The Skills of Inquiry and Advocacy

Abstract

The growing emphasis on the role of learning in organizations will highlight the need to balance the skills of inquiry with the skills of advocacy. Most organizations in the West draw their communicative styles from a tradition of argumentation and debate. The core communicative skills, the skills that are often rewarded and modeled, are the skills of advocacy. Advocacy skills are crucial when persuasion and motivation are needed; however, another set of communicative skills are usually required before a proposal or position even exists. These skills are rooted not in the ability to advocate a position, but to create one. These are inquiry skills. Too often in organizations, the ability to prevail overpowers the ability to explore. We promote leaders, often on the basis of their advocacy skills, but neglect the increasing importance of inquiry skills. Management education, and particularly our management communication curricula, should foster both of these vital communication skills and offer students the forums and tasks that require their cultivation.