Dialogue: Now You're Talking! Communicating in a Diverse World

How should we communicate in a world where differences in perspective, experience, job function, culture, gender, age, and a myriad of other factors often lead to distrust, misunderstanding, and reduced productivity? We can all benefit from learning the tools of dialogue -- how to communicate across differences in a way that is both respectful and effective. Dialogue is how you communicate when you're having trouble communicating. Through a series of short dramatizations, this unique series explores the rules and techniques that distinguish a dialogue from other forms of communication, such as debate or negotiation. The series examines how we can surface the often unspoken assumptions, in ourselves and in others, that can stand in the way of effective organizational communication. In so doing we build mutual trust and respect. Topics covered include what is dialogue, contrasting debate and dialogue, initiating dialogue, how and where to do it, and the skills of dialogue -- suspension (of judgment, decision-making, and status), listening (with empathy, for understanding, showing you care), and discovery (uncovering and sharing hidden assumptions in yourself and others). Includes a dramatization of how dialogue helps us communicate across job functions, helping improve relations between people at different levels within the organization as well as between different departments or areas of expertise.