One of my greatest joys is watching a group experiencing dialogue for the first time.
To most people ‘Dialogue’ is just conversation. But it is so much more. It is actively building respect with another person. Listening without judging and sharing sincerely what is in our hearts.
As such, people are often connecting at a deeper level, where they are at their most human. In organised Dialogue meetings, you can almost see visible relief as participants are encouraged to let go of their identification with their ego and its predominantly narrow and self-focused agenda.
Writers are encouraged to ‘kill their darlings’. Letting go of the lines or characters they are emotionally attached to and love the most. Rather than trying to find a way to force them into their story they let them go for the sake of the text as whole.
Dialogue can work in the same way. By letting go of our cherished beliefs and viewpoints we can allow the dialogue to flow more fully. That is not to say we need to hold back on sharing our deepest feelings. But to be more conscious of how so many of our beliefs and attitudes have become entrenched over the years, have become our ‘darlings’.
The best way to enter a dialogue is with the intention of being open and listening deeply to another. Asking questions that help us understand contrary points of view or perspectives. This is in contract with debate or even ‘regular’ conversation which so often focuses on ‘winning’ and looking for weaknesses.
In these times of great change where innovative and creative solutions are so much in demand, dialogue offers a way forward because it draws out the best of us, both individually and collectively.
The Power of Dialogue 