A Radical New Communication Mindset: Co-Creating Life Together
Five Portals into a Generative Communication Mindset
Five Portals into a Generative Communication Mindset
October 13, 2021
Lead, follow, AND get out of the way!
June 22, 2022Many of us are stuck in old ways of thinking and communicating that limit our ability to work out difference. Generative Communication is a radical new mindset that creates an expanded understanding of problems, and workable solutions—all for the common good.
Generative Communication allows us to turn old ideas about communication on its head. When we recognize that communication includes interactions within oneself, with others, and with one’s everyday environment, our ability to communicate goes beyond the usual exchange of information. Instead, this new mindset allows us to co-create new understandings, expanded points of views and innovative ideas for more sustainable solutions that benefit our shared needs.
There are five portals to generative communication. Keep reading to understand how you can communicate generatively in your everyday interactions.
Embrace Complexity
Embracing complexity and recognizing the importance of understanding the patterns of life as they are happening is foundational for a Generative Communication mindset. We need to let go of the illusions that we are in control and can accurately predict what will happen in our complex world. Communicating generatively means we focus on the complexities of human interactions and allow new outcomes to emerge.
Stay Awake
Generative Communication is most effective when we are mindful and aware of what is happening in our environment, body, mind, and spirit so we can create a deeper understanding of our surroundings and interactions. Being mindful of yourself is an important precursor to positive change. Enhanced awareness is one of the hidden treasures of generative communication.
Ask Questions
Think critically and question everything. We are so influenced by generally-accepted justifications, assumptions, and dogma that we forget that we can form our own ideas and experiment with new ways of thinking. Generative Communication urges us to question everything that we think we know and be willing to unlearn, learn, and relearn from those around us.
Welcome The Struggle
Learning to communicate in a generative way means we recognize that there are differences people’s unique perspective while welcoming potential conflict and struggle that those differences bring. Generative Communication means finding ways to respectfully and honestly confront our differences thereby presenting a powerful opportunity to learn from one another and expand our shared understanding so we can create new solutions together.
Take Responsibility
Our words and actions matter! Meaning comes from those who read, speak, hear and observe them so we need to share our views clearly and respectfully. It’s important to own our ideas and make sure our actions match our words. Generative Communication becomes possible when we understand that the only person over which we have complete control is ourselves.
The generative communication concept is a model for anyone who is ready to adopt a new mindset that asks us to take responsibility for how and what we communicate in our everyday interactions. Whether with family, friend, community group, or colleague, using these five portals will help you communicate generatively in your everyday interactions to co-create a sustainable and healthy world.
For more information on creating healthy forms of communication in your life, contact Mary A. Ferdig, Ph.D. today.
3 Comments
I’m curious. It is always interesting to learn how to be proactive.
Read more about GC here Quit Talking and Communicate
I look forward to reading more about how I can use Generative Communication in my life.