Better Conversations Chapter 4

Jul 9, 2018

(Suggested Completion Date: July 27th)

Welcome to the fourth part of the Better Conversations book study. In this chapter Jim Knight focusing on fostering dialogue. Dialogue can be pratical (everyone is involved in the conversation) or moral (fully humanizing conversation partners instead of objectifying). To foster better dialogue you should balance advocacy and inquiry.

Advocacy

Consider others’ thoughts and feelings
Clarify the meaning of words and concepts
Provide contextual information other need so they can understand what we are sharing
Identify our false assumptions
Use stories and analogies to help ideas come to life

Inguiry

Be humble
Listen and empathy
Open ourselves to new ideas
Surface and suspend assumptions

Let’s use the comment feature below to discuss some principles of better dialogue.

Which of the five advocacy strategies (74-78) do you struggle with and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?
Which of the four inquiry strategies (78-83) do are you the best at and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?

Feel free to reply to others comments.

FYI. Names are posted, and the website is visible, so lets focus on building up instead of ranting.

2 Comments

Dawn Jordan on August 9, 2018 at 10:06 pm

1. Which of the five advocacy strategies (74-78) do you struggle with and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?

I think the one I struggle the most with is “considering others’ thoughts and feelings.” I am usually so focused on why my idea is or opinion is best and how to persuade others of that, that I stopped to considers others’ thought and feelings that could be better than mine. I really need to work on this!!!

2. Which of the four inquiry strategies (78-83) do are you the best at and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?

I can listen and communicate with empathy if it is something I have experienced or someone I know has experienced. I think listening and communicating with humility is something I should work on! Again, I tend to go into a conversation intent on proving my point rather than intent on learning why someone else might be correct.

Lisa Pogue on July 16, 2018 at 7:44 pm

Which of the five advocacy strategies (74-78) do you struggle with and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?
If I am being totally honest, I would say that on some level, I struggle with all of the strategies. In this busy world of “gotta get things done,” I don’t think we stop long enough to have good dialogue. We don’t always go into conversations, or meetings, or lessons thinking about how we can have dialogue, but after reading this chapter, I realize how important it is and that I want to be better at it. Choosing ONE strategy to work on is a difficult decision, but after much contemplation, I have chosen to work on considering others thoughts and feelings. I chose it because it is a good first step to having true dialogue with others.

Which of the four inquiry strategies (78-83) do are you the best at and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?
I believe I am best at being open to new ideas. I do want to learn from others. I am willing to look at others ideas and adapt them to meet my teaching strategy. I have always been willing to try new things in the classroom and learn from other teachers, as well as from students. I would like to work on listening with empathy. This goes hand and hand with the advocacy strategy that I chose. I realize that if I am going to learn from others, then I need to truly listen to what they have to say.

Dawn Jordan on August 9, 2018 at 10:06 pm

1. Which of the five advocacy strategies (74-78) do you struggle with and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?

I think the one I struggle the most with is “considering others’ thoughts and feelings.” I am usually so focused on why my idea is or opinion is best and how to persuade others of that, that I stopped to considers others’ thought and feelings that could be better than mine. I really need to work on this!!!

2. Which of the four inquiry strategies (78-83) do are you the best at and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?

I can listen and communicate with empathy if it is something I have experienced or someone I know has experienced. I think listening and communicating with humility is something I should work on! Again, I tend to go into a conversation intent on proving my point rather than intent on learning why someone else might be correct.
Lisa Pogue on July 16, 2018 at 7:44 pm

Which of the five advocacy strategies (74-78) do you struggle with and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?
If I am being totally honest, I would say that on some level, I struggle with all of the strategies. In this busy world of “gotta get things done,” I don’t think we stop long enough to have good dialogue. We don’t always go into conversations, or meetings, or lessons thinking about how we can have dialogue, but after reading this chapter, I realize how important it is and that I want to be better at it. Choosing ONE strategy to work on is a difficult decision, but after much contemplation, I have chosen to work on considering others thoughts and feelings. I chose it because it is a good first step to having true dialogue with others.

Which of the four inquiry strategies (78-83) do are you the best at and which ONE strategy do you want to focus on to improve?
I believe I am best at being open to new ideas. I do want to learn from others. I am willing to look at others ideas and adapt them to meet my teaching strategy. I have always been willing to try new things in the classroom and learn from other teachers, as well as from students. I would like to work on listening with empathy. This goes hand and hand with the advocacy strategy that I chose. I realize that if I am going to learn from others, then I need to truly listen to what they have to say.