Replying to LO24954 --
On June 24 Sue Starr wrote,
>'How have you used questions to assist you or your organization in
>learning?'
Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for a number of years, and found that
encouraging people to pose questions instead of making statements can be
transformative for people's learning. A recent example: by introducing
this notion using an exercise I've developed (to be published in The Team
and Organizational Development Sourcebook 2001 later this year), a
bi-monthly quality council in my organization has been able to move from
micro-managing unimportant projects to thoughtful strategic conversation
about major issues facing us and the wider world of environmental
protection. Participants report an increased ability to be reflective in
the midst of conversation, and there's widespread agreement that the level
of respectfully exploring assumptions, differences of opinions, etc.
continues to increase.
Another approach I've used is to make a personal choice when about to
enter a meeting to (at the extreme) make all of my contributions in the
form of inquiry. As an experiment, it makes me listen more carefully to
what others are saying, so I can ask something to forward the thinking and
learning of all. And when, at a later time, I point out what I've tried
to others, it never fails to invite a related approach from them at the
next meeting.
Thanks for your observations about Quaker practice. I've used a variant
of the Friends "clearness committee," which again depends on inquiry to
the exclusion of advocacy, as a method for facilitating groups stuck in
conflict over deeply-held values.
Hope this helps.
Regards from Maine,
Malcolm Burson
--Malcolm Burson Professional and Organizational Development Specialist Maine Department of Environmental Protection mburson@mint.net; malcolm.c.burson@state.me.us
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