A Conversation Tool for Civility and Knowledge Integration

Conversation can be a vehicle for human flourishing, with its ability to invite expression, generate and translate ideas, and build enduring relationships. On the other hand, conversation can be filled with the rancor so prevalent in our media and civic arenas. While unconscious bias, conversation-fears and time-pressures may lead us to prefer the act of fleeing over engaging, certain ways of thinking and communicating can help us improve our conversations’ productivity and knowledge integration. This is good for the group, and for our own mental health. The Five Discussion Disciplines (5DDs) — derived from the sciences of dialogue, facilitation and traditional wisdom — equip participants to converse with respect and impact. The 5DDs are also easy to learn and observe. In this article we observe the common gaps in conversation skills and self-confidence, we describe the 5DD model for productive conversation, we illustrate conversation impacts through examples, dos and don’ts, and case studies; and we provide action strategies for individuals and leaders. We end the article with a plea for further research. Finally, we invite the reader to join a community committed to improving conversation for civility and knowledge integration.