I’ll never forget the reaction. It was April 2024 and Olive Branch Solutions held our first facilitated dialogue in advance of the presidential election at a church in North County San Diego. It didn’t turn out the way you might think. There wasn’t a debate over candidates or policies. No one tried to persuade or provide advice. In fact, people were telling stories about what matters to them, their hopes and dreams for the country. They were listening. They were talking and building connections. They felt heard and seen, even if there wasn’t agreement on the topic. It was surprising and refreshing to many of the participants, and the reactions were palpable.
“I never knew it was possible to have a conversation like that about politics. Now that I’ve experienced it, I want to do more. How can I keep this going?” said one of the participants.
So what happens in a facilitated dialogue? And why is it such a great tool for building understanding and community?
The structure makes it possible to share and listen
A facilitated dialogue is a carefully created conversation designed especially for participants to share perspectives, listen deeply, and better understand each other. At Olive Branch, we use a dialogue method called Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD), created by Essential Partners, that has been developed over 30 years. Through this structure, you can talk about literally anything – from work issues to building community to politics. What makes RSD so multi -functional is its methodical structure that allows participants to open up, one step at a time.
Here’s what you’ll experience in a facilitated dialogue:
A conversation with a purpose.
Central to every dialogue is a purpose statement, carefully written by people in the community holding the conversation. For example, the purpose statement for a recent dialogue at a church was: To strengthen the community at CPC and beyond by providing a safe-enough space for participants to explore their own values and political beliefs and those of their fellow citizens with the ultimate goal of promoting mutual understanding and respect for different perspectives.
A circle of people.
Imagine a circle of 6-8 participants. Participants from diverse backgrounds or with differing viewpoints, gather to explore a specific topic with a purpose in mind.
A trained facilitator to guide the conversation.
At Olive Branch, we often train people in the community to be facilitators. The facilitator ensures participants follow agreements and honor their own purpose statement, keeps time for each person, and ensures no one dominates the conversation.
The heart of dialogue includes:
- A set of agreements or ground rules for the conversation. Some examples are: share the time so everyone has a chance to speak; maintain confidentiality; take a breath between speakers; you may pass if you choose not to speak.
- Thoughtfully crafted questions that people in the circle answer that explore a topic and invite people to share personal experiences, values, and complexities in their thinking. For example, the questions in the pre-election dialogue were “What is one issue you care about?” Followed by, “Share a life experience or a closely held value that will help others understand why you care so deeply about this issue.”
The questions are asked in “go-rounds” where each person has time (usually 2-3 minutes) to answer while everyone listens.
- Listening to understand is foundational in the agreements and structure. Each person is listened to, without interruption or questions. We ask people to take a breath between speakers and stay curious while listening.
- Unstructured time for participants to ask “questions of curiosity” of each other.
- A closing question to process their experience.
Paying it forward.
Dialogue has lasting effects on the individuals and groups who participate. Pastor Karla Shaw of Point Loma Presbyterian Church described the Olive Branch dialogue experience in her church as “transformational.” Experience one of these very intentional conversations, and it can change organizations moving forward.
Dialogue makes a lasting impact by:
- Creating spaces for people to connect, build relationships and feel a sense of belonging.
- Promoting trust and respect within communities. This makes it possible for future collaboration and problem solving.
- Increasing community involvement by providing a respectful place for members to discuss and address shared concerns.
At Olive Branch Solutions, our goal is for facilitated dialogues to become part of the fabric of the organization we serve. After all, healthy conversations create healthy communities. If you’d like to learn more about holding facilitated dialogues in your community, please reach out to Kim Lande at klande@olivebranch-solutions.com or Scott Silk at ssilk@olivebranch-solutions.com.