Why generative dialogue is a surprisingly simple answer to some of today’s toughest problems

A hands-on practice for building trust, connection, and insight in a divided world

Amid widespread disconnection and systemic breakdown, one surprisingly simple tool holds remarkable power: generative dialogue. In this post, I share a time-tested practice — one that reliably builds trust, insight, and connection. I also describe a recent climate dialogue at Utrecht University, invite you to our monthly sessions, and reflect on why dialogue may be key to navigating our uncertain future.

“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”

This quote by Bill Mollison¹ captures something I strongly believe: that some of our most potent solutions are actually quite simple. (Simple, of course, doesn’t mean easy!)

Just as important, this idea also gives hope — something desperately needed in our world of near-daily apocalyptic downpours (a.k.a. consuming the news).

The stream-of-consciousness dialogue practice

I believe our stream-of-consciousness dialogue practice is one such ‘simple’ solution to several tricky problems — including today’s bitter societal polarization, and the persistent alienation and loneliness many feel. I believe this practice can also provide a powerful pathway for creative collaboration and systemic change-making.

The practice is structurally simple and easy to use in group settings — whether in classrooms, workshops, or community gatherings.

It leverages the intimacy that naturally arises in one-to-one conversations. And it supports participants to both really listen — and hear the other person out, instead of interrupting or jumping to conclusions — and to express themselves more fully and freely in turn.

It works through a structured format: timed speaking turns, alternating roles (speaking and listening), and carefully crafted prompts (sentence starters) that encourage the speaker to explore a topic from multiple angles.

The structure helps level the playing field, breaking through typical power dynamics by ensuring equal speaking time. By tapping into the stream of consciousness — the spontaneous flow of thought and feeling — it often evokes fresh insights and creative visioning.

Unlike many dialogue formats that prioritize open group conversation or facilitation by a leader, this practice leans into paired, time-structured exchanges that allow for deep focus and mutual presence. This simple shift in format often leads to profound shifts in relational dynamics.

A climate dialogue at Utrecht University

I recently hosted a dialogue at Utrecht University on the role of the individual in addressing climate change. The framing question went something like this:

Should individuals take responsibility for climate change — for example, by flying less or going vegetarian? Or is such individual “sacrifice” pointless in a world dominated by systems that incentivize unsustainable behavior, and where governments and corporations hold far greater impact? Whose responsibility is the climate, and what does that mean for our individual behaviors — and our conscience?

The organizers briefly introduced the topic (5 minutes), after which I introduced the dialogue practice. We then broke into pairs (most people didn’t know each other). While I held the time for them, each duo worked through a set of “embarrassingly simple” prompts:

• When we talk about climate change, I think of…

• What I understand “climate justice” to be, is…

• Why and how I feel responsible for climate change myself – or not – is…

• The role of different parties – the individual, the government, large companies – in a complex issue like climate change is in my eyes…

• What touches me most in the discussion about responsibility and justice regarding climate change is…

Each person had two minutes to respond to each prompt while their partner listened fully and silently. Then they switched roles. We moved through all five prompts this way, with a few minutes left at the end for unstructured, open exchange. The whole exercise took about 30 minutes. We then came back together for a group dialogue, sharing reflections both on the method and on the topic of climate responsibility.

Despite frustration with a lack of action to address climate change (both at the university and beyond), the atmosphere in the room was intimate and uplifted. People shared having had meaningful exchanges. One person shared having found a new friend. Another one shared that though he dialogued with a co-worker he talked with almost daily, this dialogue had surprisingly inspired many new ideas between them.

Remarkably, even though we had only one hour, people were exchanging contact details and discussing possible collaborations by the end.

I left thinking that this is exactly what I mean when I say generative dialogue — dialogue that generates human connection, new insight, and potentially collaboration.

And as somebody who’s been to countless climate meetings — many of them demanding much more investment time and/or other resources (like speakers flown in from far away) — I thought this result was outstanding. The session had demanded little input, while creating high output.

Sharing your insides/insights: close to magic

The thing is, people already hold so much knowledge, care, creativity, and insight within themselves. When they get an opportunity to connect with their ‘insides’, insights emerge. (No long lists of exciting speakers needed!)

Just as important, of course, is the opportunity to connect with others, in ways that support authenticity, intimacy, and vulnerability.

Combining these two elements — inner connection and interpersonal trust — then opens the door to new energy and fresh possibilities.

For me, what happened at the climate dialogue wasn’t surprising; in fact, it confirmed what I’ve seen time and again, using this method for over a decade across diverse group settings. It also echoed what I’ve seen with my students at Utrecht University:

• that the classroom atmosphere shifts after practicing this dialogue method;

• that students report feeling more connected to their peers;

• that they talk about having gained new insights, and enhanced self-understanding;

• that they say to experience more respect and empathy for different perspectives;

• and that they share that they’ve learned something essential about dialogue itself — especially the power of deep listening, both in offering it and receiving it.

My preliminary research findings show that participants fairly consistently report increased connection, deeper insight, and a stronger sense of mutual understanding — often after just a single session. (Also check these two studies.)

These outcomes may seem simple, almost mundane, and yet they couldn’t be more significant given the state of our contemporary world — a world marked by distrust, disconnection, cynicism, and a breakdown in our capacity for reflection and conversation. However, when we create conditions where people can truly listen and share authentically, nothing short of ‘a little bit of magic’ often happens.

As three students participating in the practice put it (you can find many more wonderful student quotes in my paper under review):

“Intense but beautiful. I was dreading talking to a stranger in such a personal way for 45 minutes, but we could have talked together for hours in this special way.”

“I experienced a new way of communicating with someone. It was lovely to share information about yourself and someone to be listening intently. I felt more engaged, curious and open. I learned that alternative structure to conversation can be helpful to become open minded.”

“I have learned that by really just listening you can immediately have a completely different conversation.”

Humans build trust though sharing and listening

Some say our current polycrisis is, at its root, a relational crisis — a crisis of trust, of separation. Trust is invisible, often taken for granted, yet foundational. Without trust, society breaks down.

This method helps rebuild trust — simply by helping people listen and share. Humans build trust in precisely that way. It is “embarrassingly simple” — yet not easy in our disconnected, distracted, defensive world.

That’s what makes this practice quietly revolutionary, deeply transformative, and full of promise for addressing some of the great challenges of our time.

Here’s the visual abstract of the study of the design and testing of this practice, that is currently under review with the Journal of Learning, Culture and Social Interaction.

Why dialogue is crucial to surviving our challenged world

While societal development has been accelerating for decades, AI is now accelerating the acceleration — pushing us into unprecedented speed and complexity. Things move so fast now that it’s becoming impossible to make sense of what’s happening. The human mind simply cannot follow along with the speed that AI is evolving in. Even as AI may amplify our potential for growth and learning, it also risks leaving us behind.

Beyond how AI is reshaping every dimension of our world, the climate is changing and ecosystems are collapsing; strongmen are taking over and wars are erupting; economies are transforming and geopolitical relations are shifting. Life — always fundamentally unpredictable — now feels more uncertain than ever. We have little clue how the world will look even a few years from now, let alone a decade or two.

This raises profound questions about who we are and want to be, where we come from and where we’re going. Most pressingly, it forces us to question what we should do — what we should spend our precious time, energy, and attention on — in the face of this fundamental, existential uncertainty and unpredictability.

Amidst all that uncertainty, I do know one thing: those in generative dialogue with others (potentially including AI), will be empowered to surf the waves, to quickly adapt and change, to reprioritize and reinvent. That is, generative human dialogue may become a master key to unlocking the greater potentials of this challenging time.

Building a vibrant community of practice

So let’s build a vibrant community of practice! A community that brings together people that are — in whatever way, shape, or form — helping to “midwife” the new world into existence, and that want to share their experiences, ideas, and questions, while learning from others.

Let’s do one call a month, of 75 minutes (I’ve found that one hour is just a bit too short), where someone shortly introduces a question, theme, or topic, to then break into groups of two to unpack 5 prompts or so — just like we did in the climate session described above. Embarrassingly simple!

Consistency is key here. Hosting these sessions every month will create continuity, harness our growth and learning, and create community over time.

Together with the Generative Dialogue Lab at Utrecht University, I’m happy to host these free — open to all — Generative Dialogue Sessions. At the same time, I’m also hoping to team up with other individuals and organizations to co-host, spread the word, connect to more audiences, and cover a wide range of topics. I envision this as a co-creation! Please write me if you/your organizations wants to explore this.

Join our next Generative Dialogue Session — open to all!

Come to experience our lovely dialogue method in our next Generative Dialogue Session on Wednesday August 20th — when Summer slowly starts to wind down and the new school/academic year is starting up. No prior experience is needed, just curiosity, openness, and a willingness to listen and share.

This session will be around the theme of living in these deeply uncertain and unpredictable times, and how to strengthen our capacity to connect with ourselves and others, and embrace the unknown.

I really hope to see you there!

1. Bill Mollison was a co-founder of permaculture (short for ‘permanent agriculture’), an integrated system of ecological and environmental design that both nourishes people while regenerating the planet. Permaculture is itself the kind of ‘embarrassingly simple’ solutions that Mollison speaks about in this quote.