Challenges for Effective Dialogue

	Barriers to Effective Dialogue	Overcoming the Barriers
1	Incivility – Disagreement with another’s position can deteriorate into ad hominem personal attacks upon that individual or other disrespectful behavior.	Apology and forgiveness
2	Conventional politeness (avoidance, indirectness) – Many people are uncomfortable with disagreement and conflict and as a result avoid taking a position or making their views explicit.	Teach that conflict is a natural process that can be creative and constructive, does not need to be avoided or feared.
3	Polarization – Dichotomous thinking results in taking extreme, diametrically opposed positions and adhering to those.	Look for a common ground, delineate shades of gray in between polarized positions
4	Sound bites and oversimplification – “Catch phrases” or clichés can replace thorough exploration of assumptions and issues related to a topic; most controversial topics involve multiple facets which need to be identified and thoroughly considered.	Explain and examine sound bites, go beyond clichés, discuss fine points, exceptions, gradations, and nuances.
5	Bias, special interests (esp. when covert or unacknowledged) – Hidden agendas typically result in inflexibility, impede open-minded exploration.	Identify positions, interests, and biases early in the process.
6	Lack of exposure to good models – Most people have been exposed to unproductive arguments more than constructive controversy.	Expose to examples of constructive controversial discussions (e.g., video The Color of Fear, which is a discussion of race and racism)
7	Apathy – Perception of an issue as irrelevant to one’s own life or unalterable can result in reluctance to address it.	Relate topic to personal experience and interests of the audience, expose to Active Citizenship continuum.

(Rodin & Steinberg, 2003)

Challenges for Effective Dialogue

The Importance of Active Listening