Everyone gathers in an actual physical circle, perhaps in chairs, perhaps on the floor or on the ground, perhaps holding hands.
One person speaks at a time.
Everyone gets to speak who wishes to speak.
If appropriate or called for, an object, like a "talking stick", is passed around the circle. The person holding the talking stick has the floor and may speak, while others are silent.
Create a circle.
Consider it a sacred space.
One person speaks at a time.
Speak and listen from the heart.
Encourage and welcome diverse points of view.
Listen with discernment instead of judgment.
Share leadership and resources.
Decide together how decisions will be made.
Work toward consensus when possible.
When in doubt or need, pause and silently ask for guidance.
Decide together what is to be held in confidence.
Speak from your own experience and beliefs rather than speaking for others.
Open and close the circle by hearing each voice. (Check-ins and check-outs.)
We are all interconnected. No one of us knows it all, or can know it all.
It's ok to "not know". It's ok to be unsure or uncertain. Being open to uncertainty is being open to creativity.
Nobody has to "get it absolutely right the first time." We are all in this together, we will work on it together, we'll get it right.
Because we are all interconnected, we are involved in an evolutionary and collaborative creative process, that interconnects the ideas and insights of everyone in our range of experience.
Dialogue is "a conversation with a center, not sides."
Dialogue is about a shared inquiry, a way of thinking and reflecting together.
Dialogue is a form of conversation that can be meaningful to people from a large number of backgrounds - from every walk of life, from different cultures or traditions, political or psychological tendencies, or professions and levels of responsibility.
Dialogue deepens the glue that links people together.
Arrange seating in a circle, without tables or desks. This creates an open space and promotes listening.
Start with 5 to 10 minutes of silence.
Go around the circle to check in with each other. What brought you here? What do you need to say to be present?
When you are listening, suspend assumptions. What we assume is often invisible to us. Learn to recognize assumptions by noticing when you are surprised, upset, or annoyed by something someone else is saying.
Listen and speak without judgment. The purpose of dialogue is to come to an understanding of the other, not to determine whether she is good, bad, right, or wrong.
Suspend status. Everyone is an equal partner in the inquiry. There is no seniority or hierarchy. All are colleagues with a mutual quest for insight and clarity.
Each of us is an expert in our own lives, and that is what we bring to the dialogue process.
Listen for understanding, not agreement or belief. You do not have to agree with or believe anything that is said. Your job is listening for understanding, new ideas, and new ways to think about something.
For many of us, our most precious and sacred intentions and objectives for our lives are similar, in profound ways. If we connect with one another around shared intent, our capacity to realize our objectives will be empowered and amplified. And the world will receive the benefit.
This project is brand-new and in progress. Everything is taking shape at the same time, everything is changing and growing.
Thanks for being here, thanks for becoming involved, thanks for your patience...
