Dialog across difference #1: Life at the edge

"The ability to handle difficult conversations well is a prerequisite to organizational change and adaptation" (Stone, Patton & Heen, 2023, p. xviii).

Like it or not, if we expect our organizations to flourish, they need to get past the overt or covert stance of, I talk with those who are collegial; everyone else is an annoyance to avoid.

Since I began to study ecology some 35 years ago, not as my primary focus but with some interest, I've been impressed by the lessons that conflict workers could take from the natural world. One of those lessons is the notion of the edge environment. 

Riparian environments are amongst the most diverse, with species of plant and animal that favor land, water, and a combination. Inland environments are most diverse where open land meets forest, for the same general reasons. Any patch of land or sea that has greater diversity of species has a greater chance to adapt to shifting conditions and maintain abundant life.

Diversity correlates to resilience. 

Recognizing that ecological principle in our organizations is a key to success, nimble flexibility, good management of differences, and long-term resilience and sustainability. The barebones beginning to such organizational health is having and managing difficult conversations.

Stone, Douglas; Patton, Bruce; Heen, Sheila (2023). Difficult conversations: How to discuss what matters most, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Penguin.