Flow

communications

FLOW

communication for the mindful leader

Woman in Beige Monochrome Outfit on Beige Background

Curly-Haired Woman Wearing a Beige Suit Jacket

Culture is a silent language. Communication constitutes.

To name something is to bring it into understanding.

Animals, people, and all elements of nature and science are identified through naming. To speak of something is to embrace an understanding, declare its existence, and establish meaning.

In order to keep organizational flows moving swiftly and smoothly, processes of communication must exist for identifying problems, maintaining understanding, and clarifying solutions.

The Four Flows theory places communication at the helm of an organizational ecosystem, modeling the flows of dialogue that help companies move through challenges and continue advancing.

Background

Communication constitutes organization (CCO), commonly known as the four flows theory, was founded by Arizona State University professor Robert McPhee, who states communication - not architecture, structures, or systems - brings an organization into being.

Based upon Karl Weick's sensemaking theory that portrays organizations as living organisms, communication systems serve to reduce ambiguity.

McPhee's four flows theory goes even further - identifying four interactive junctures of communication within an organization that serves to help or harm the culture.

McPhee, R. D. (2015). Agency and the Four Flows. Management Communication Quarterly, 29(3), 487–492. https://ezproxy.lcsc.edu:2085/10.1177/0893318915584826

4 Flows

Membership Negotiation

new hires learn about company history and policies; where social relationships begin

Self-Structuring

defining who's who and a shared understanding of practical work; where clear expectations emerge

Activity Coordination

internal day-to-day operations of teams and departments; where interdependence exists

Institutional Positioning

external communications and public involvement; where community service positions power

Azure river flowing through green terrain

Rhythm

Organizational concepts of FLOW are often inspired by nature and used to describe forward movement and continuity - where streams of water, thought, energy, and resources find a rhythm.

Move

ment

When a flow is blocked, stagnation and dysfunction emerge as threats to a culture.

Creating space, asking the right questions, and designing time for dialogue opens doors to innovation creativity problem solving, and alignment.

Organizational tensions are inevitable. Using communication flows helps to strengthen a capacity for embracing and validating expressions of organizational challenges.

What if...?

Why?

How?

What?

Case Study:

Scholars used the four flows theory to measure and diagnose unhealthy or abusive working conditions, such as in The Constitution of Employee-Abusive Organizations: A Communication Flows Theory, by Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik & Virginia McDermott (2008).

This case study exposed recurring instances deemed abusive through channels of communication, various situations and that target multiple employers. Through interviews and focus groups within the organization used for a case study, both current and past staff members shared stories describing communication that instigated fear, summoned dread, and provided a protective environment prevalent for bullying.

The study identified areas in the “flow” where abusive messages started, and continued, affecting the dynamic of the entire organization. CCO proves supportive in exploring contrasting leadership communication styles and sexual harassment in the workplace – providing a framework for identifying hierarchal mistreatment, subordinate silence, and what cultures are deemed toxic or unsafe.

MEMBERSHIP NEGOTIATION:

inappropriate

or hostile

interview questions

INSTITUTIONAL POSITIONING:

political environment

and misplaced accountability

ACTIVITY COORDINATION:

abusive supervision

and peer silence

SELF-STRUCTURING:

laissez-faire

oversight and

one-way evaluations

Lutgen-Sandvik, P., & McDermott, V. (2008). The Constitution of Employee-Abusive Organizations: A Communication Flows Theory. Communication Theory (1050-3293), 18(2), 304–333.

Organizational

tensions are unavoidable.

Accept them.

Embrace them.

Learn how to navigate through

the tensions.

Tension:

the clash of ideas, principles, or actions, and the discomfort that may arise as a result.

Organizations are sites of human activity providing opportunities for rich understandings.

A mindful leader grows increasingly attentive to language. Analyze discourse for symbols of:

REACTIONS

& RESPONSES

AUTONOMY

& CONNECTEDNESS

EMPOWERMENT

& DISEMPOWERMENT

INCLUSION

& EXCLUSION

Cooren, F., Matte, F., Benoit-Barné, C., & Brummans, B. J. M. (2013). Communication as Ventriloquism: A Grounded-in-Action Approach to the Study of Organizational Tensions. Communication Monographs, 80(3), 255–277.

Intervene.

Create an environment.

Set the tone.

Encourage dialogue.

Observe.

Listen to learn.

Honor experiences.

Align values.

Design the culture.

International Association of Public Involvement

Leadership & Communication

The four flows can be applied to instructional design, meeting templates, quarterly evaluations, and other unique organizational junctures where mindful and ethical communications are necessary. Bernice McCarthy's instructional design model, 4MAT, use the flour flows theory as a template for engaging diverse learning types. Based on the hemispheres of the brain, and modes of information processing, leaders can design a more dynamic and engaging learning and working environment.

FLOW

INSTITUTIONAL POSITIONING:

Connect imaginatively
Ask: WHAT IF...?
Drive action
Seek opportunity
Encourage adaptation

ACTIVITY COORDINATION:

Connect practically
Ask: HOW?
Create applications
Secure useability
Model skills

MEMBERSHIP

NEGOTIATION:

Connect empathetically
Ask: WHY?
Engage through important issues
Build harmony
Establish Meaning

SELF-

STRUCTURING:

Connect analytically
Ask: WHAT?
Recognize data
Create concepts
Provide concepts

Nicoll-Senft, J., & Seider, S. (2010). Assessing the Impact of the 4MAT Teaching Model Across Multiple Disciplines in Higher Education. College Teaching, 58(1), 19–27.

Value

& Limitations

Organizations are complex. Communication is complex.

Understanding the value and limitations of the four flows theory positions it as a fluid resource rather than a fixed tool. Some organizations center around products, others around service; some companies lead from a horizontal line - others a hierarchy. One value of the four flows theory is that it can provide a glimpse of junctures found within a wide variety of operations. Maybe it starts with four flows and then develops into five or six over the years? Perhaps an organizational culture hosts multiple focuses on one object - creating layers of communication that represent co-cultural flows.

The four flows communication theory offers flexibility to change over time - just as the flow of a river can change with the tides - creating entirely new shorelines and ecosystems. To embrace flexibility in communications is to also acknowledge its limitations and work to stay poised for change. Mindful leadership embraces the quality of adaptability, refining the continuous practice of sifting for what element must remain - and what is free to go.

Work

with

Infuse the flow of communications strategy into your work.

ADDRESS

MelindaCadwallader.me

Phone

(303) 912 - 0211

mcadwallader@zagmail.gonzaga.edu

Resources:

Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory, 10th Ed. McGraw-Hill Education, 2019.

Lutgen-Sandvik, P., & McDermott, V. (2008). The Constitution of Employee-Abusive Organizations: A Communication Flows Theory. Communication Theory (1050-3293), 18(2), 304–333.

McCarthy, B. (1997). A tale of four learners: 4MAT’s learning styles. Educational Leadership, 54(6), 46.

McLeod, S. A. (2017, Oct 24). Kolb - learning styles. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html.

McPhee, R. D. (2015). Agency and the Four Flows. Management Communication Quarterly, 29(3), 487–492. https://ezproxy.lcsc.edu:2085/10.1177/0893318915584826.

Nicoll-Senft, J., & Seider, S. (2010). Assessing the Impact of the 4MAT Teaching Model Across Multiple Disciplines in Higher Education. College Teaching, 58(1), 19–27.

Weick, Karl. (1995). Sensemaking in Organizations. Sage. Thousand Oaks, CA.