WHEN LISTENING TO A CONVERSATION NOTICE IF IT HAS A SENSE OF OR INCLUDES;

Permanence rather than process. These conversations will include such terms as "this is the way it is" or language that turns ever-changing or emergent phenomena such as "relationship" or "team" into a fixed unchanging thing.

A fixed reality. Listen for proclamations of "the real world" or some absolute truth. These conversations include phrases portraying an objective reality which the speaker claims to know.

Unquestioned agreement. Cues to notice are such terms as "everybody knows". Also included are statements of ridicule based on social authority or non-verbal signals not to challenge.

Knowledge claims without testable formulations. These statements are usually delivered in a manner which trusts that authority or power will suppress any challenge.

Justifications based on historical grounds. These conversations kill innovative thinking and the possibility that things have changed, are changing, or might change.

Unintelligible language of explanation. This includes buzz words and things which cannot be expressed or demonstrated in language appropriate to the situation.

Buzz words and jargon. These statements lack adequate explanation and/or produce no results when used. This includes excessive use of management terms such as "vision", "purpose", and "commitment" as well as older phrases such as "the bottom line".

Unchallengeable statements. It is intended that these statements be considered valid because of authority of position, expertise, or force of argument.

Simplistic causality. This kind of language is based on the assumption that there is a single cause or identifiable hierarchical set of causes for an event. This particularly includes taking complex or emergent phenomena and reducing them to specific elements.

Engineered approaches applied in work with emergent phenomena. This includes any kind of planning or strategy based on the assumption that predictability is possible from analysis or an accurate representation of something.