Upon
reflection,
there seems to be two basic forms of communication. The first form of
communication is commentary. With commentary, the communicator
is like a reporter in the stands at a game describing the game. With
commentary, the communicator has no power over the game. With
commentary, the communicator can't impact the game. With commentary,
it's the game which drives the communicator.
The second form of communication is what
Werner
refers to as generative communication. With generative
communication, the communicator isn't merely describing a game.
Rather, with generative communication, the communicator actually causes
the game.
If commentary is the communication of a reporter in the stands at a
game describing the game, then generative communication is the
communication of the quarterback on the field causing the game.
With generative communication, the communicator has power over the
game. With generative communication, the communicator impacts the
game. With generative communication, it's the communicator who drives
the game. Real power lives in generative communication.
The
conversation for
transformation
is generative communication. If it lapses into mere commentary, if we
simply talk abouttransformation
without generating it, then it doesn't work and we should be wary not
to damage it by relegating it to the realm of jargon, beliefs,
concepts, assessments, and opinions.