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Foundational Texts

A New Kind of Dialogue

Peter Garrett

What distinguishes Professional Dialogue from other forms of facilitated conversation? Peter Garrett, co-founder of the Academy, articulates how this approach differs from debate, discussion, and even Bohmian dialogue as traditionally practiced. This recording captures foundational thinking about the field.

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Peter Garrett has shaped the theory and practice of Professional Dialogue for decades. In this recording, he articulates what makes this approach distinctive: not simply facilitating better conversations, but working with the underlying patterns of thought that shape how groups relate and decide. Garrett distinguishes Professional Dialogue from debate, which seeks to win; from discussion, which analyses parts; and even from Bohmian dialogue as practiced in some contexts, which may lack orientation toward practical outcomes. Professional Dialogue, as Garrett describes it, maintains dialogue's core qualities of suspension and deep listening while engaging directly with organisational reality. The recording offers practitioners insight into foundational thinking from someone who helped create the field. For those new to the Academy's approach, this provides essential orientation; for experienced practitioners, it offers an opportunity to revisit first principles from a founding voice.

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Foundational Texts

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Foundations of Professional DialoguePrimary Bohm materialSeminal works

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