A few weeks ago, I was explaining some of the concepts behind Dialogue-Driven Development to Michael Buffington and when I said that we were working to create patterns of Dialogue. his immediate thoughts were on code. I don’t remember the exactly how he worded it.. but he basically thought we were working on a parsing tool for grabbing requirements out of emails, messages, etc. I quickly explained that d3 had nothing to do with actual code and was merely a practice that we as developers and consultants are using to think about our interaction with clients, users, and amongst ourselves.
Just last night, I was chatting with a friend of mine about d3… (names changed to protect the guilty)
context: Harry works in a development team[^1^](#fn1){#fnref1 .footnote-ref role=”doc-noteref”} of about ten people and Paul is one of his “team”mates.
```ruby
Harry: i guess it prevents discussion domination
me: yeah, that happens as it is sometimes
Harry: and ensures equal contribution
Harry: paul does that
and he's not very polite about it either
and will often raise his voice and speak over you
which is crazy
kindergarten stuff
me: hah
Harry: need a talking stick!
This happens all too often amongst ourselves. While we're striving to
improve our client interaction... we often overlook our own internal
struggles to **achieve healthy collaboration**. It takes discipline by
every individual in a collaborative environment to really [think
together](http://www.powells.com/biblio/0385479999?&PID=30561).
So, how does d3 address this? Well, it's our goal that through mindful
dialogue, we can cultivate healthier collaboration in all of our
professional (and personal) relationships.
I would also like to point out a few common misconceptions about d3.
- d3 is not a methodology... [nor a replacement for
```text
Scrum](http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scrumdevelopment/message/15257)
or XP. d3 is a thoughtful practice that focuses on the collaboration
between a group of individuals, whether they be clients, developers,
managers, or users.
```text
- d3 is not a [Silver
```text
Bullet](http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=25913&seqNum=6&rl=1),
but it can be used as [effective
ammunition](http://blog.brightredglow.com/2006/8/29/tracer-bullets-are-about-aiming-not-firing).
```text
- d3 is not something [you learn in a
```bash
weekend](http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Extreme-Programming-Hours/dp/0672324415),
but you might be able to find a [good book on
Dialogue](http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-0415149118-1) and have a
new perspective on how you communicate with others.
```ruby
Dialogue-Driven Development is about being in the conversation as it is
happening... and really listening.
The next time that you're getting ready to interact with your teammates,
ask yourself:
- Am I contributing something meaningful?
- Am I listening to others well?
- Is everybody contributing an equal share of information?
If you're quiet, try to speak up more. If you talk too much, be mindful
of how much you may dominate a conversation. If you're not participating
at all.. why are you there?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. ::: {#fn1}
```yaml
You'll be happy to know that Harry also gave his two-weeks notice
yesterday.[↩︎](#fnref1){.footnote-back role="doc-backlink"}
:::
