Ldrs320

   

Unit 3 Topic 1:  What is dialogue:  It all begins with dialogue

“It all begins with dialogue” is the premise Ram Charan uses in his article “Conquering a Culture of Indecision.”  He makes a direct correlation between the effectiveness of dialogue and the effectiveness of decisions.  We will begin by reviewing a case study presented in Charan’s article.  It speaks clearly of how dialogue can actually change the direction of a company while demonstrating respect for others.

 

Case Study

In the article “Conquering a Culture of Indecision” see the section entitled “It All Beings with Dialogue”.  Read the case study about the company Unit Head and CEO.   Below is a summary that demonstrates the way that simple dialogue can change the course of a company

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Upon hearing the presentation of the Unit Head, the CEO could have ridiculed the Unit Head because of the unacceptable presentation.  Instead, he began a dialogue of sharing ideas, coaching, and came up with new ideas to benefit the organization. 

 

· Key points that describe the turn-around:

· The Unit Head’s proposal was flatly rejected but he did not walk away.

· The CEO did not assert his authority or diminish the Unit Head as a person.

· They shared a dialogue and creative ideas began to flow.

· Through that dialogue, a new plan developed which exceeded expectations

· In 90 days, they met again to discuss the revised strategy. 

 

· Some observations:

· The Unit Head expected the CEO would be impressed with his presentation, and the CEO expected the Unit Head would bring a strong presentation.

· The expectations were not met for either.

· Dialogue began between the CEO and Unit Head.  Newer and better ideas ensued.

· The Unit Head respected the CEO and the CEO respected the Unit Head.

· This allowed for creative dialogue.  New and creative ideas evolved which changed the course of the company.

 

· Some What-Ifs

· What-If the Unit Head felt rejected and just walked away?

· What-If the CEO got frustrated and dismissed the Unit Head?

 

· Conclusion

· Without dialogue, the future of the company would be deterred.

· Organization decisions are impaired when people loose the ability to dialogue.

· Dialogue is the basic unit of work in an organization.

· Dialogue is at the heart of successful organizational decisions.

 

· Lessons Learned

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Learning Activities

Activity 3.1

· Learning Pod:  Identify 3 lessons learned from the Case Study.  Share and compare these lessons with others in your Learning Pod.  As well, discuss the things that get in the way of effective dialogue in an organization.

 

Activity 3.2: Today’s Decisions

· Learning Pod:  Identify a conversation or dialogue you had today.  Determine what influenced outcome of the conversation, how it influenced, and why it influenced your decision.   Share this reflection with your Learning Pod.

 

Questions to Consider

After completing the activities above, consider the following questions:

· Who or what drives many of my decisions?

· Do I actively participate in dialogue or do I simply follow the dialogue of others?