The art of dialogue

The process of dialogue is so rarely experienced, I wonder if most people even know what it looks like.

We’re so used to debating our ideas or trying to persuade others to our side, that we have lost the art of dialogue.

Dialogue has very different objectives than debate.

Dialogue, in fact, requires so much more of you than debate does.

• It requires that you bring a willingness to not only listen, but to be influenced by what you hear.

• It requires that you work to truly understand another person’s perspective, even before you are understood.

• And once you have that new understanding, it requires you to reevaluate your own position in light of the new undertstanding you have gained.

What is so powerful about dialogue is that new possibilities emerge that were not previous visible.

Dialogue is a generous act—one of truly valuing others and seeking to understand, rather than asserting your own views.

It is through the very act of gaining new understanding of another person’s perspective that root causes can be identified, new solutions can be created, and needs can be met.

Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash

What is a recurring argument you have with a colleague or friend?

And how can you move away from debate and move toward creating a dialogue?

Love,

Audrey