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Inquiry is a method of acquiring information, data, and
ideas from another person. Advocacy is speaking in favor of or defending.
All too often people on teams will practice advocacy, working to
convince others on their team to share their points of view. Referring
back to our model, when the sender is not thoughtful of the context
(adapting your presentation to the audience), then the message can
be lost in “trying to convince others of your viewpoint.”
Inquiry is a far more effective strategy for teams, particularly
in the early stages of a project or assignment. With inquiry, team
members are focusing on the content and ideas that the sender is
sharing rather than working to determine if the sender is right
or wrong or if the sender has a good idea or a bad idea. Inquiry
allows a group to solve problems creatively and provides the forum
for developing collaborative ideas.
Inquiry Example
When a team member presents a conclusion, other team members might
ask “What leads you to conclude that?” “What data
have you used to arrive at your conclusion?” “What causes
you to say that?” [Protocols for balancing advocacy and inquiry7]
Advocacy can be beneficial later in the communication process
when the team is ready to determine the best method of intervention
for their assigned goal. Initially, utilizing inquiry is useful
for individuals on a team. When using inquiry, the receiver can
use his/her energy for attention and comprehension instead of for
defense.
Advocacy Example
When making a proposal, provide examples of your idea, even if these
are hypothetical or metaphorical. For example, “To get a clearer
picture of what I’m talking about, imagine that you’re
the person who will be using our design.” [Protocols for balancing
advocacy and inquiry7]
Team Activity Ask
each team to review other protocols for balancing advocacy and inquiry
on pages 255–259 of The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook.7
Ask each team to describe one protocol that might be useful in their
team meetings.
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