Conversation, dialogue and powerful questions as enablers of enquiry and change in organisations

1. A little more
conversation a little
less action
please!
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

2. Reality and relationships are socially constructed
Organisations are meaning making systems
Language, broadly defined, matters
Creating change requires changing conversations
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

3. Knowledge emerges in response to
compelling questions
Powerful questions help attract collective energy,
insight and action as they move throughout a
system
World Cafe
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

4. “What is the point of having experience,
knowledge or talent if I don't give it away?
Of having stories if I don't tell them?”
Adam Grant, author
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

5. Dialogue
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

6. Dialogue come from the Greek words dia
and logos. Dia means 'through'; logos translates
to 'word' or 'meaning'. In essence,
a dialogue is a flow of Meaning…
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

7. Enquiry: - questioning, a seeking
or request for truth, information, or
knowledge
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

8. Seeks to uncover information about why a
particular view is held
asks questions about underlying
assumptions, beliefs, reasoning and
explores why do you/we believe this
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

9. What is the focus of enquiry?
What do we know we don’t know?
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

10. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Why What If How SOLUTION
Questioning + Action = Innovation
Questioning – Action = Philosophy
Warren Berger

11. Generative
Questions
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

12. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Generative questions are gateways to
POSITIVE enquiry, Focus questions shape
learning and Explorative questions direct
learning.
Each type of question has a particular value, role
and function in learning. When they are used in
combination, they become powerful and
empowering

13. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Positive emotion on its own, is not sufficient for
transformational change
Generativity
is a key change lever in cases of
transformational change

14. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Generativity
Is defined as the creation of new images,
metaphors, physical representations, that have
two qualities: they change how people think so
that new options for decisions and/or actions
become available; they are compelling images
that people want to act on.

15. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Generative Capacity
…capacity to challenge
guiding assumptions …, to raise
fundamental questions regarding that which is
'taken for granted' and thereby furnish new
alternatives for action

16. Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
Generative Capacity
…capacity to challenge
guiding assumptions …, to raise
fundamental questions regarding that which is
'taken for granted' and thereby furnish new
alternatives for action

17. Sensemaking
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …
The process through which individuals establish
a situational awareness & understanding in
uncertain situations to make decisions

18. Cultural, Societal,
Organisational norms;
but personal filters apply, so
interpretation unique to each
person
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

19. How can I know what I think
until I see what I say?
Jessica Ferguson
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

20. Why don’t organisations train people to question
and create systems and environments that would
encourage them to keep doing so?
And if companies were to do this, how might they
go about it?
Warren Berger
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

21. Answers,
“You can’t handle the truth!”
what if it’s not what we want to hear!
What if you are the bearer of bad
news!
Shooting the messenger is, if not the
best, always an option!!
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

22. Listen to Understand not to
just to respond and you will
learn a lot more…
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

23. It doesn’t end here!
More slides to follow
Designing organisations for the future - how to
get from here to there …

24. DESIGNING ORGANISATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
HOW TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE
½ Day Workshop, free to attend
Date: Friday March 10th 2017
Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Venue: The Foundry, East Belfast Enterprise Business Centre,
68-72 Newtownards Road Belfast, BT4 1GW
To reserve places or for more information contact Ed Curley (facilitator)
Tel: 07949962027
email: curleyedc@aol.com
Going forward the ability to learn and adapt to new ideas will be fundamental to both organisational
and individual success. The only workshop prerequisite is that you come prepared to listen to others
and to share your thoughts, ideas and knowledge.
The workshop is for leaders, change managers, L&D
professionals or anyone interested in developing
organisations for the future