Specific to the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy (SPOT) this information provides guidelines for dialogue and discussion, particularly in relation to issues and topics that may be socially, culturally, or morally contentious. The intention of these conduct guidelines is to foster an environment of respect, openness, and constructive dialogue. This environment must be one in which all participants feel welcome to share their perspectives and experiences, and where dialogue leads to increased understanding and positive change. Dialogue should always be carried out in accordance with the guiding principles of the University: academic freedom, integrity, responsibility, equity, and inclusiveness.
Discussion and dialogue should:
- Be thoughtful and solution-oriented, with the goal of promoting positive outcomes for everyone involved.
- Aim to foster learning, empathy, and understanding, rather than to prove the correctness or morality of one viewpoint or opinion.
- Stay focused on the topic at hand and avoid changing the subject or introducing tangential topics.
- Seek to understand diverse viewpoints, not just respond to them.
When engaging in conversations on topics for which there is no consensus:
- Be open minded and willing to listen and learn.
- Seek to understand different perspectives with empathy and compassion.
- Assume that others are also participating in the conversation in good faith.
- Engage in active listening, without interrupting, to allow each person to express their viewpoint fully.
- Avoid making assumptions about other people鈥檚 viewpoints, beliefs, or motivations. Ask questions respectfully if clarification is needed.
- Aim to ensure that all viewpoints are heard and given fair consideration, and that all available evidence is addressed.
- Focus on, address, and/or critique ideas or viewpoints. Do not attack or criticize individuals or groups.
- Avoid inflammatory rhetoric and partisan jargon.
- Do not allow emotion, or emotional argumentation, to interfere with the critical questioning of a topic or to conceal the need to examine the logic of an argument.
When listening to viewpoints that are different from your own:
- Use nuanced thinking; consider the complexities of all viewpoints, and acknowledge that multiple perspectives can be valid, even if they differ.
- Avoid zero-sum thinking; do not think in terms of winners and losers but rather look for outcomes that benefit everyone involved.
- Consider how your own biases and motivations may influence your viewpoint and interpretation of evidence.
- Consider the following four questions:
- Is there evidence that supports this viewpoint?
- Is there evidence that does not support this viewpoint?
- Are there other ways in which this evidence can be interpreted?
- What biases might I have that could influence how I interpret this evidence?
