256 - Deliberate Dialogue to Unlock Wicked Problems with Amanda Harding

Dialogue is a form of sense-making in motion. Thoughts become words become ideas, and ideas then enter reality splintering into fresh, new routes of discussion – a map begins to form, ready to be navigated.

Although, that map might not always have the right people reading it, it may even have dead-ends along the way, or the wrong starting point entirely. This is where Amanda Harding comes in! As a Curator of Conversation, she designs a third space for deliberate dialogue to be held between a blend of actors, so that entangled, wicked problems can be unravelled with purpose, made malleable, and actionable.

As you’d guess, mine and Amanda’s own dialogue surfaced some big, juicy themes, considerations and musings for the facilitation process.

Find out about:

• Why dialogue can fail when it lacks the right blend of participants – often, those with conflicting opinions have the best conversations
• The importance of making power dynamics explicit to achieve inclusive participation
• How tension can be embraced and managed within a space by ensuring all participants can constructively engage
• How to craft questions, or conversation-starters, for impactful dialogue
• Why dialogue can achieve alignment on a higher common ground, in contrast to a shared consensus, which can lead to diluted, compromised ambitions

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