Dialogue, The Art Of Thinking Together

DIALOGUE, THE ART OF THINKING TOGETHER



Isaacs' working definition of dialogue is that it is a discipline of collective thinking and inquiry, a process for transforming the quality ofconversation, and in particular the thinking that lies beneath it.

Isaacs made a significant contribution to our knowledge about how to make dialogue happen in organizations that have traditionally usedadversarial approaches to governance and methods of interaction. They include the seven principles for the exploration of thinking and the idea of providing a "container" in which dialogue can takeplace.

Phases for the evolution of the container

Instability of the container is the initial phase when participants have concerns for safety and trust which they must move through, leading toInstability in the container, when members struggle with polarization and conflict due to the clash of personally held beliefs and assumptions. It may take a lot of time to surface these conflicts.Suspending these beliefs can lead to
Inquiry in the container, with people inquiring into polarization and fragmentation. At this phase people often experience collective pain as the depth of disconnectionis held by the group. This phase leads to
Creativity in the container, where new understandings based on collective perceptions emerge and people engage in more generative thinking together.Facilitation

Examining the field notes and transcripts and looking at emerging themes revealed an important aspect of creating containers of dialogue: the role of the facilitator and the facilitationteam. This proved to be the most challenging part of the project. The project realized that facilitation for dialogue requires an advanced form of group process, systems work, and leadership development.Facilitators need the abilities to create the level of openness and attention necessary for dialogue to happen.

Initial Guidelines for Dialogue

Suspend assumptions and certainties.
Observe...