Quantum physics meets dialogue

Bohm, D. & Nichol, L. (Ed). (1996). On Dialogue. New York: Routledge.

During his career as a theoretical physicist, David Bohm’s writings and lectures took side trips into dialogue and collective thought. In this book, editor Lee Nichol compiles Bohm’s ideas to suggest a coherent theory of co-creation of meaning.

There is a flavor of quantum physics in Bohm’s take on dialogue. He sees dialogue as the antithesis of debate and discussion in that it is organic, chaotic, and evolving. The process of dialogue is itself the whole meaning, while debate and discussion breaks topics down to constituent parts that in themselves have no meaning. Dialogue is the ticking clock and all that it portends; discussion and debate is the clock smashed to pieces.

The ideas in this book invite a leader to view the rituals of organizational communication in light of co-creation of meaning. He or she will notice the vast amount of energy spent talking without achieving a shared meaning. He or she also will notice that dialogue often happens in spite of the organizational rituals. A leader who witnesses such flashes also will notice the leaps in understanding that accompany them. The leader may discover ways to encourage more dialogue, and also may notice that the organizational culture and the path it takes is itself a process of dialogue that encompasses individuals, work groups, group interactions, and the organization’s interface with its environment.