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Dialogue Mapping

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http://cognexus.org/id41.htm

A typical Dialogue Mapping™ arrangement.

A very good arrangement in a meeting room 

at the Knowledge Media Institute,

Open University, UK.

What is Dialogue Mapping™?  Dialogue Mapping™ is a radically inclusive facilitation process that creates a diagram or 'map' that captures and connects participants' comments as a meeting conversation unfolds. It is especially effective with highly complex or “Wicked” problems that are wrought with both social and technical complexity, as well as a sometimes maddening inability to move forward in a meaningful and cost effective way.
Dialogue Mapping™ creates forward progress in situations that have been stuck; it clears the way for robust decisions that last. It is effective because it works with the non-linear way humans really think, communicate, and make decisions.
 What is a Dialogue Mapping™ Session Like? 
Picture a meeting room with the usual tables and chairs and with a computer, display projector, and screen. Now bring in a group of people working on a project or problem. Now bring in a facilitator (also known as a "technographer") who sits at the computer and types.

As the people in the meeting speak, the facilitator paraphrases and captures what they are saying in a hypertext diagram on the screen. For example, at one moment in the meeting the dialogue map might look like this:  

The icons represent the basic elements of the Dialogue Mapping™ grammar (called IBIS): Questions, Ideas, Pros and Cons.
This is a very simple map, meant to convey the basics of IBIS. In real meetings and projects the maps are much larger, more complex, and can be nested deeply. Here's an example of some larger maps from a 2-day strategic planning meeting: Top

This combination of (i) a shared hypertext display, (ii) a trained facilitator, and (iii) a conversational grammar is Dialogue Mapping™. (For a detailed narrative of a Dialogue Mapping™ session, see "The Dialogue Mapping™ Experience".)
In Dialogue Mapping™, as the conversation unfolds and the map grows, each person can see a summary of the meeting discussion so far. The map serves as a "group memory," virtually eliminating the need for participants to repeat themselves to get their points made.
Moreover, Dialogue Mapping™ captures the way that we humans actually converse and solve problems (in a non-linear way), rather than the way most of us wish we solved problems (in a structured way). View a short YouTube demo illustrating how Dialogue Mapping™ does this. (If you have trouble viewing the YouTube site, try this version.) Top Some Benefits of Dialogue Mapping™ include: Each participant's contribution is heard and acknowledged in the map. Each participant can see how their comments relate to others. The group sees where they are, where they've come from, and where they are going, and is thus self-correcting if they get "off-topic." (example Agenda map) The shared display map shifts the dynamic of the group into a collaborative mode ... "What can we think and learn together." The map focuses the group on a kind of "lightly logical" perspective as they work on the issues at hand. The map increases the group's shared understanding about the problem at hand, possible solutions, meaning issues, roles and responsibilities ... all of the key elements of a successful project. At the end of the meeting or during breaks, the group can view various printed snapshots of their discussion. Thanks to the IBIS grammar, the map summarizes the rationale behind any decisions that are made Since the map captures the thinking process of the group, anyone who was not at the meeting can be quickly brought up to speed by reviewing the map with them. The map easily displays all of the open issues and action items at any point. Top
They gain ownership in the map, and commitment to collaboratively crafting the clearest and most compelling map of their collective thinking. The art of creating this kind of ownership in the shared Dialogue Map is the subject of the Dialogue Mapping™ book.
A Key to Dialogue Mapping™: Shared Display Project teams need to minimize fragmentation and maximize shared understanding and shared commitment in order to stop the cycle of project failures. One of the most powerful mechanisms for doing this is use of a shared display.
The appropriate use of computer display by a facilitator using Dialogue Mapping is one way to exploit the power of shared display. It allows the group to recognize the Dialogue Map as a value-adding augmentation of their meeting discussion, thus increasing coherence and increasing the likelihood of project success.
In this way, Dialogue Mapping™ is distinct from traditional facilitation.  

How is Dialogue Mapping™ different from traditional facilitation?  We're all familiar with the role of the facilitator. This is the role of the neutral person who plans and guides a group through a meeting, keeping the group on schedule and on topic, and addressing process issues like one person dominating the conversation or group members getting stuck in a debate. The facilitator uses learned skills and intuition to interact with the group in ways that effectively “facilitate” their accomplishment of their meeting objectives. Dialogue mapping has the same intention as facilitation: to help the group members hold an effective conversation on a complex topic. By “effective” we mean a conversation that both accomplished the objectives and built higher levels of shared understanding, respect, alignment, and transparency. But dialogue mapping uses two tools that are relatively new to the conference room. Top The first is to capture key elements of the conversation in a shared display. This could be whiteboards or flipcharts, but more often these days it's a computer projector. Shared display means that what is projected in the display is being crafted by the group actively. People's comments are somehow reflected in the display. We're not talking about PowerPoint here!! Sometimes referred to as interactive visual modeling, shared display requires that there be someone driving the computer who has the skills and intention of adding value to the group's interaction and creating group memory of the group's thinking and learning.
The second aspect of dialogue mapping that is new and different is the use of a simple conversational grammar called IBIS, Issue Based Information System. IBIS represents the moves in a conversation as Questions, Ideas (possible answers to the Question), and Arguments (pros and cons to the ideas). The power of IBIS is its emphasis on questions. In an IBIS diagram new questions arise to clarify assumptions, challenge arguments, shift the context, and explore the deeper implications of ideas. Dialogue mapping requires that the mapper be so fluent in IBIS that they can translate everyday meeting-speak (e.g. “Why are we talking about this?”, “That's not the issue!”, etc) on the fly into IBIS and write or type it into the shared display for the group to see and validate. The pinnacle of fluency in IBIS is being able hear the hidden questions behind participants' comments. Here is a simple IBIS map of a complex budgeting issue … Top It's interesting what happens when a group has a shared dialogue map to interact with during a discussion. As each comment gets captured in the map it becomes clear that listening and understanding each point of view is important. As the conversation goes on there's very little tendency for people to repeat earlier points, and when the discussion starts to cycle someone usually points at the map and says, “I think we've already covered this issue.” Having a few explicit questions in the field of display helps to lower the fog factor and the group tends to stay on topic. In short, many of the process functions that a facilitator would normally provide come “for free” when the group has a shared display of the key elements of the conversation. As one dialogue mapper observed, “In Dialogue Mapping, we are not attempting to corral participants to speak in `logical order'... for example, we do not say at any point, 'okay, for the next 15 minutes, as a facilitator I only want to hear the pluses and minuses for this particular idea, so that we can complete that section of our diagram.' Instead, a participant might offer a different solution, or a minus to a previous solution, or a different question altogether. The power of dialogue mapping, in my view, is that it allows you to create a linear, ordered display, out of a non-linear, creative process.” It's still helpful to have someone to watch the clock and make sure that the coffee doesn't run out, but in a simple reflective way dialogue mapping shifts the hardest parts of facilitation to the group members themselves.


http://pictureitsolved.com/resources/practices/dialogue-mapping/

Dialogue Mapping

What is dialogue mapping?

Dialogue mapping is a technique for diagramming meeting discussions. The three key elements are a facilitator who does the mapping, a shared display visible to all participants (preferably a screen and bright computer projector), and a simple graphical “language”, called IBIS (Issue Based Information System), for representing the discussion.

Basic elements and structure of dialogue maps

Basic elements and structure of dialogue maps

Most project meetings are about trying to design something or solve some problem. The IBIS grammar is designed specifically to capture those types of discussions. All design problems are unique, but discussion about them revolves around understanding the problem situation, proposing solutions or pieces of solutions, and evaluating how well the solutions fit the problem. The corresponding three main elements of IBIS are thus questions, ideas (or answers), and arguments (pros and cons). This grammar is simple enough to be used in the course of regular meetings, but powerful enough to capture a group’s thinking.

What is dialogue mapping good for?

The dialogue mapping technique has benefits both immediately, during a meeting, and over the long term of a project. In a meeting, the shared display provides a central focus for the group, helping keep discussions on track. Entering people’s questions, ideas, and critiques on the map assures each speaker that they have been heard, and provides a distance between an idea and its originator, smoothing the sometimes problematic interpersonal dynamics on a team–the team responds to and evaluates the idea, rather than person who proposed it. Design discussions can be wide ranging, seeming to go off topic as the group considers systemic aspects of their problem. All such diversions can be captured in a dialogue map, and the relationship made visible to all, and yet the group can return to the main topic. As individuals, we can only keep a few ideas in our short term memory at once (the well-known 7 plus or minus 2). In typical meetings, far more topics come up than that, and each individual is likely to focus on a different subset, leading to disjointed discussions, or side meetings within a main meeting. Dialogue mapping keeps all the ideas visible, making it clear when an issue is still open, or whether it has been thoroughly addressed.

A prototypical "mature" dialogue map

A prototypical “mature” dialogue map

Over the course of a project, dialogue maps serve as a group’s long term memory. When a meeting seems to be rehashing an old subject, the relevant map can be brought up to resolve the issue, or it can be edited if there is new thinking about the subject. A group can see whether they’ve addressed all aspects of a problem, or if some areas have been neglected. They can examine the rationale of a decision, and explain it to others. If someone misses a meeting, it’s easy to see what happened, get back up to speed, and possibly add new ideas. The software tool, Compendium, uses a built-in database so all types of project documents can be referenced on a map and brought up instantly.

Dialogue map based on an article announcing a meeting of an anti-litter task force
announcing a meeting of
an anti-litter task force
Table comparing dialogue mapping and causal mapping
and causal mapping

The greatest benefit of dialogue mapping is that the process, through building the team’s shared understanding of the problem and possible solutions, builds their shared commitment to implementing a solution. Along the way, they develop a better understanding of the true problem scope, skills for working together effectively, and appreciation for the perspective and contribution of others on the team. All of this can contribute to developing a true learning organization which can be effective and resilient in future challenges.

What are some examples of dialogue mapping?

A prototypical dialogue mapping session (Chapter 3 in Conklin’s book)
How dialogue mapping was used on a software development project
See the Anti-litter Task Force page on this site for more examples of dialogue maps.

Where can I learn more about dialogue mapping?

Click on any of the images on this page for examples on this site.

Websites

Dialogue mapping description, room arrangement, typical map, and benefits
Compendium, the free software tool for building dialogue maps

Books

Dialogue Mapping: Building Shared Understanding of Wicked Problems, Jeff Conklin, 2006, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, West Sussex, England


https://www.toolshero.com/communication-skills/dialogue-mapping/

 

Dialogue Mapping

 

Dialogue mapping - ToolsHero

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This article explains Dialogue Mapping, developed by Jeff Conklin, in a practical way. After reading you will understand the basics of this powerful communication skills tool.

Introduction

In some meetings the participants cannot seem to agree on anything and everyone will stick to their own views instead of arriving at common consent. Many people will recognize this situation. Dialogue Mapping or dialogue map makes collective thinking much easier.

Clear

Dialogue Mapping appears to be more complicated than it actually is but as a matter of fact it supports the human brain. In brief, this means that all the ideas of all the participants are recorded in a clear diagram. In addition to the ideas, the accompanying remarks can be recorded too. In this manner, the participants will have a sense of a common bond and this creates a basis for positive cooperation.

Complex problems

Dialogue Mapping is especially effective for very complex problems or different ideas about facts, preferences and other data. Because of a clear overview, the participants will discover where certain bottlenecks may be located and where additional attention is required. It helps when all the participants have a clear overview of all the ideas that have been properly recorded. Ultimately, Dialogue Mapping paves the way to make quick, sound and joint decisions.

Preference

As the human brain can only record a limited number of ideas and facts in one go, people are inclined to immediately select a preference and forget about the rest of the ideas. However, the ideas that are less appealing could be very useful too. By collecting all the ideas with their advantages and disadvantages and by recording them in the diagram, an objective overview is created that can lead to a broad range of solutions. All participants are now ‘forced’ to discuss and listen carefully to each other and come up with good solutions.

Group memory

When discussions begin between the participants, the diagram will grow and expand. Each participant contributes to the discussion and everything is recorded in the Dialogue Mapping. The diagram or dialogue map therefore represents the group memory. Furthermore, the opinions of the dominant participants are held back. When their ideas have been incorporated into the diagram, there is no need for them to repeat their viewpoints.

Structured

People are naturally inclined to solve problems in a non-linear manner, just by talking about problems. Because of the ‘forced’ and structured manner of Dialogue Mapping, participants become also aware that other people’s ideas may be very useful.

Dialogue Mapping has more advantages:

  • the ideas of each participant are heard and recognized.
  • each participant will note that their remarks make a positive contribution to the process.
  • the participants have a common goal and  as a group they are now able to take corrective action
  • the group dynamics will increase as a result of which  joint responsibility is taken.

Dialogue mapping example dialog map- ToolsHero

Use of Dialogue Mapping

Dialogue Mapping can be used in two ways:

Shared display

Visualization helps the participants understand what the different opinions are; this can be realized by using a whiteboard, flip chart or computer projection. The use of Power Point is strongly advised against.

Issue Based Information System (IBIS)

The strengths of IBIS are, that the emphasis is put on questions and the interaction that takes place during the discussion. In an IBIS diagram new questions, assumptions, arguments, etcetera are created. This may cause the context to shift and other (useful) ideas and solutions may surface as a result.

Added value

Dialogue Mapping encourages collective thinking and therefore synergy between the participants. Because of this added value, Dialogue Mapping differs from traditional facilitation during meetings. It promotes mutual understanding and respect for each other and each other’s opinions.

It’s Your Turn

What do you think? Do you recognize the practical explanation of Dialogue Mapping or do you have more additions to this article? What are your success factors for using Dialogue Mapping?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

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More information

  1. Conklin, J. (2003). Dialogue Mapping: Defragmenting Projects through Shared Understanding. Cognexus Institute. White Paper. Napa, CA.
  2. Conklin, J. (2005). Dialogue mapping: Building shared understanding of wicked problems. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
  3. Roehl, H., Knuth, M., & Magner, C. (2008). Mapping dialogue: Essential tools for social change. Taos Institute Publications.
  4. Shum, S. B. (2008). Cohere: Towards web 2.0 argumentation. COMMA, 8, 97-108.


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