a dialogue when you explore the uncertainties and questions that no one has answers to. In this way you begin to think together—not simply report out old thoughts. In dialogue, people learn to use the energy of their differences to enhance
their collective wisdom.
MIT Senior Lecturer and dialogue expert, William Isaacs introduced the leadership world to the importance of dialogue in his book ‘Dialogue – The Art of Thinking Together’.
You can read more about his ideas about the role of the leader in creating a space for dialogue there. A brief article about his ideas is available via the MIT Newsletter Spectrum – The Art of Dialogue. If you are interested in the idea of dialogue as a leadership practice on the global stage, you may like this brief video excerpt – Conversations that change the world.
In the last 10 years, the consultant and theorist, Otto Scharmer, has moved the field on by linking dialogue with the capacity to be open to new ways of seeing and thinking about the world. In terms of leadership, this raises new possibilities for
collective change management and innovation. By having an open ‘mind’, ‘heart’ and ‘will’, we are able to work systemically and imaginatively, with an expanded view of a situation, and therefore an expanded capacity to generate new ideas and approaches
[
Theory U, Scharmer, C. Otto(2007)].
Scharmer's Presencing Institute is now one of the leading lights on dialogue globally, offering a huge range of resources and trainings on the subject. If you want to delve more deeply into this fascinating subject, you can access some of their free
and excellent tools for dialogue on the Scharmers Presencing Institute site.
Towards dialogue
‘Dialogue’ is not just a different word for ‘conversation’ – there are many ways of conversing (as shown by the diagram below). Dialogue can be contrasted with “discussion,” a word whose roots mean “to break apart.” Discussions are conversations where
people hold onto and defend their differences. The hope is that the clash of opinion will illuminate productive pathways for action and insight. Yet in practice, discussion often devolves into rigid debate, where people view one another as positions
to agree with or refute, not as partners in a vital, living relationship. Such exchanges represent a series of one-way streets, and the end results are often not what people wish for but polarized arguments where people withhold vital information
and shut down creative options.
We can choose to be in dialogue by choosing to suspend (rather than defend) our ideas and assumptions for the duration of the conversation and by genuinely inquiring into (and listening to!) the perspectives of the other people in the conversation.
Towards dialogue: four stages
When groups or teams are developing their dialogue skills, they tend to pass through four distinct stages - and, of course, some groups or conversations get 'stuck' at a particular level! These stages are:
1. Politeness
This is when each person is simply 'downloaded' their own opinions and experience without listening effectively to others or trying to connect to their ideas. People in the conversation are 'polite' and aim to maintain harmony in the group - they
are not trying to influence each other or allow themselves to be influenced.
2. Deliberation
At this point, people become more engaged in the conversation, trying to influence others and share their own ideas. This can be a skilful process, including some active listening and effective debate - however, the participants are more interested
in putting their views across than in allowing the conversation to affect their perspective.
3. Inquiry
When a group reaches the stage of 'Inquiry', people are becoming genuinely interested in other people's experiences and the perspectives that can be brought to the conversation. The participants are listening more deeply to each other - trying to
get a real understanding of how they feel about the issues and how the different views can be connected and brought together. They are also reflecting on their own feelings and opinions and are open to the possibility of change.
4. Flow
If a group is able to find a 'flow' in a conversation, this is when the conversation takes on 'a life of its own' beyond any individual's input. Participants are allowing the conversation to affect them, reflecting on their own perspectives, changing
their viewpoints and even the way they feel about the issue. New ideas can emerge, new perspectives can develop and the whole group may experience a collective shift in understanding - even on issues which are difficult, conflictual or long standing.
In stages 2 and 3, participants are focusing more on the 'parts' - the individual viewpoints and ideas at play - trying to clarify and understand them in different ways. In stages 1 and 4 the focus is on the 'whole' but in very different ways. At
stage 1, the group is trying to stay together by being considerate and formal, avoiding conflict and disturbance. At stage 4, the group is fully engaged with the conversation, noticing the shape of the discussion and the threads that are coming
together - conflict and disagreement are not scary or personalised, they are just part of the process.
Introducing the Leading Libraries series. It covers the findings from the C21st Public Servant research, the origins of the four 'Leading for' capabilities and explains how to use the materials.
This set introduces you to resilience and why it is important for leaders. It covers emotional resilience; mental resilience; relationship resilience and social resilience.
It covers the key concepts of dialogue and why it is important for leaders, listening and inquiry skills, an introduction to 'conversational moves' and how to create a space for dialogue.
Emphasising the need for inclusive practice in our services and communities. It covers the foundations of inclusion, barriers to inclusion, power and privilege and allyship skills.
Building creativity and design skills for leaders. It covers the innovation cycle, diagnosis and perspective shifting skills, creative idea generation and safe-to-fail experimentation.
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