“There is a profound difference between information and meaning.”
… Warren Bennis (1925 – ) US educator, futurologist, adviser and writer
A key aspect of the spatial leadership approach is the creation of shared meaning amongst the group being led. Although this would seem like a very obvious and straightforward thing to do, it seems to be done rather poorly in most organisations. Why is this and how can meaning be better shared?
To understand the challenge in developing shared meaning, let’s first define ‘meaning’. The word “meaning” refers to the gist or essence of something or some situation. The word can also refer to the significance of something. In leadership, both of these meanings are important. Effective leaders want others to share an understanding of a situation and the significance of that understanding in relation to how the group does what it does.
In the ontological approach there is a linguistic action known as an ‘assessment‘. This is an interpretation we make of something, someone or some situation that orients us to it in terms of our future. Assessments determine, in part, how we respond to a given circumstance. Interpretations emanate from placing our observations into our current context – our emotional state, prejudices, preferences, recent experiences and so on. The same observation in a different context will likely generate a different interpretation or meaning.
To understand this better, let’s look at an example. Say you look through the window of a house and see a shabbily dressed man getting a young girl to inject him with a needle. You have just been told there is a big drug problem in this neighbourhood. What meaning do you make of this situation? Given your recent conversation about drugs, you interpret this as an adult involving a minor in the drug world and decide to call the police. However, just as you are taking out your phone to make the call, a old man walks up and sees you looking disgustedly in the window. He stops and tells you how proud he is of his granddaughter who is helping her father who is diabetic. This new information changes your view of the situation as you put your phone away as the old man walks into the house. Same observations, different contexts and different meaning.
The key here is context which can be seen as the frame of reference in which interpretations are made and a context ALWAYS exists. The key to more effectively developing shared meaning really lies in developing a shared context that can be readily applied in any given circumstance. If we are to develop shared meaning with those we lead then we must create a shared context for them. This is where leaders can fall down. They neglect to consider the context and often do not know how to effectively create it.
The most effective way of creating a shared context lies in simplicity and consistency. The context has to be simple because it has to be easily remembered and easily applied. This is important because people are making interpretations constantly and simplicity allows people the opportunity have an easy reference point to which to come back. Consistency is about frequent reinforcement to ensure that the context sticks with people. Applied together, simplicity and consistency provide the basis to create a solid frame of reference leading to a shared context and greater shared meaning.
Related Concepts
Assessments
The Phenomenon of Listening
Effective Listening and Speaking