IAP2 Taster Series: "Dialogue Changes Everything"

Many of us spend a lot of time talking (and listening too!). We support organizations facing big challenges and issues, often with significant controversy, through the use of engagement, dialogue and discussion. But rarely do we stop and take stock on how the quality of our conversations correlates to the quality of our decisions, our choices and relationships. Too often, it’s hard to be in a real, authentic, supportive conversation: our organizations (and let’s be honest, sometimes ourselves) avoid the conversation completely, hoping the problem will simply go away.  Alternately, we enter into “reactive conversations” rather than “creative conversations.  It’s not surprising as three themes tend to dominate our public conversations.  You’ll notice that:

• People spend a lot of time talking at one another, rather than with each other.

• It is tough to escape yes or no.
  

• Most of the tools we use to communicate are pushing us away from having real conversations...and thus deep connection…which everyone is hungering for.
  

The three centres for dialogue

So, in service of giving awareness and structure to “creative conversations,” -- those that craft deeper connections -- we need to explore and unpack the three centers for real dialogue – our head, our heart and our gut. Each center provides a unique conversation motivation, intention, experience. When we raise the consciousness of who’s talking most– your head, heart or gut – our chances go way up to create truly meaningful conversations and subsequently desired outcomes.

Your Trainer: Kim Hyshka

Join me for this taster of upping our conversation game and remember, ‘anything is possible with a little dialogue.’

Learning objectives:

• Understanding of 3 key road blocks to meaningful and “creative” conversations (ie. what triggers reactive conversations)

• Looking internally on what it takes to convene better, more connected conversations through the 3 centres of dialogue
  

• Expand the theory concepts and apply to your own large scale, high stakes, public participation scenarios