Dialogue: Rediscover the Transforming Power of Conversation

by Linda Ellinor, Glenna Gerard

Originally published in 1998 by John Wiley & Sons, this book offers insights, skills, and suggestions for how to introduce David Bohm’s proposal of Dialogue into organizational contexts. In 1990 Peter Senge called Dialogue a key leadership tool for promoting team learning and fostering shared meaning, and community. The insights and skills offered in Discover the transforming power of conversation are just as relevant today as they were in 1998 or 1798 and will be far into the future. In fact, there appears to be a renaissance in the popularity of Bohm-inspired Dialogue. There has never been as much fragmentation in public, political, and organizational life. By republishing this book as an ebook, the material will now be more easily available.How do we, as members of a global human family engage the questions of global climate change, poverty, growing income inequality, wars, etc.? These are complex systemic issues with viewpoints becoming increasingly polarized. Many feel that the world is more divided than ever.Dialogue is a way of connecting across such gaps of meaning; of listening, of speaking and being deeply heard and respected, building the trust that fosters people talking across positions and beliefs. New portals can then open for seeing beyond the levels of thinking that created the problems in the first place.Dialogue leads to new possibilities and hope for a vital future.Linda Ellinor and Glenna Gerard, co-founders of The Dialogue Group, collectively draw upon 50+ years of experience in multiple contexts ranging from corporations, education, and government, to personal and professional coaching. While the strategies in this book are focused on business contexts, they can help anyone –Develop trust-building skills to speak about 'undiscussable' issues that block creativity, learning, effectiveness and satisfaction–Build strong and vital agreements that foster shared responsibility, collaboration, and accountability–Open doors to new and innovative ways of thinking and problem solving –See the roots of recurring problems' and make different choices moving forward–Reawaken and vitalize meaning, satisfaction and inspiration in all relationships, personal and professional.Linda Ellinor and Glenna Gerard are now offering online workshops on Bohm-inspired Dialogue through the Action Dialogue Group.

492 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2014

Reviews

[Ryan Barretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book that details what dialogue is about.

The writing style is easy to read and understand. The book is made more powerful with key examples. It opens with a transcript of a dialogue whose participants included the authors, Peter Senge, Meg Wheatly and Dawna Markova, to name a few.

It also ends with a dialogue on partnership with other unnamed people and the authors. The appendix contained activities for facilitators and leaders to enable them to put dialogue into practice.

This book is a must for those who deal with conflict, OD consultants, mediators. For anyone else, I am sure your relationships would improve if you are able to apply the principles of dialogue.