About the importance of dialogue

In January 2016, Pope Francis released what I believe was the first web-based video on his monthly prayer intention. The theme: dialogue. As a PR professional, that touched me to the core.

Dialogue has been a recurring theme of late in numerous circles inside and outside of the Church. And so I thought I could write this post on the rationale behind the word DIALOGUE in our name.

Love of other – the soil in which dialogue can survive and grow

Love is the critical condition that allows dialogue to take root in one’s heart and relationships. Dialogue can be a mere motion, in which case it would not bear much fruit. When it is sincere and fully embraced by the leadership of an organization, dialogue can be transformative and lead to long-term prosperity. When it’s fully immersed in LOVE– that is, seeking the good of the other – then it becomes divine, leading to the best of spiritual fruits. I guess you could call it “Divine Dialogue”!

True dialogue in our “corporate” world

Having worked in the communications sector at least partially since I was a teenager, I’ve seen my fair share of one-way communications assignments. Alas, in the Agency sector, these are not hard to find! Some organizational leaders invest large sums of money and hours into one-way communications mandates that are based on very weak foundations – biased research, dubious or “asymmetrical ends”, partial truths etc. When a communications professional is hired or retained to continually support these types of assignments, one’s own morale, sense of purpose and personal gratification suffer tremendously. Faced with such a situation, the well formed conscience cannot survive, in my own experience and opinion, beyond the short-term.

But when sincere and true dialogue is present, it’s a completely different ballgame. A profession becomes a vocation; a mere job becomes one’s life’s work.

The word (dialogue) is not just the property of the Catholic Church or Pope Francis either. It is and has been at the core of Public Relations theory and academic teaching for decades – in small part exemplified by the work of James E. Grunig, one of my own mentors in the field.

How gratifying, therefore, to work in this dynamic field and to be able to be a champion of dialogue – full time and full force! Won’t you join us?

Video from Pope Francis’ January prayer intention

Daniel Torchia with Grunig book, “Excellence in Communications and Public Relations Management”