"Once a society loses this capacity [to dialogue], all that is left is a cacophony of voices battling it out to see who wins and who loses. There is no capacity to go deeper, to find a deeper meaning that transcends individual views and self interest. It seems reasonable to ask whether many of our deeper problems in governing ourselves today, the so-called "gridlock" and loss of mutual respect and caring might not stem from this lost capacity to talk with one another, to think together as part of a larger community."
- - Peter M. Senge, in "A New View of Institutional Leadership" in Reflections on Leadership

Introduction

One might think conversation is a relatively simple thing. And it is, since we do it all the time: at the dinner table, with fellow travelers in the bus or car, at the water fountain in the workplace. We exchange comments about the weather, about what we did on the weekend, the latest show we went to, how our favourite sports team is doing.

Some conversations don’t last long:

That’s a three-beat conversation. Actually, it’s hardly a conversation at all, just passing the time of day, a kind of caring or checking on the life of the other. Other longer conversations are more like a reporting or interchange system, where everyone gets a chance to say what they have been doing, what they are into. There is no attempt to orchestrate it.

Some conversations are a bit more organized. One thinks of the philosophers in ancient Athens strolling through the Lyceum holding animated conversations about life. Or one thinks of the literate coffee-house conversations in Samuel Johnson’s London, or the salon discussions in Madame de Stael’s Paris.

Somewhere between the learned conversations of the gentry and the interchange between folk in the street is the guided conversation focused on a topic, sometimes referred to as the "artform conversation," or the surface-to-depth conversation. For the genesis of this, one has to go back to Socrates and his use of conversation as a method for seeking deeper understanding…a way of seeking the rock-bottom truth in what was being discussed. 2500 years ago, Socrates taught Western civilization the art of asking questions as a tool for discovering reality. For Socrates, "the unexamined life was not worth living." To find meaning in life, one had to dig constantly, and to keep naming what one was finding. As we know, not everybody liked what Socrates was digging up, and, so, he was disposed of. Asking questions can be a dangerous business.

Now, in our time, the depth conversation in the Socratic mode is coming into its own again. As more organizations are shifting into management through participation and consensus-making, more managers are learning the Socratic way of processing information through asking questions, instead of making pronouncements and giving orders. As an initiator of many conversations the boss is becoming a facilitator, a leader of real discussion.

The art of orchestrating conversations is useful for consensus-making in small groups, for problem-solving, trouble-shooting, coaching, research, and interpretation of all kinds of data. What we constantly hear is that the more people practice using structured dialogue, the more opportunities they find for it: processing office flare-ups, reviewing the day, quarter, or year, for evaluations, for making group decisions, even for office celebrations. If it is true that solutions to problems reside in the collective intelligence of employees at all levels, then structured conversations are stellar problem solving tools. In any Learning Organization, they provide ways for teams and groups to reflect constantly on their experience and learn from it 

The Focused Conversation Method developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) as part of its Technology of Participation (ToP™) has helped people reflect on everything from poetry and movies, to the latest office blow-up, to how to build better widgets, tractors and hamburgers, and even how to give better health care. It is a relatively simple process that enables a conversation to flow from surface to depth.

A facilitator leads the conversation through a series of questions at four levels:

This elegant method has helped millions of people round the world. It has changed how people converse with each other. Instead of bawling out subordinates, managers have engaged them in a conversation which became a learning experience for both. The method has given people ways to share their common concerns and experiences in depth, rather than reacting with negative criticism. It has resolved conflicts between people, and dealt authentically with issues of value.

Sample Conversations

Imagine a Conversation About Proposed Legislation

One wonders what would happen in a large parliamentary committee if the members broke into groups of eight, each led by a skilled facilitator, in a surface-to-depth conversation on the proposed legislation. Imagine the discussion over these questions:

Imagine the parliamentary cameras trying to zero in on dozens of these conversations going on at the same time. Quite a few other institutions would have to change to accommodate such a revolution in procedures.

Discussing a Presentation

We have all attended terrible public meetings or lectures where someone standing high in front pontificates to those below. After the talk, questions "from the floor" are entertained, and a few people line up behind a microphone while the rest wait silently, hoping to hear a valuable tidbit. Just imagine the impact, if, after the lecture participants broke up into groups of ten to discuss the presentation, with the help of questions like these:

The high level of participation and action generated by such focused discussions have a dramatic impact on the participants of such conferences. Often they learn more from the discussion than they ever could from the speaker.

In the workplace we find many situations where this learning tool can be used. Here’s an example.

Conversation with an Ineffective Employee

A supervisor has become aware that an employee is not working effectively and constantly misses deadlines. In the past, the supervisor would call the staffer into an office and deliver a good bawling out. Suppose, instead, the supervisor designs a conversation to hold with the employee to bring home the seriousness of the situation, to hear the employee’s perspective on what happened and to develop clear actions to be taken. What follows is a conversation actually used by a supervisor in such a case.

Note that the supervisor has made no statements; there are no accusations. The employee gets the opportunity to confess any lapses, and at the same time to express how he experiences his work. Next, he gets the opportunity to do his own self-analysis, and then decide what he needs to do to remedy the situation. However, at no stage is he let off the hook. Real accountability is going on here, emphasized by the follow-up meeting. In short, the reality of the situation has been honoured—even if the employee has erred, his dignity and creativity are used in finding a solution.

Deciding about Work Priorities

This conversation is between several members of a department deciding about work priorities. The situation is that they have just received several contracts all of which must be completed by the end of the month. They feel overwhelmed. An old, traditional solution would have been to give a big pep talk, play on their guilt, confront them with a carrot or stick, or blackmail them psychologically to work harder. Instead of that approach, a focused conversation helps by drawing out the whole group’s concerns and ideas for completing the contracts on time.

This conversation helps the team acknowledge the challenge, see their advantages and vulnerabilities, and strategize how to complete the job on time. The Focused Conversation Method has enabled the team members to be their own best coaches.

Celebrating an Employee’s Retirement

A staff person is retiring after many years of service. Several people feel that "something should be done" to hold up her achievements and express the staff’s appreciation. The staff decide to hold an event to celebrate the retiring Susan Cartier, and hold a conversation on her contribution to the organization. Two different conversations could be appropriate at the event: one is with Susan while the rest of the staff listens on; the second is with the whole staff while Susan listens. This example deals with the second.

While the traditional gold watch does express appreciation for Susan Cartier’s contribution to the company, it does not highlight the uniqueness of the contribution, or the quality of her relationship with the quality of her relationship with her colleagues. Susan Cartier will remember this conversation for the rest of her life. She may feel blessed and graced by the group’s statements.

Hints in Preparing to Lead a Focused Conversation

No right answers
The leader has nothing to teach. There are no right answers hidden up a secret sleeve. Although we were brainwashed during school exams that right and wrong answers are important, they do not exist in a Focused Conversation. We ask questions to find out what actual answers might arise.

Use open-ended questions
All questions are open-ended and cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Yes and no answers do not make for lively conversation, not do they actually tell you very much. For example "What did you like about it…or dislike?" is infinitely more interesting than "Did you like it?" Creating open-ended questions is more difficult than it seems. To think up open-ended questions and arrange them in the most helpful order usually requires a good deal of forethought.

Trust the group’s wisdom
In order to ask questions, you have to trust that the group has wisdom. The best conversations confront the group seriously with a topic, but do not reach a pat conclustion.

Be specific
Specific questions get better results. For example: "What points did Jim make?" rather than "What do you remember about Jim’s speech". Ask for specific illustrations and examples when people answer. If someone makes a broad abstract statement, e.g. "Jim made vague observations about our sales trends."; ask for a concrete example, "What was one of them?"

Determine the intent
To prepare a conversation, decide the intent; then brainstorm questions, and put them in the Objective - Reflective - Interpretive - Decisional order. It often helps to write questions on little post-its and then put them in order, or to create four columns of questions (O-R-I-D) and move questions around between them. When the draft is finished, rehearse it through in your head, imagining some answers you might get. This may suggest better ways to ask the questions.

Advantages of Using the Focused Conversation Method

Versatility
It is extremely versatile, which means that focused conversations work as well with groups of strangers, as with long-term colleagues., It works with people of mixed backgrounds and age, as well as with more homogeneous groups. It works as well with people of mixed backgrounds and ages as with more homogeneous groups.

Focus
It provides an excellent way to focus people on a topic long enough to determine what direction is needed. This kind of focus is a time saver, and often a saver of psychological energy.

Sidetracks Power Games
The process has a way of sidetracking politicking and power plays. It pushes people to be creative rather than critical.

Listening
It provides room for real listening. People don't have to yell and fight for the floor to be heard.

Positivive thinking
It sidetracks negative thinking. Each person's comments are received; none are disqualified or struck from the record.

Clear thinking
The method applies a structure to the thinking process, which prevents a conversation from drifting aimlessly along. It saves time by reducing meeting times through a disciplined group thinking process.

Honest communication
It allows honesty: People who know that their responses will be accepted like everybody else's feel free to say what they really think and feel. The experience of such honesty is often releasing, surprising and refreshing.

This introduction to the Focused Conversation Method is adapted from
“The Art of Focused Conversation - 100 ways to access group wisdom in the workplace" by R. Brian Stanfield.
New Society Publishers – Copyright 1997 – The Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs