Understanding Diversity Dialogues: A Q&A on the Benefits of Dialogue By Simma Lieberman and Kate Berardo
What does dialogue do? Dialogue brings people together who
would not naturally sit down together and talk about important issues. It is a pro- cess to successfully relate to people who are different from you. Their differences can include gender, religion, work depart- ments, cultures, ethnicity, race, sexual ori- entation, or age.
Does dialogue solve problems? Dialoging isn¹t a problem-solving pro-
cess directly. It is instead a process that builds bridges of understanding between groups that naturally helps to reduce mis- understandings, conflict, and tension and therefore to dissolve problems. What are the signals that a dialogue process is needed? Whenever differences are the root
cause of problems in an organization or on a college campus, dialogue may be a
helpful process. These problems can be interpersonal, such as misunderstandings, tension, or increased polarization and di- vision or organizational, such as low le- vels of productivity, high levels of stress, and high rates of turnover. What can you expect from a dialoging process?
Dialogue promotes better understan-
ding and more creative cooperation bet- ween different people and groups. The process will help to reduce misunderstan- dings and tensions and help ensure more successful interaction in the future. How can you spot opportunities for dia- loging before problems arise? Whenever you have the opportunity
for people of different backgrounds to interact, dialogue can be a useful tool to help build a foundation of understanding and set guidelines for effective ongoing
interaction. Work Groups with different functions and priorities who must work together but know little about the day- to-day activities of the other departments would benefit from the dialoguing pro- cess, as would college campuses that have some diversity, but generally little inte- raction between individuals of different backgrounds. What are the basic requirements for a dialogue? Both parties must be willing to en-
gage in the dialogue, trust the process, and agree on a set of guidelines for the process. Because the stakes are high and emotions are often involved, only a skil- led and experienced facilitator should be used for the dialogue process. Source:
www.simmaliberman.com Reprinted by permission 510.527.0700 or Email
simma@simmalieberman.com
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