The Reflective, Facilitative, and Interpretive Practice of the Coordinated Management of Meaning Making Lives and Making Meaning

The Facilitative, Interpretive and Reflective Practices of the Coordinated Management of Meaning: Making Lives, Making Meaning, showcases a variety of practical ways in which the theory of Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) has been applied. The title reflects the three sections of the book in which CMM is used with individuals and groups toward making meaning together in constructive and generative ways. In the facilitation section, CMM is applied to create dynamics within groups that lead them toward improved ways of working together; in the interpretation section CMM offers alternative frames for people to use to interpret the interactions they have with one another; and in the reflection section CMM is used as a means to reflect more deeply about experiences and interactions toward deeper levels of understanding and learning. CMM is grounded in social constructionism, takes a communication perspective and provides concepts and tools for us to use to be more aware of what we are making together, in communication. We have all experienced and seen too many situations in which we thought we were communicating effectively, yet we were not dancing to the same tune as our communication partners. The impact of this is wide-ranging from damaged interpersonal relationships to less productivity in the workplace to the extreme of violence and war. The goal of being more mindful about how we communicate and interact with one another is to enable us to make better social worlds.

Placida V. Gallegos is professor of human and organization development at Fielding Graduate University.