The Hindu Business Line : Dialogue resolves relational issues

There are only three purposes for which people engage in a dialogue: To develop a new relationship; to reinforce an existing one; or to resolve some problem in an existing association. While the need for a better understanding through dialogue is strong in all sections, it is especially important in business. The defining task of a modern manager is to create webs of relationships, especially among his employees. What is a dialogue? The word is derived from two Greek words — dia meaning “through”, and legein meaning “speak”.

Several factors make dialogue the key for an organisation.

First, the steady erosion of authority and hierarchy at workplace.

Second, the current trend of forming strategic alliances between organisations brings into focus different corporate cultures, traditions, structures, and even languages. This creates the need for dialogue, without which mutual underst anding will become difficult.

Third, companies constrained to downsizing or reengineering invariably confront a resentful workforce. Unfortunately, and paradoxically, this happens to be the time when firms need an inspired workforce in order to survive, leave alone thrive. It is only through dialogue that the damage to employee morale and motivation can be repaired.

Fourth, it is only by a spirited dialogue that a management can stimulate initiative and creativity among its employees.

Fifth, it is through dialogue that an organisation can align all its employees so as to implement its long-term vision and strategy.

In this context, it will be useful to examine the three forms of communication — dialogue, debate, and discussion. Most people use these words inter-changably, whereas their application and implication are different.

Indeed, dialogue and debate are opposite to each other. The purpose of a debate is to win an argument. It seeks to vanquish the opponent. The objective of a dialogue is quite different. Nobody wins or loses in a dialogue. In a dialogue, all the participants win or lose together. Dialogue creates harmony, builds bridges, and resolves relational issues. The debate is combative. It attempts to prove that the other side is wrong. A dialogue is collaborative — all participants work together to evolve a common understanding. Debate is focussed on finding flaws and faults. Dialogue is focussed on discovering values and virtues.

Dialogue vs discussion

However, the difference between dialogue and discussion is rather amorphous. There are two features of a dialogue, especially in the corporate scenario, which differentiate it from a discussion. The first feature is equality among the participants. There must be no pulling rank, nor any coercive influence. Equality in forum and format must be the sine qua non of a dialogue. A round table is an appropriate symbol for a dialogue. But it takes much more than a piece of furniture to create the correct climate for achieving a fruitful dialogue.

The second criterion for a dialogue is the display of mutual empathy by the participants to the views of one another. The ability to think someone else’s thoughts, and feel someone else’s feelings is what makes the dialogue an ideal avenue of communication. On the contrary, the participants in a discussion may have no concern for others. They may be blunt in expressing their likes and dislikes about each other. They may not have the patience to listen to the ideas and opinions of the other participants.

(The author is a Chennai-based freelance writer.)