What is Dialogue and how mastering it can set you apart as a leader?

I work with leaders across industries, working at different levels in the organization, dealing with very diverse business challenges. But when it comes to leading teams, I see most of them making the same mistakes.

Although their struggles with their teams look uniquely different from the surface, a deeper analysis almost always leads to one solution: Dialogue

A single dialogue or a series of dialogues can help the leader and the team uncover powerful revelations, co-create a plan of action and hold each other accountable as they move forward.

So what is Dialogue?

The simplest definition of Dialogue is that it's not a Monologue.

Dialogue is a specific form of communication that allows two or more people to engage in an exchange of ideas in a safe, respectful and equitable manner to achieve collective goals.

The key is safety, respect and equity for everyone involved.

Safety is critical to creating an environment where people can take interpersonal risks like asking questions, presenting opinions without the fear of consequences.

Respect is critical for humans to appreciate different point of views and suspend personal judgements.

Equity is not equality. Equity means everyone gets to participate in the capacity they wish to. For examples, equity ensures the loudest voices don't become the most important voices.

Achieving collective goals: This is where dialogue is different from discussions where the purpose is sharing and may not require achieving any goals at all.

How can mastering dialogue set you apart as a leader?

We have a severe Dialogue Deficiency in our teams, organizations and in the world. This is why our meetings and long email chains are discussions at best and monologues at worst.

We humans, we are wired to give up on dialogue the moment we sense any discomfort or a lack of safety or respect. So your teams are operating in perpetuating state of monologue which results in :

• Unresolved conflicts
• Lack of direction and ownership
• Competition instead of collaboration
• Resentment and blaming
• Silo mentality

This deficiency is making things even worse for remote, hybrid and distributed teams. It's not their fault that they can't solve their communication challenges by simply talking to each other. They were never taught how to dialogue.

You as a leader can be the facilitator of dialogue your teams desperately need to get out of their own way.

Mastering the art of Dialogue can set you apart as a leader who helps people recognize their own potential, communicate with each other in a way that removes roadblocks and find solutions together. Elevating yourself from Communicator to a Facilitator is the blue print for creating sustained Innovation.

This is a huge missed opportunity for leaders and the teams they serve.

Imagine if you could bring people together to have the most difficult conversations they have avoided so far in a safe, respectful and equitable manner. What kind of transformation would become possible for your team?

Imagine if you could help people go from complaining to taking ownership of their contribution to the problem in a way that's not offensive or fearful to them?

Imagine if the habit of dialogue becomes a behaviour in your team? What level of performance and balance would you achieve? It is all possible if you go first.

Leaders go first.

You hold the power to completely transform the actions, behaviors and results in your team and in your organization.

You can be the leader who sets the tone of transformation in your organization. I am here to help, support and cheer for you.