Fundamentals of Dialogue Mapping Workshop

Fundamentals of Dialogue Mapping Workshop

(formerly the "Dialogue Mapping Workshop")

The CogNexus Fundamentals of Dialogue Mapping two-day workshop introduces managers, project leaders, facilitators, and consultants to the skill of Dialogue Mapping, and a whole new way of helping groups solve problems and move forward. This workshop has been offered publicly 2-3 times per year for almost 8 years! We expect to offer it again to the public in the Fall of 2008. Or contact us to find out about bringing it to your organization.

The Fundamentals of Dialogue Mapping Workshop is fast-paced, intellectually challenging, and fun. Past participants report that since taking the workshop they are able to be more creative and powerful in meetings. They can see more clearly the hidden issues that cloud projects and are able to be more effective leaders around highly complex and controversial issues.

Dialogue Mapping is a skillful combination of three components:

Group facilitation, or (more precisely) facilitation through the medium of a shared display

Mastery of the language called IBIS, and

Effective use of Compendium.

The “Fundamentals” workshop touches on all three of these and focuses on the “softer” skills of seamlessly facilitating from the place where these three components meet.

Participants coming into the Fundamentals of Dialogue Mapping Workshop will already be acquainted with, if not comfortable, with the physical 'tools' of Dialogue Mapping (Compendium, IBIS).

We can then spend our time together practicing the hard, productive and satisfying work of Dialogue Mapping: sustained concentration, willingness to make mistakes and learn in public, and a fierce commitment to listening and shared understanding.

A flip chart from the workshop

(click for larger view)

Under the Hood

of the Workshop

Why Dialogue Mapping?

At its core, Dialogue Mapping is a method of facilitation. But unlike traditional facilitation tools, Dialogue Mapping addresses the actual, non-linear process of solving big problems, rather than a nice, neat, linear problem solving reality that traditional facilitation tools reflect.

Dialogue Mapping has the power to utilize different perspectives to make the best possible decisions; it does not insist on consensus but creates shared understanding and ownership in a more complex problem/solution space.

The process of Dialogue Mapping includes creating a map of the conversation so that all participants can see the same thing at the same time.

Dialogue Mapping also uses a language called IBIS (Issue Based Information System) that creates a logical, question-based grammar which exposes hidden questions, new perspectives and the logic and rationale of issues and decisions no matter how many stakeholders and issues are involved.

The art of Dialogue Mapping can be conducted with or without a computer, but it is most effective when using the software called Compendium. Facilitating in IBIS with Compendium allows the Dialogue Mapper to robustly connect and manage many layers of information and conversation.

Workshop Outcomes

Students learn a language and notation for analyzing complex issues and difficult conversations.

Students learn a practical facilitation approach. Special social skills or talents are not needed to master this approach.

Students gain confidence in communicating with groups.

Students work together on substantive issues in the group or organization – real work gets done and real decisions get made.

Students practice communicating about difficult topics, and gain trust for each other.

Workshop Agenda

Day 1

Introduction

Framework of the Course

Wicked Problems

The Age of Design

Fundamentals of IBIS

Written Exercises

The Listening Cycle

Pared Facilitation Exercise

Types of Questions

First Round Robin Exercise

Repair Exercises (homework)

Day 2

Homework Review

Three Modes of Discourse

"Twelve Angry Men" Practice Exercise

Second Round Robin Exercise

Compendium Demo & Practice

Decision Making

Third Round Robin Exercise

Completion

Workshop Style

Very interactive - questions are encouraged, new topics are explored together.

Designed for all learning styles.

Modules alternate between theory and practice - theory is always immediately applied in practice.

Fun - there is a sense of play; music during breaks.

Colorful - all theory material is created live on hand-drawn charts which are posted on the walls.

Practical - instructor uses personal experience as practitioner to illustrate points and answer questions.

Popular - graduates rate this workshop 9.2 out of 10, and rate the instructor even higher.

Preparatory Homework

We very much want every workshop participant to arrive at the workshop with the same basic skills. When everyone has the same basic knowledge, we can have more fun and learn more! Listed below are three highly recommended homework assignments to complete before the workshop. They are designed to get all the participants up to speed on the Dialogue Mapping software, Compendium, and to become familiar with IBIS, the notation behind Issue and Dialogue Mapping.

Do the Compendium Basics Exercise. This takes about 30 minutes after installing Compendium. Instructions for downloading and installing Compendium are in the Exercise.

Read Chapter 4 from Dialogue Mapping, "IBIS-A Tool for All Reasons" This takes 30-60 minutes. If you do not have the book, you can purchase one here, or you can download a pdf of the chapter here.

Use Compendium to create a map of a problem, issue, or decision that is of genuine interest to you personally. It might be a personal challenge or a global issue or anything in between. The problem needn't be "wicked", but it should be complex and abstract in nature, and not a simple choice between a couple of given options. "What should I do for the next phase of my career?", for example, but not "What color drapes should we get for the living room?". Your map should show significant reflection on the dimensions of the problem, and even some insight into implicit (formerly hidden) questions. The goal of the exercise is not to produce a great map or demonstrate your skill in IBIS, but for you to have a direct experience of the power and value of thinking, creating, and learning within the Compendium visual framework. Depending on the size of the group and the timing, you may be asked to share your map and what you learned from it with the workshop group.

Back to Facilitation and Training

Back to Dialogue Mapping Home Page

For a brief tutorial on IBIS grammar, see The IBIS Manual

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions about the Workshop)