As we enter fall, a new season requires us to take a new look at recurring workplace issues. In this edition of the Lieberman Learning Letter, we'll address two key issues of fall - dialogue and inclusion in the workplace.

With controversy and legal matters rising over gay marriages this past summer, it is time to revisit inclusion in the workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) employees. I've provided 10 powerful suggestion on how to retain LGBT employees and create a supportive environment for their growth and success.

As election day nears, we are seeing the political arena heat up and increasing polarized political sides square off.  This year's elections should serve as a powerful reminder of the value of creating dialogue for building understanding and reducing conflict. To address this important topic, I've provided a short article below with tips on creating dialogue in the workplace.

I hope this season brings you increased dialogue, inclusion, and therefore success!

Simma's 10 Suggestions for LGBT Inclusion

What can you do if you are an employer, or leader of an organization to create the kind of inclusive environment where talented LGBT people will want to stay and help your organization in its success? Here are some suggestions that come from not only LGBT people but from reviewing best practices of organizations like Ford, IBM and Lucent.

Issue of the Month: Dialogue as a Communication Tool

by Kate Berardo and Simma Lieberman

“Consider any complex, potentially volatile issue – Arab relations, the problems between Serbs, Croats, and Bosnians, corporate decision making, getting control of the U.S. deficit or health care costs, labor/management relations and so on. At the root of the issue we are likely to find communication failures and cultural misunderstandings that prevent the parties from framing the problem in a common way, and thus make it impossible to deal with the problem constructively.”  Edgar H. Schein, Professor MIT Sloan School of Management

To change a situation or environment or constructively deal with any issue, there first needs to be dialogue. What is dialogue and when should it be used? Trainers Simma Lieberman and Kate Berardo discuss the basics of dialogue and it's power as a communication tool to allow parties to frame a problem in a common way.

What is Dialogue?

Dialogue is a communication tool that allows people to understand other viewpoints without pitting themselves against different perspectives. In dialogue, there is no defending of opinions, and no counterpoints. Instead, you let someone talk and present their viewpoint. You let them finish their idea without interrupting or asking questions. You listen to understand, not to defend your own point of view. Your goal is to get in their head, and understand their perspective, not to prove they're wrong and you're right. When it's your turn, you talk and are allowed to finish your thoughts. And here's the key: when you give your viewpoint, you don't give your viewpoint relative to theirs. Dialogue is not a back and forth discussion, not a debate or rebuttal. It's a chance to frame a problem collectively by both independently voicing your perspectives on an issue.

When should dialogue be used?

Dialogue should be used when, as Edward Schein points out, two parties have framed an issue differently. When individuals or groups have different perspectives and see issues differently, dialogue can be employed as a effective communication tool to help the parties understand each other's point of view. Only from this common understanding can change and resolution grow.

Keep your eye out for the next issue of the Lieberman Learning Letter where trainers Simma Lieberman and Kate Berardo present their Rules of Dialoging. Learn how to effectively create dialogue in the workplace, community, and home to constructively deal with a variety of work and life issues. Find out about Simma's new program on Dialoging Across Differences by contacting simma@simmalieberman.com. 

Simma is a trainer, speaker, consultant and coach with over 20 years of experience helping organizations and businesses meet the demands of modern workplaces. She specializes in diversity, gender communications, stress management, and breaking through fear and self-doubt.  

Simma is the author of Putting Diversity to Work (Crisp Publications, 2003), a guide for managers on leveraging diversity in the workplace. She is quoted in various national magazines and news sources, including The Economist, Redbook, Human Resources Executive, Black MBA, MSNBC and Fox News. Her clients include McDonalds, Pillsbury, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, AT&T, Monster.com, Diageo, Stanford Court Hotel and the Women's Food Service Forum.

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