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Groups can experiment, improvise, and invent their own forms of dialogue. And they can call it what they want: skilled conversation, leadership council, forum, vision session, town meeting, open kimono meeting, or Work Out (as it was at General Electric). Regardless of the variations in practice and nomenclature, we recommend that the following principles be followed.

Designate a time. Opportune times for dialogue are group retreats or when a team faces a new challenge. Make explicit your intention to have a different kind of conversation. Set a start time for the dialogue and an end time for returning to conversation as usual.

Create a space. Rearrange the space to rearrange behavior. If you sit in the same chairs around the same ...

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