Digging Deeper into Dialogue Mapping

We know from our recent readings that wicked problems create a high risk of fragmentation in groups working to create a solution, or in reality, just working to comprehend a wicked problem.  Fragmentation simply is when a group or members of a group lose cohesion.

Fragmentation is likely to occur in groups working to solve wicked problems because wicked problems are essentially unsolvable and difficult to comprehend.  Although every solution will have negative outcomes, each will provide the group with a better understanding of the wicked problem.  The tendency for an individual to feel that she understands the problem more than another member of the group is high and when her ideas are found to be flawed (as they inevitably will), she could feel less committed to the group, feel unheard or misunderstood, or feel less willing to speak up when she comes up with another solution.

I really like solutions, so much more than problems.  I don't know about you, but I started feeling a little hopeless when I first started reading about wicked problems.  When dialogue mapping was mentioned briefly, I got a bit excited.  What was this?  How could I learn how to use it?  I work with a lot of groups right now. We aren't always discussing problems high on the wicked scale, but would this tool be helpful?  So, I started digging around a bit more.  

This first image I found was a bit hard for me to understand at first.  It might take a minute, but look at it closely and it becomes pretty self explanatory.  

I dug deeper and found a FAQ from CogNexus Institute that broke it down very simply.  I'll paraphrase the main points below.

Dialogue Mapping is:

• "Radically inclusive"
• implemented through a group facilitator paraphrasing all participant comments/ideas and creates a visual map that all can see
• The map is essentially a group memory
• It is non-linnear, therefore capturing the way people actually think
• The map consists of questions, ideas, pros, and cons

Dialogue mapping has many benefits.  Among them are that all participants are heard and their contributions are placed on the map.  Participants never have to repeat themselves.  All participants can easily see how their ideas relate to the ideas of others.  Participants share the unfolding of understanding together.

Here is a video explanation of how dialogue mapping would work in a meeting or group.

Limits of Conversational Structure

Dialogue mapping may not solve any wicked problems but it will assist people to work in groups more effectively.  

References:

Christensen, K. (2009). Building shared understanding of wicked problems. Rotman Magazine, Winter, 17-20 Retrieved from http://www.cognexus.org/Rotman-interview_SharedUnderstanding.pdf

CogNexus Institute. (nd). A tool for wicked problems: Dialogue mapping FAQs. In Dialogue Mapping.  Retrieved from http://cognexus.org/id41.htm

Conklin, J. (2008, April 10). Limits of conversational structure [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxS5wUljfjE

Culmsee, P. (2009, Septemeber 10).  The practice of dialogue mapping-part 1 [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.cleverworkarounds.com/2009/09/10/the-practice-of-dialogue-mapping-part-1/

Economic Inequality in the U.S.

I am not a person who understands numbers very well.  Upon returning to college in 2012 after a 10 year detour, I had to take two of those "beginner" math courses before I could even begin statistics.  When someone starts talking about numbers, I am likely to either zone out or frantically plot my escape route.  So, just in case you share my distaste for numbers, I'm providing videos containing fun graphs that are explained really well to aid in the understanding of economic inequality in this here country, the U.S. of A., the supposed land of milk and honey, where the poor and downtrodden can pick themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps and make something of themselves.

The video below is now a couple years old, but it is far from outdated.  It depicts just how out of balance the state of wealth distribution has become.  

Wealth Inequality in America

There was a slight backlash from the video above.  There are suggestions that though wealth may be dispersed inequitably, those in the bottom of the bunch were seeing their income increase by a whole 25%.  This may be true, but during the same time period (1967 - 2009), the top 20% saw their income increase by 71%.  The video below will spell this out for you, but the income difference for the top 20% went from $100,059.00 per year in 1967 to $170,844.00 per year in 2009 compared with an $8,984.00 annual income for the bottom 20% increasing to a whopping $11,552.00 per year.  Wow!  That's a whole $2500.  Imagine all the goods and services that can be purchased with a couple grand!

Is There Income Mobility In America?

Call me skeptical, but I just don't see how a $2500 increase and a $70,000 increase can even be compared.  The person making a couple grand more might be able to purchase a used car, or maybe have some healthier food options more regularly, but living on $11,000 a year is incredibly difficult.  I've done it, I'm sure many of you have, too.  My $11,000 annual income looked like this

• 0 healthcare
• unstable living environment (often trading labor for housing, living out of my car)
• substantial increase in debt/reliance on credit cards
• a lot of Ramen Noodles or skipping meals altogether
• increased stress and feelings of despair
• a few nights in a homeless shelter

I had a lot going for me in those years of poverty.  I had no dependents.  I had a lot of support.  I could ask people for help when things got really bleak.  We don't all have these options.  But I digress.  Getting back to the numbers, here is an updated look:

What Does Income Inequality Mean to Americans?

The U.S. is now ranked second for income inequality in the world. How much longer until we are ranked first? If wealth inequality isn't a wicked problem, I don't know what is. There are no solutions, but there has to be something better.  

References:

Botti, D. (2014, January 24). What does income inequality mean to americans [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoTzjxUfh1Q

Mulholland, S. (2012, December 27). Is there income mobility in america [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbueX92CKPk

Wealth inequality in america (2012, November 20). [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM&list=PL342FFF266E9178CC