Marianne Kiskola: Internal climate change – Dialogue

The strength of an organization lies in the skill of dialogue. If a leader can speak to their subordinates in a way that puts everyone on the same level, it creates a pull and retention force so strong that there’s seldom a need to post job ads. A wise leader also demands a respectful dialogue skill from their work community.

Dialogue is not just chit-chat but has been a functioning method of discussion since ancient times. Currently, it seems to be noticeably absent in many public discussions. However, it is never too late to adopt it.

We all know how to dialogue—or do we?

A sure guarantee of failed dialogue—as with all other failed communication—are assumptions and presumptions. When we rush into a discussion, certain of our own stance—and of the other person's inner thoughts—we can’t wait to ask questions or listen to responses. Dialogue turns into monologue, and we become insufferable know-it-alls.

In monologue, we lose the opportunity to learn and come up with ways to do things better than before.

Monologue: goodbye innovation, goodbye opportunity for success.

Socrates—the master of ethical discussion—demonstrated the power of his developed elenchus dialogue in his discussions. This form of dialogue, where beliefs are investigated and challenged through questions and answers, has been a crucial tool in the search for philosophical truth and the formulation of ethical principles.

In this era of fake news, elenchus would be precisely the tool our society needs to remain civilized.

Elenchus means "exposure." Socrates based his method on carefully planned questions that make the interlocutor's beliefs and assumptions visible. Socrates was not interested in pointing out the flaws in another's thinking but wanted to guide his interlocutors towards deeper self-knowledge and the discovery of truth. And to learn himself in the process.

Plato described this method as Socrates' ethical intellectualism, which displayed intellectual curiosity, truthfulness, fairness, and courage. Who among us would not want to be courageous?

Could the principles of the elenchus dialogue be applied in the 21st-century business world just as Socrates used it in ancient Athens? Absolutely!

Like no leader should, Socrates never considered himself wiser than his interlocutors. He understood that the foundation of genuine dialogue is humility and the desire to learn and marvel together.

A leader does not need to pretend to know everything about everything. Such a delusion only leads to trouble. It is wise to ask because usually, employees have a very good understanding of the work they do. This was realized by the leadership of Toyota, who created the Toyota model. In this model, during moments of big decisions or confusion, the leadership gathers with factory workers to discuss the best approach and solution to an issue. This questioning-based approach—"how would you solve this problem?"—has brought Toyota success and a reputation as a reliable operator. At Toyota, it’s understood that employees are also most committed to the decisions they have been involved in making.

Organizations could use dialogue as a tool to create open and honest discussions. At the same time, it would collectively discover new perspectives, articulate actions, and build meaningful shared culture. Hard currency in any organization and convertible into pleasant cash flow.

A leader who dares to question their own opinions also encourages employees to do the same. This creates a culture where everyone dares to ask, challenge, and learn. We're talking about ethical leadership that supports fairness and honesty—and gives everyone space to develop and bring forth new innovative solutions.

Courageous leader — do you wish your organization to have both pull and retention power? One word: Elenchus.

Marianne Kiskola is a guest blogger on Frontline Forum, writing from the perspective of a linguist and her second home country, Greece, on "internal climate change." Marianne is a language researcher, screenwriter, non-fiction author with 11 published books, and a journalist with a strong background in communication and leadership. Currently, Marianne is working on her doctoral thesis on the language of encounter at the University of Jyväskylä, from which she lectures and coaches. Marianne also co-hosts the radio program "The Anatomy of Encounter" with Setumo Bodibe on Radio Helsinki: [https://www.radiohelsinki.fi/ohjelma/kohtaamisen-anatomia/] Marianne has spent years doing planned, successful, and long-term reputation and communication work for socially significant entities. She has discovered that the secret to success is simple: internal and external speech must be one. Thoughts, words, and actions must align. When this alignment is clarified, shining becomes easy.