Knowledge Café Principle: Dialogue Not Debate Be prepared to emerge a slightly different person

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Principle: Dialogue, not debate.

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Knowledge Café conversations are about making sense of a situation, sharing information, better understanding each other, and building relationships — in other words, they are about dialogue — not debate.

This is not an argument against debate — dialogue and debate both have their places. It is just that in the context of a Knowledge Café, dialogue is to be preferred.

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Knowledge Cafés are not about debate — proving someone right or wrong. And they are certainly not about argument (in the angry or hostile sense) where the implicit goal is to force your view on someone by emotional means such as ad hominem attacks.

Now, in reality, in any conversation, there will always be a mix of all three of these conversational types. Participants will move between the types, but many will have a dominant style.

In a Café, you are not looking to challenge or change these conversational styles. It is important that people can be themselves. Still, a little light-hearted debate or friendly banter, especially between people who know each other, does not harm and can inject some energy into a conversation.

What is to be avoided is a hostile argument. Argument does nothing to further the goals of a Café. It destroys not only the dialogue but also relationships.

In a Café small-group conversation of 3 to 5 people, 2 participants arguing hostilely or even engaging in a fierce debate may intimidate the others into silence.

If you do a good job designing a Café and creating the right atmosphere, fierce debate and argument are extremely rare.

Knowledge Café Principles

1. Knowledge Café Principle: Conversation Is Sovereign It's all about the conversation
2. Knowledge Café Principle: Everyone Has an Equal Voice Everyone is an equal participant
3. Knowledge Café Principle: No Preconceived Outcomes The outcomes are emergent
4. Knowledge Café Principle: Preserve the Flow Conversational flow should not be interrupted
5. Knowledge Café Principle: Create a Safe Space Where conversation can flourish
6. Knowledge Café Principle: Engage in Small Groups Real conversation takes place in small groups
7. Knowledge Café Principle: Dialogue Not Debate Be prepared to emerge a slightly different person

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Principle: Dialogue, not debate.

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