Free and Open Communication

Chapter 6

Free and Open

• Genuine Communication

• Contestation• Dialogue• Collaboration

Strategic

• Openly Strategic• Latently Strategic• Cultural

Management• Systematic

Distortion

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

• Reciprocity:

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

• Reciprocity: Do we have equal opportunity to speak and be heard?

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

• Reciprocity: Do we have equal opportunity to speak and be heard?– Does one or more parties in the discussion have

“tape over their mouths” ?

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

• Reciprocity: Do we have equal opportunity to speak and be heard?– Does one or more parties in the discussion have

“tape over their mouths” ?– What, in a given interaction, limits reciprocity

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

• Reciprocity: Do we have equal opportunity to speak and be heard?– Does one or more parties in the discussion have

“tape over their mouths” ?– What, in a given interaction, limits reciprocity:

power dynamics, authority, access, etc.

Moral foundation of Free and Open Communication

Working toward “Free and Open” communication means holding the moral value of reciprocity as an ideal and checking actual interactions against that ideal/norm

Types of Free and Open

Types of Free and Open

• Genuine Conversation • Contestation– Dialogue– Collaboration

Genuine Conversation

Genuine Conversation

• Interaction that unfolds freely in creative response to the situation and inspires participants to transform or expand theories and assumptions.

Genuine Conversation

• Interaction that unfolds freely in creative response to the situation and inspires participants to transform or expand theories and assumptions.

• Openness to growth and the presence of difference are necessary

Genuine Conversation

• Interaction that unfolds freely in creative response to the situation and inspires participants to transform or expand theories and assumptions.

• Openness to growth and the presence of difference are necessary

• Conversation about a work of art as the model

Genuine Conversation

Questions: Why is “difference” essential to G.C. ?

Genuine Conversation

Questions: Why is “difference” essential to G.C. ?

And why might “self expression” be an obstacle rather than a goal?

Contestation

• Unlike “genuine conversation,” growth and development of perspective is not spontaneous

Contestation

• Unlike “genuine conversation,” growth and development of perspective is not spontaneous, but the participants are still committed to finding interdependent and mutually beneficial solutions

Contestation

• Dialogue vs. Collaboration

Contestation

• Dialogue vs. Collaboration

• Dialogue seeks understanding

Contestation

• Dialogue vs. Collaboration

• Dialogue seeks understanding• Collaboration seeks action

Dialogue

Dialogue, as Deetz uses the term, means a form of interaction in which very different kinds of people (with different theories) seek to share perspectives and better understand each other.

Dialogue

Dialogue, as Deetz uses the term, means a form of interaction in which very different kinds of people (with different theories) seek to share perspectives and better understand each other.

This is essentially an attempt to engage in the politics of recognition

Dialogue

Question: Can you think of examples of conflicts where “understanding the others world” is a prerequisite for change?

Dialogue

Question: Can you think of examples of conflicts where “understanding the others world” is a prerequisite for change?

Cases where the other has previously been seen as unintelligent, irrational, unreasonable, or even inhuman (less or more than human)

Dialogue

IN such cases, talking about our theories (making it explicit) can open up new forms of understanding/recognition

Collaboration

Collaboration

• Collaboration aims at making mutually beneficial decisions together

Collaboration

• Collaboration aims at making mutually beneficial decisions together (this makes it somewhat different from “dialogue” which aims at “understanding.”

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?• Who are the important stakeholders; what

differences make a difference?

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?• Who are the important stakeholders; what

differences make a difference?• Problem vs. Outcome talk:

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?• Who are the important stakeholders; what

differences make a difference?• Problem vs. Outcome talk:

• We often agree on desired outcomes even when we disagree about diagnoses of the problem

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?• Who are the important stakeholders; what

differences make a difference?• Problem vs. Outcome talk:

• We often agree on desired outcomes even when we disagree about diagnoses of the problem

• Are you fighting to get the best outcome or for your preferred solution?

Collaboration

• Who is at the table?• Who are the important stakeholders; what

differences make a difference?• Problem vs. Outcome talk:

• We often agree on desired outcomes even when we disagree about diagnoses of the problem

• Are you fighting to get the best outcome or for your preferred solution?

• Moving beyond Zero-sum games

Collaboration

• Some examples– Adaptive leadership:

http://www.npr.org/2013/11/11/230841224/lessons-in-leadership-its-not-about-you-its-about-them

– California prison strike: http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/agreement-to-end-hostilities/