The Next Next Common Sense
governance, they reduced definition variation by 74% within six months, resulting in measurable decreases in customer support inquiries related to terminology confusion.
4. Conversation Analysis Protocol
This qualitative approach examines how language functions in critical organizational conversations, identifying patterns that either enhance or diminish shared understanding. By systematically analyzing recorded meeting transcripts, organizations can assess linguistic dynamics that shape collective sense-making.
Assessment Dimensions:
• Turn-taking Patterns : Distribution of speaking opportunities across participants • Idea Uptake Tracking : How concepts introduced by different speakers are incorporated • Question Dynamics : Patterns in who asks questions versus who answers them • Narrative Integration : How effectively individual contributions build coherent shared narratives Implementation Example: Google's People Analytics team ap- plies conversation analysis to leadership team meetings, coding tran- scripts along multiple linguistic dimensions. This analysis revealed that teams with more equitable linguistic participation patterns (balanced turn-taking, diverse question-asking, and proportional idea uptake) made demonstrably better strategic decisions as measured by subsequent performance metrics. Based on these findings, they developed specific facilitation protocols that measurably increased linguistic participation balance.
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