May 2002

Updated Feb 2004

"Small groups exploring common questions and learning that others are doing the same, has always been the locus for large scale transformative change." ~Juanita Brown

The Art of Conversation

One of the ways I keep my creativity alive is by participating in the Vancouver community group of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). Founded in 1973 by former astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, IONS is at the forefront of research and education in consciousness and human potential through an inquiry based on rigorous science.

IONS envisions creating a global wisdom society through its membership; and our community group puts into practice processes for accessing collective wisdom and envisioning positive futures. (Visit IONS at www.ions.org)

One of the ways we access wisdom is through conversation and dialogue. Physicist, David Bohm who devoted his last years to the investigation of dialogue, proposed that "a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces society, and indeed the whole of human nature and consciousness today.

Moreover, it may turn out that such a form of free exchange of ideas and information is of fundamental relevance for transforming culture and freeing it of destructive misinformation, so that creativity can be liberated." Bohm's approach to dialogue is described here.

We often use The World Café model originated by Juanita Brown. Brown notes that

... human conversation had always been the crucible for social invention — the birthing place of new ideas, new ways of being and new ways of doing... From circles of elders around ancient campfires, to the sewing circles and 'committees of correspondence' that birthed the American Republic, to the conversations in the Cafes and salons that spawned the French Revolution, people have always gathered for real conversation about questions that matter. From the 'study circles' which contributed to the economic and social renaissance in Sweden in the early 1900's to the 'quality circles' that revitalized Japanese business and industry nearly half a century later, we can see the same deep pattern and core processes of human organizing at play.

Small groups exploring common questions and learning that others are doing the same, has always been the locus for large scale transformative change. Margaret Mead, who studied social systems and cultural change all over the globe, remarked, 'Never doubt that small groups of committed people can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has.'

Margaret Wheatley, author of Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future uses the Solidarity movement in Poland to illustrate Mead's point: "Solidarity began as a group of 10 committed people who came together in a conversation around a common need. A month later, their membership had grown to 9 million."

Through conversation we gather together and talk about things that matter. The wisdom circle experience slows down the conversation and allows our collective wisdom to bubble up. The key to meaningful conversation is to begin by asking questions.

Conversation and the Development of Social Capital

In Good Company, Cohen and Prusak, argue that social capital—the value inherent in human connections such as trust, personal networks, and community—plays an important role in successful organizations.

"More than anything else, companies need to provide opportunities (places and times) for people with related interests to meet and talk so they can begin to trust and understand each other and develop new or wider communities. Some pharmaceutical companies engaged in recent mergers have set up informal meetings so that, say, European and American researchers doing similar work can get to know one another. Some face-to-face meeting seems to be absolutely essential to create these new ties; just providing e-mail access and a list of people won't do it."
— Don Cohen and Laurence Prusak.

When I work with organizations, I often use the arts as a catalyst for conversation that draws out the inherent genius of a group. In my experience, conversations that enter the realm of the wisdom circle, stimulate new ways of seeing the world, inspire creativity and enhance intuition. As we engage in conversation, and share information, patterns coalesce revealing knowledge and wisdom that were previously hidden. It is as if every participant has a piece to the puzzle, and even if we don't find answers, each piece offers a clue or insight that takes us to our next level of awareness.

The Culture of Conversation in Canada and the USA.

In Oliver Wendell Holmes and the Culture of Conversation, English professor Peter Gibian looks at the vital role Holmes played in a dynamic era at the advent of America's literary Renaissance. "Some of the period's American talk groups, such as Boston's Saturday Club of which Holmes was a member, brought together the best and brightest - bankers sat next to writers and philosophers. "The rule was to not speak in conventions, but to push the envelope, engage in witty repartee, accept disruptions and disagreement."

The Wednesday-night Salon
Every Wednesday since 1982 David and Diana Nicholson have hosted an evening of discussion at their home in Westmount. "Wednesday Nights" have become an institution. The number of guests has grown from a small handful of Montreal residents to a list of over 9,000. A guest may arrive on a visit from Japan, Indonesia, Russia, Europe, across Canada or the Americas...

As the topics have evolved, so have the professions and interests represented around the Nicholsons' table. Originally, discussion centered on the economy and financial markets; today, discussions range from international aviation to environmental issues, from high technology and sciences to social policy and international development,and many subjects in-between. Economists are always in evidence, as are bankers, international investors, diplomats, corporate executives, politicians, professors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, human rights activists, environmentalists and members of the media.

IDRIART
A magical place for experiencing this phenomena is at the Castle Borl Slovenia, where IDRIART participants and the Pioneers for Change convene every year to experience music, art and café style conversations. We typically discuss issues of leadership, community, organizational development and the future. Read about my experience here. For details visit www.idriart.org

See also

The Creativity at Work(TM) Newsletter provides overviews of new research in creativity and innovation, 'best practices' of leading organizations, links to new or relevant websites and an array ideas and techniques from innovation experts.

Linda Naiman, is founder of CreativityatWork.com, and provides coaching, training and consulting on creativity, leadership development and innovation, to business and public sector organisations world-wide. She is co-author of Orchestrating Collaboration at Work, and is recognized internationally for pioneering the use of art as a catalyst for developing creativity, innovation, and collaborative leadership in organizations. She has spoken at US Navy Leadership Symposiums; at the MIT Club, Singapore; and the Banff Centre Leadership Lab. She has been featured in The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Business Magazine, on CBC Radio, and on National Public Radio. 

Services include: creativity and innovation consulting, speaking and coaching.