While Theasaurus. Dialogue, then could be translated as a flow of meaning. Notice the strong focus here in the definitions on the idea of resolution, without the overtone of debate. Why am I reaching back to Greek and Middle English in a contemporary article for leaders and Talent professionals? If you are like me the aha that comes from seeing the underlying meanings of the two words coupled with the reflection on which of these two communication methods we use most frequently is jarring and profoundly helpful.
It may, in fact, begin to resemble debate. Debate is an extreme form of discussion, in which the format dictates that people take sides and advocate for that side, rebutting points from the other side. Debates are usually structured and formal; they leave no room for compromise or building on others' ideas.
Dialogue is more structured than conversation, but less structured than discussion or debate. Dialogue engages people in building their understanding of an issue, without the pressure to make decisions or be "right. When members of a group are just trying to understand an issue, they may find that dialogue is all they need.
When a group is trying to make a decision, it may still want to engage in dialogue to explore ideas, and then shift to discussion. The resulting decision will often draw from many more and better possibilities than it would have if the group had used discussion from the start. Let's look at two groups, both working on the same topic changing the school bell schedule. One is engaged in discussion, and the other is engaged in dialogue.
As you read the following two scenarios adapted from Easton, , imagine the tone and pace of the discourse and notice the wording. And not just for students—teachers need more time as well. So I'm in favor of tabling this issue. If we have to get board approval, let's just wait until next year. How many are in favor of lengthening the passing period? Continuing, after a show of hands How many are against it?
We're not ready to make a decision yet. Notice the differences in word choice and syntax. These phrases slow the pace of speaking, giving people a chance to think and then share their own thoughts. Dialogue feels like a flow of ideas as people listen and stay with an idea for a few minutes.
In contrast, discussion is often fast-paced and clipped; one person after another states an opinion, and people rarely build on one another's ideas. People in discussion often listen for even the slightest pause. Actually, they may be listening only for a pause, and several people may jump in to capture airtime even though the speaker hasn't really finished but is just catching a breath!
Discussion can be loud, and people sometimes speak over one another. In contrast, dialogue is more often quiet because participants are confident that everyone will get a chance to speak.
The two conversations on changing the school bell schedule—one a discussion and one a dialogue—led to different results. After the discussion, action was tabled indefinitely, as it had been for two years in a row. The topic might be resurrected when another group of people with enough passion about the schedule decides to meet. Chances are, however, that this future meeting will result in the same stalemate if the conversation continues to take the form of discussion. The dialogue, on the other hand, led to a survey of faculty and students about two things—problems if any with the current schedule and how to address those problems.
A student-faculty study team was formed, and various subgroups observed behaviors during a week and reported what actually happened between class periods; held focus groups with various constituents, including parents; gathered a sampling of high school schedules on the Internet; and researched state and district policy.
When the original group met again to engage in further dialogue, it was armed with data, information, and a variety of ideas for solutions. But how exactly do we define the difference between dialogue and discussion? First, let us look at the meanings of the two words. A dialogue is a conversation that takes place between two or more people. In a dialogue, there is a free flow of communication as people exchange their ideas and also respond to the thoughts of others.
A discussion, however, is quite different to a dialogue although in a discussion also we exchange information as we converse with others. The key difference between dialogue and discussion is that most discussions are decision-based; hence the flow of ideas is often disrupted as people make an attempt to prove the validity of their idea, rather than being open to the ideas of others. Another major difference between dialogue and discussion derives from the secondary meaning of the word dialogue.
Taken to the extreme, they can dominate the discussion, hoping to gain support from the majority. In his groundbreaking book, The Fifth Discipline , Peter Senge makes a powerful distinction between dialogue and discussion: In a discussion, opposing views are presented and defended and the team searches for the best view to help make a team decision.
In a discussion, people want their own views to be accepted by the group. The emphasis is on winning rather than on learning. In dialogue, people freely and creatively explore issues, listen deeply to each other and suspend their own views in search of the truth. People in dialogue have access to a larger pool of knowledge than any one person enjoys. The primary purpose is to enlarge ideas, not to diminish them.
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