Everyone knows how to have two-way communication. You talk for a
while, then somebody else talks for a while. So why did the Fetzer
Institute send its employees to a series of workshops to teach them
about dialogue?
"We were looking for creative ways to work out conflicts,
deepen our relationships with each other and generally communicate
better," explains Wendy Lombard, director of organizational
learning for the 50-person Kalamazoo, Michigan, health-care
research foundation. After looking over the available communication
courses, they chose a series of four-day workshops from the
Dialogue Group, a Laguna Hills, California, consulting
firm.
Lombard felt the dialogue seminars were different from most
offerings in the way they emphasized the value of exploring
feelings and building trust in group settings. And instead of just
learning to converse better, Fetzer employees were taught
specific skills designed to improve understanding and boost team
productivity.
Content Continues Below
The difference between dialogue and other communication
techniques is that dialogue is not really about talking, says
Sarita Chawla, president of leadership management consulting firm
MetaLens in San Rafael, California. "It's in listening
that dialogue happens," she says.
Companies such as Hewlett Packard, AT&T and Shell are
hearing dialogue's promises--and they're responding by
sending employees to similar seminars. But unlike some recent
management trends, the drive toward dialogue is well-suited to
small organizations as well.
Small companies can easily involve everyone in dialogue, says
Chawla. And this communication technique works particularly well
when getting projects off the ground, whether you're hiring a
new employee or starting a business venture.
Whether large or small, companies that look into dialogue
won't be disappointed, says Lombard. The results include a
deeper sense of community, greater trust among staff members and a
more complete understanding of the organization's mission.
Benefits also reach the bottom line, notes Lombard.
"It's more productive," she says. "Things get
done faster because people have a shared vision."
Mark Henricks is an Austin, Texas, writer specializing in
business topics.
Page 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 