Communication in Teams

The Theory of Dialogue

(Senge et al., 1994)

Physicist David Bohm describes dialogue as a form of conversation that focuses on exposing and altering the tacit infrastructure of thought. Humans create categories and stereotypes to provide meaning to the world making the world easier to manipulate. How we categorize the world depends on our experiences, our environment, our intellect, our emotions, our ethnicity, our perception of time and place, our status and power, our language, our style, and the overall method in which we regulate our behavior. This is how we develop habits. In knowledge research teams global categorization would be a catastrophe. The act of doing research, designing products, finding medical cures, and creating new systems of management for people must be done through shared meaning.

Becoming competent takes practice and skill; it is important not to rush through steps when building a successful team. According to Senge, the first necessary skill is recognizing your thought processes by analyzing sources of disagreement. Acknowledging your behavior makes you want to adjust your behavior to improve the efficiency of the team, rather than deny the behavior or make excuses when the other team members' expectations about your commitment are not met. Acknowledging problems and asking for help in dealing with them is better than having your team members frustrated over your behavior. The goal is to improve your ability to think collaboratively which increases your ability to interact effectively and efficiently. The Initial Team Dialogues facilitate this process if you build well defined, clearly articulated, and reasonable ground rules.

You will not master all of the techniques used in this process in one semester, but if you pay attention to how you structure and maintain your team you may develop an understanding what it is to think collaboratively and creatively.

Levels and Stages of Dialogue

A team's communication process has levels. The process is adapted from the shared meaning model of communication, which includes a sender and a receiver.

Raw Debate -------- Polite Conversation --------- Skilful Conversation ----------- Dialogue

The stages are on a continuum; you can pass through one stage or go back to an earlier stage. Senge has chosen to use the analogy of a container to develop the theory of dialogue. A container is the sum of the collective assumptions, shared intentions, and beliefs of the team. As the team moves through the phases, team members can perceive a change in the atmosphere. This is not merely brainstorming. It is the ability to share meaning through learning about each other and having a collective perspective about the task.

Phase One: Instability of the Container (adapted from Senge, 1994)

(Formation Stage of Team Development)

In the beginning of forming your team, we have had you assess certain characteristics of the other team members so you may develop a context in which to collaborate. This is the first step in moving towards dialogue: understanding and learning from each other. In this phase, you are learning how to be non-judgmental when discussing how to proceed. You are observing yourself and others and being observed. The Initial Team Dialogues give you a peek into your team members' points of view. They quickly allow you to acquire information that can take months to understand under normal conversational methods. The Initial Team Dialogues should allow you to see where there are agreements and disagreements on how to proceed with the project. The extent that you are able to discuss these questions and formulate them into a coherent, realistic set of ground rules will support your team through the team life stages of development to become high-performing and creative.

Phase Two: Instability in the Container

(Criticism Stage of Team Development)

In this phase you are fluctuating back and forth between being tolerant and judgmental. This is the criticism stage of team development. Usually everyone becomes frustrated over the task and team processes. There doesn't seem to be one way to start the project going effectively. Everyone has a point of view but no one point of view solves the problem. The team members feel disoriented. One or more team members can feel marginalized or even feel that they could do a better job if it were an individual project. Usually at this stage people panic and withdraw from each other, or decide to go with one point of view, labeling different perspectives as “right” and “wrong”. In order to move through this phase the entire team needs to be aware of what is happening. This is the time to ask yourself "What am I doing?" Answer the question clearly and concisely. A facilitator is sometimes used in teams that are larger than three to move the process along. The facilitator does not seek to fix the problem or make order out of chaos. Instead the facilitator points out issues within the team that need to be discussed.

Phase Three: Inquiry in the Container

(Synthesis Stage of Team Development)

In this phase each team member becomes sensitive to the way their conversation is affecting other team members. Team members begin to formulate new plans of action that are realistic and fit the goals of the team. Team members are able to listen to each other's ideas without having to own them individually. All ideas become the collective knowledge of the team. Most students stay at this stage, which is called skillful conversation, because moving through this stage to the next can be uncomfortable; it requires the development of mutual trust and accountability. These can be difficult to develop in a limited amount of time.

Phase Four: Creativity in the Container

(Accomplishment Stage of Team Development)

This is the stage in team development where the mood and climate of the team shifts from the team member's goals and responsibilities to the team's goals and responsibilities. There is no longer individual meaning in conversations, the team is the reason for the conversation. There is the freedom and the time to investigate ideas that might further develop the team's goals. The decision-making in this process comes later. If you come to a meeting to be creative and brainstorm ideas, you need to come with no goal for the project in mind. You need to allow yourself to let go of your preconceived notions regarding the project and attempt to freely discuss alternatives. Using this technique has some risk. You are exposing yourself to others. The end result of listening to yourself is gaining a new perspective on the project and your team. This concept of dialogue is based on the theory that you are always observing your thinking and the thinking of others and changing the way you think or perceive something to be more compatible with the goals of the team. Developing competency in dialogue can take up to one year. Practicing effective listening skills can support the development of this process.