Facilitation: The Arts of Dialogue
Organizations should strive to have leaders who are able to facilitate meaningful, productive, and inclusive conversations. An effective discussion is one in which everyone feels supported, involved, and able to bring their full selves. For 70 years the Aspen Institute has specialized in creating spaces for facilitated dialogues that enable the exchange of ideas, thoughtful listening, and creative sparks. This seminar captures what is unique about the Aspen Method of text-based dialogue applies it to workplace environments. An essential learning opportunity for leaders who want to increase the capacity of their teams to communicate and better work together, participants will leave the seminar equipped to create spaces for honesty, discovery, and common ground.
Key Questions Explored
What is dialogue and how/when can it be employed to improve the workplace? What are the key approaches to hold a meaningful conversation in which all participate equally? What are the central components necessary in order to create spaces for honesty, discovery, conflict, and common ground in a discussion? What are the strategies to hold spaces that encourage difficult conversations? How can facilitators use conflict as moments for exploration and shared understanding? How can leaders cultivate the mindset and skills that allow them to navigate any conversation, anywhere, with anyone?
Participants Leave the Seminar With
- greater facility in listening, asking questions, and guiding more meaningful and inclusive conversations
- increased confidence, humility, and comfort with the strengths which emerge from vulnerability—especially when participants are in conflict
- a more sophisticated understanding of how to create spaces for meaningful dialogue, including in a digital environment
- strategies and skills for bringing out quiet voices, tempering talkative voices, managing the flow of conversation while keeping the conversation focused
- enhanced facility in exploring agreement and disagreement while building common ground and consensus
- increased ability to tailor their facilitation skills to different types of conversations, mediums, and outcomes
Seminar Sessions Include: The Art of Dialogue, Strategies and Skills, The Challenge of Dialogue, The Elements of Dialogue
Seminar Curriculum: Short texts may be drawn from such authors as Idries Shah, James Baldwin, and Chuang Tzu
Seminar Format: Our Core Leadership Seminars can be offered in the face-to-face or virtual medium. Virtual seminars typically consist of multiple 3-hour sessions offered on consecutive days or over consecutive weeks. The Executive Leadership Seminars team will work with you to determine the optimal seminar format to meet the goals of your organization.
Reach out to Kalissa Hendrickson (kalissa.hendrickson@aspeninst.org) with questions or for additional information.