Entering Into Dialogue

In my last post I mentioned the need for faculty and administrators to clarify their institution’s mission, vision, values, and goals. But clarification is not enough. This needs to be followed with identifying how these statements are to inform action at both the individual and collective levels. To accomplish this a community needs to enter into dialogue.

In discussion different views are presented and defended. Ideas are analyzed. Discussion is meant to facilitate a decision. Dialogue is an exploration of issues. Different views are presented as a means to discovering new perspectives. While discussion is meant to lead to action, the purpose of dialogue is to cultivate a deeper understanding of issues. Each person’s contribution to the dialogue contributes to a more holistic understanding of an issue. Dialogue enlarges the pool of ideas from which we may draw. By entering into dialogue first, we can have more informed discussions about what actions to take.

Certain conditions must exist for dialogue to occur. First, all participants must suspend their assumptions. This does not mean suppressing our assumptions. Rather, we are to put forth our assumptions for examination. Second, participants must consider each other as colleagues. This requires an environment of mutual trust and respect. The third requirement is a facilitator who will keep the group in dialogue and prevent people from straying into discussion. Dialogue can help particpants grow into a true learning community.