Experience Inquiry-Based Dialogue in a safe group environment — sharpen your listening, communication, and reflection skills, share and gain new insights fostering individual and group learning.
What is Dialogue?
Dialogue is an effective process that can be used by groups who wish to explore a particular topic. The purpose of Dialogue is not to “solve” a problem or to come to a resolution. Instead, the purpose is to explore a topic in an in-depth manner through inquiry and collective learning. Group members are encouraged to deeply listen to themselves and others without judgment and to share their own thoughts and feelings. Speaking without defense, blame, judgment, or seeking to convince creates an inviting atmosphere for others to feel safe to speak. With an environment of openness and exploration, the creativity for diverse assumptions, ideas, and beliefs are revealed. Members are also encouraged to explore the beliefs and assumptions that lie beneath their own expressed thoughts. Through the process of thinking, listening, and exploring group members often experience insight and can reach a level of shared understanding and group learning. Decisions and actions that spring from this foundation of shared understanding have a strong basis for commitment and implementation.
Why is Dialogue Beneficial?
Dialogue produces many benefits for both the individual member and the entire group. First, communication skills in listening and speaking are reinforced. Second, the approach of “inquiry” stimulates an open-ended, creative, and insightful group discussion. Third, group members often experience a fellowship that provides a strong basis for collaboration and participation. Finally, as members and the group continue to explore underlying assumptions and beliefs behind the expressed thoughts, new insights often occur. As a result, when used on a regular basis, Dialogue can foster change and transformation at both a group and individual level.