Why You Should Engage In Dialogue Facilitation

By William Green


What does the word dialogue mean to you. No doubt that this is a much overused and hackneyed term. Whatever the case, it is usually being categorized along the same lien as communication and interaction. It entails listening, understanding, being open minded, withholding judgment, and focusing on interest rather than speeding up solutions. Needless to say, all of these seem like a pie in the sky thinking. In the end, it all boils down to the result rather than the ways and the means. Learn about dialogue facilitation.

There are many ways to define and delineate the term dialog. Whatever the exact wording, however, perhaps anyone can agree that it sounds friendlier than debate and more productive than discussion. There is something meaningful with this activity, or at least the potential to create meaning through a positive and constructive exchange. That makes dialogue something to achieve and yearn for with every team, group, and most remarkably, perhaps, with opposing parties.

Dialogue can be all about the exchange of opinions and perceptions. This puts a solution stamp on what are often called ivory tower decisions. No matter how universal and basic certain values are, putting oneself in other peoples shoes are not workable all the time. And being made to listen to them also exhorts one to raise his or her defenses and put up prejudices.

Dialogue, therefore, when you delve on its essence, amounts to more than just debate and discussion. It is not so much about the contents of the discussion, but rather the dealings or relationship between the parties involved. A debate, in particular, is also particular about competitiveness and about the superiority of one opinion over the other. When talking about dialog, however, you are aiming to reach a common ground.

Really, that DOES sound like a pie in the sky thinking. However, that is where dialogue facilitators come in. Needless to say, theyve got a tough steak cut out for them, and they need all the strength and skills that theyve got to wangle with it.

Successful communication is indispensable, and by indispensable, we mean irreplaceable, when it comes to resolving social and political issues. All things that need understanding and explaining incorporate its elements to a considerable extent. From corporate meetings to community gatherings to United Nations committee meetings, it is something that never goes amiss.

Next, they should know how to formulate good questions. That will set the stage for the participants to open up and move towards each other. They should give prompts that would give way to discussions of everyones fears, needs, and interests. On a personal level, they must evince integrity. They must have an innate understanding of the group dynamics as well, and that involves zeroing down to the individual elements.

Although the importance of this exchange is pretty much established, it is also outfitted with a lot of technicalities, convolutions, and general nitty gritty. In that case, holding a successful exchange can be said to incorporate all the facts and figures of rocket science. The question on how to set up and prepare for a successful dialogue is always a moot point for those at the creating and receiving ends, both.

Making a conversation productive and constructive requires quite a lot of stage setting. It involves making the atmosphere and layout right. It requires the subtlety of knowing when to speak, when to deal, when to be mild, and when to be resolute. Most of all, it requires an open state of mind for those involved. Everyone must be willing participants in bringing about the desired objective.




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