But given my interest in conversation and dialogue I must point you to this recent post Climbing and dialogue. In it he quotes Antonio Dias:
Dialogue is an opportunity to proceed as climbers do. We are tied together and are able to alternately anchor each other as we move into precarious territory. We can rely on each other to warn us of dangers beyond our own views. Within dialogue we can go where it is impossible to go any other way.
Credit: Conclusions by Antonio Dias
In the article Antonio also says
We seek conclusions. We strive for a conclusion. We admire a firm conclusion. Is this helpful?
Credit: Conclusions by Antonio Dias
When I teach my Knowledge Cafe process many people have a problem that there are no traditional hard outcomes. This is what I say about the Knowledge Cafe:
A Knowledge Café is not about group decision making or reaching a consensus or a documented proposal. A Knowledge Café is about individual learning and insights; the surfacing of assumptions, issues, problems, and opportunities; seeing things that have not been seen before or seen only dimly.
Credit: David Gurteen
These are still outcomes - soft ones - not traditional hard ones. But there are few or no conclusions. Not that they are not needed in life at times - just that they are not the purpose of the KCafe.
