Dialogue is an approach to organisational interaction developed initially by the physicist David Bohm. The following briefly describes the differences between discussion and dialogue:
| Dialogue | Discussion |
| Starts with listening | Starts with speaking |
| Is about speaking with | Is about speaking to |
| Focuses on insights | Focuses on differences |
| Is collaborative | Is adversarial |
| Generates ideas | Generates conflicts |
| Encourages reflection | Encourages quick thinking |
| Encourages emergence | Encourages lock-in |
Further Reading
- A paper on dialogue by David Bohm, Donald Factor & Peter Garrett, Dialogue: A Proposal.
- Sherryl and Patrick Stalinski offer a free booklet, The Dialogue Kit, which they describe as a starter resource for learning why, what, who, where, when, and how to practice dialogue.
- Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Life by William Isaacs
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