When people share ideas and experiences they forge relationships and create dialogue--they talk to each other!
Dialogue helps connect workplace experiences with actions! People act as a result of those conversations, both verbal and non-verbal.
Our research indicates that dialogue is a key catalyst for the conditions of understanding, awareness, and ownership which support beliefs within an enterprise. Further, our findings indicate that, in daily operations, assessments support dialogue to a greater degree than measurements. The reason for this, we believe, is:
- Assessments are opinions so they create dialogue. Measurements, while critical for managerial decisions and formal communications, are "final" in their nature and often do not foster dialogue.
- In order for dialogue to be useful as a tool for continuous learning, focus, and commitments in daily operations, assessments must be multidimensional. Assessments and dialogue must happen simultaneously between associates and 1) customers, 2) fellow associates, and 3) partners both internal and external to the enterprise.
Customer dialogue is most often viewed as critical to long-term sustainability. This dialogue, to be truly effective, must extend beyond simply a dialogue between associates and customers to include that between associates themselves as well as associates and partners (internal and external).
1) See how dialogue is an evolving art in a online article by David Bohm, On Dialogue From an online learning Community -- http://www.haven.net
2) "Dialogue" differs from "Discussion" in several critical ways or concepts for the application to enterprises as they relate to relationships. Read an issue from Tom Terez's e-newsletter:
BETTER WORKPLACE NOW (tm) e-letter!
from http://www.BetterWorkplaceNow.com
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[1] VERY DIFFERENT WORDS: DIALOGUE VS. DISCUSSION
The word DIALOGUE brings together the Greek terms "dia"
(through) and "logos" (word, thought). Dialogue is all about
achieving a deeper level of understanding through a process
of collective sharing and reflection.
If three people come together and keep their ears, minds, and
hearts open, they have the chance to leave with a fourth
perspective that's different and richer than their original (and
individual) perspectives.
Unfortunately, many workplace conversations are DISCUSSIONS
in which people eagerly share their ideas but keep their ears and
minds closed. The word has Latin roots that literally mean "to
break apart." Discussion is often about stating a position and
trying to break down the other positions.
What about you? Are you working to create dialogue, or are you
getting caught up in discussions?
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