Stories Lived. Stories Told.
The purpose of Coordinated Management of Meaning is to create better social worlds through better communication. This podcast is about empowering all of us in our communication to see ourselves as curious and active participants with the ability to create meaningful change in our relationships and social worlds.
Our practice of CMM is about embodying a “communication perspective,” which asks us to “look at communication, rather than through it.” To take a communication perspective is to consider what we’re making and how we’re making it through our communication practices. This means we look at patterns, contexts, stories, and relationships; and that we use curiosity, mindfulness, collaboration, and dialogue to create better social worlds for ourselves.
So, join us as we take CMM from theory to practice, engage in collective learning together, and apply a communication perspective to make meaning in our conversations.
Episodes
171 episodes
[BONUS] Abbie VanMeter on Practicing Translation at CSCA
Abbie shares her own reflections as a participant of the Central States Communication Association Conference and as the resident podcaster. She discusses the importance of engaging in the work of translating in a variety of ways across the incr...
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[BONUS] Xianlin Jin on Translating Research at CSCA
Abbie and Xianlin discuss the afterlife of communication research and Xianlin's paper- What and Where Do I Learn About the Baby Formula Shortage Crisis? Exploring Crisis Communication Patterns, Influencers, and Information Resources, w...
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[BONUS] Laura O'Hara on Sharing Creative Solutions at CSCA
Abbie and Laura reflect on the Central States Communication Association Conference, including the major benefit provided by gathering of sharing creative ideas for overcoming challenges that educators across the country face separately and toge...
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On the World Cafe with Juanita Brown and Flavio Mesquita da Silva | Ep. 160
How can we turn the 'what ifs' into the 'why nots'?...Today, Abbie, Juanita, and Flavio discuss the World Cafe, including the history of how it came to be and how it continues to evolve in r...
On Design as Experimentation, Relationality, and Reciprocity with Hannah Goss, Jotte de Koning, and Sine Celik | Ep. 159
Where do you see communication happening?...Today, Abbie is joined by Hannah, Sine, and Jotte of TU Delf's Systemic Design Lab (D-SDL) to talk about life and design as playful experiments. They introduce the four core practices ar...
[BONUS] Stevie Munz on the CSCA Pre-Conference
Abbie and Stevie talk about the CSCA pre-conference, why the theme of "Communicating in the Unknown: Navigating Uncertainty in a Changing Field" is so important right now, and what Stevie is looking forward to about this year's conference and n...
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On Reimagining Our Personal, Public, and Political Lives at the Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium | Ep. 158
Welcome to the CSW Participant Podcast!...Today, Abbie is joined by the participants of the Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium in New York City to reflect on their experiences of th...
[BONUS] Tiffany Wang On Creating Meaningful Experiences at CSCA
Abbie and Tiffany discuss what goes on behind the scenes to prepare for CSCA, Tiffany's dual roles as Interim Executive Director and Second Vice President, and her hopes for the meaningful experiences- both academic and non-academic- that the C...
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On Hope, Agency, and Community at the Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium | Ep. 157
What are your 'practices for togetherness'?...In this special episode, Abbie shares the recording of a panel she participated in, titled, 'Hope, Agency, and Community: Practices for Togetherness' at the Taos Institute's Co-Cre...
BONUS | Jeff Child on Being CSCA President | The Stories of CSCA
Introducing 'The Stories of CSCA'- a new podcast mini-series hosted by Abbie in collaboration with the Central States Communication Association (CSCA)! ...In episode two of 'The Stories of CSCA' Abbie and Jeff talk about Jeff...
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BONUS | Kristina Scharp on the Theme of Translate | The Stories of CSCA
Introducing 'The Stories of CSCA'- a new podcast mini-series hosted by Abbie in collaboration with the Central States Communication Association (CSCA)! ...In episode one of 'The Stories of CSCA' Abbie and Kristina explore thi...
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On Creating Invitations to Imagination with Jenn Chan | Ep. 156
What can you imagine for a better world?...Today, Abbie and Jenn discuss the recent Chinese Lunar New Year, and the context of the transition from the year of the Wood Snake to the year of the Fire Horse as it relates to a shared ...
On Episodes, Boundaries, and Marginalization with Gerald Midgley | Ep. 155
What is your practice of systems thinking?...Today, Abbie and Gerald explore the ongoing practice of defining and redefining systems; the relationship between boundaries and meaning-making; the impact of moral forces on naming the...
On Exploring Systems, Perspectives, and Complexity with Christian Baron | Ep. 154
Where are you able to identify opportunities to make new choices in the systems you live, work, and play within? ...Today, Abbie and Christian talk trying out practical methods for system thinking, balancing simplicity and c...
On Reflexivity with Abbie VanMeter | Ep. 153
What have you learned in 2025?...Today, Abbie offers one last, short episode for Season 4. In it, she explores her own reflections on the past year and hopes for the coming year. She invites listeners to join the conversation howe...
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On Unlearning Ableism with Jamie Shields and Celia Chartres-Aris | Ep. 152
How can you be proactive in your inclusivity?...Today, Abbie, Jamie, and Celia explore disability through the lens of a communication perspective, talking about transforming exclusion into inclusion in every space, changing narrat...
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On Stories, Exploration, and Learning with Claudia Westermann and Chris Speed | Ep. 151
What makes you a designer? ...Today, Abbie, Claudia, and Chris explore radical changes in learning around systems thinking and design over time, along with the implications for future designers, which includes all of us. This...
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On Metadesign, Emergence, and Futures with Hannah Jones and Mathilda Tham | Ep. 150
In what ways are you a designer?...Today, Abbie, Hannah, and Mathilda explore the dissonance between prioritizing the present and/ or the future; the discomfort (and opportunity for learning) that comes with awkward spaces; the po...
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On Relating Systems Thinking and Design at RSD14 | Ep. 149
Welcome to the RSD14 Participant Podcast!...Today, Abbie is joined by the participants of the Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD14) Conference in Toronto to reflect on their own exper...
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On Collaboration & Chamber Music with Annie Fullard and Dorianne Cotter-Lockard | Ep. 148
In what ways are you an artist?...Today, Abbie, Annie, and Dorianne discuss ‘The Art of Collaboration: Chamber Music Rehearsal Techniques and Team Building,’ <...
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On A Relational Approach to Disorganizing with Kate Lockwood Harris | Ep. 147
What does it look like to connect everyday interactions to broader social dynamics? To use our knowledge of interpersonal communication to create the kinds of organizations, communities, and systems we want to make?...Today, Abbie...
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On Social Therapeutics and Performance Activism with Lois Holzman | Ep. 146
How do we embrace the unknowability of being alive?...Today, Abbie and Lois explore social therapeutics and performance activism as avenues for “performing beyond ourselves,” embracing life as play (and play as life), and creating...
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On Communication, Interactions & Systems with Laura Fruggeri | Ep. 145
What CMMish tools help us to end a conversation in a different place than where we started?...Today, Abbie and Laura explore the stories of Laura’s evolving approach to therapy, including the introduction of paradox and counterpar...
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On Practicing Leadership Playing Dungeons & Dragons with Tom Watkin | Ep. 144
How do games like Dungeons and Dragons enable us to practice a CMM-informed way of relating, participating, and communicating? ...Today, Abbie and Tom explore Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) as a powerful practice and metaphor...
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On Creating 'Grains of Empowerment' for Women and Girls with Mil Niepold | Ep. 143
Who isn't being invited to the conversation?...Today, Abbie and Mil explore ways to create “grains of empowerment” that enable every individual to participate in community-based solutions to our global problems, beginning with eac...
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