Language, creating our reality
Passage from «Some Essays About Management»
essay
2

In the beginning there
was a Word…
Everything began with it

It’s the basis
of how we think, how we communicate, how we see the world

Words help us to describe our reality

The word is a key element of any language

The language – it’s a system of words,
where combinations of them
owing to common agreement have
a conventional meaning
and these combinations can be used for communication

The language is a tool for our thinking,
for accumulating knowledge

The general function of the language is
communication

Why is that so important?

Because management, that is
communication

By means of words we create
our own reality

Reality is created
by sense and meaning of the words describing it

And everyone reads
one’s own sense and meaning
in the same words

Every single word is
a container
And these containers
can be filled with content
and meaning by the man only

Firstly, maturing –
with another’s sense
and meaning

Then – with one’s
own experience

Do we want a real and adequate communication?

We exchange with each other empty containers.
By throwing their content away, while speaking.
Then – we fill them with our own content.

What to do?

To arrange
their content and meaning – beforehand

But what if one’s container is empty?
If one doesn’t know such a word?

In that case this one will receive something that has
not existed
in his reality yet, had no sense
and meaning for him so far

When explaining meanings of unfamiliar words
to your interlocutors - you fill them at once with your
own meaning

What is the aim of communication?
It is an information exchange,
free of distortions

…The information exchange
for the purpose of effective management

How much effective would be a talk between
a Hyperborean and an Easterner about
deer farming and rice culturing?

It may be problematic…
How to avoid that?

1
To remember that communication, it’s the very sense
and meaning put by your interlocutor in the words
pronounced by you

2
To assure completely that one understands you –
on the one hand, and that you understand your
interlocutor correctly – on the other hand

Our thinking
is directly related to the language

We can see and understand only what we are able
to describe with words

We get to know new words – and
our reality changes

Changing and filling our language
and the language of people around,
we are able to change our thinking
to any direction we need

What do we visualize the surrounding reality like?

Like it’s described by filters of the language
we think and communicate

Language filters represent one of many sets of
patterns our mind
usually uses
Such patterns which we usually use to see the world,
which we perceive information by

Is that good or bad – that there are such
filters, patterns and reduction of reality by
threshold of perception?

There is no clear answer.
It’s necessary just to keep in mind that the
reality in general and the reduced,
personal reality differ.
And the more sets of patterns you have,
the nearer to the true reality you are.

What do we do when
project management learning?

We change and extend
the patterns of our thinking and adjust our filters

In our reality
we’ve got a new thing: projects and project management

In real life –
a project is multidimensional,
like a cube

How do we use filters?
We unfold the cube to several sides

…converting it to
clearer plans
To the plans of supply management,
risk management, communication management…

What can be achieved in result?

Very often we substitute the management
of a real project with the management
of reality fragments

What to do?

To learn to break all patterns
and supplement our filters

To realize, that we are stinted
and deprived of a great deal
of different opportunities

and…

To change ever and manage
effectively

Thanks for Your attention!
P.S. You got to know the passage of our book «Some Essays About Management»
The book is available in whole on the page «Vision» of our site www.kommandcore.com

Lively management of projects