Coordinated Management of Meaning

Coordinated Management Of Meaning

Coordinated management of meaning (CMM), is a practical theory that sees communication as doing things fully as much as talking about them. "Taking the communication perspective" consists of looking at communication (rather than through it to what it is ostensibly about) and seeing it as a two-sided process of (1) coordinating actions with others, and (2) making/managing meanings. These interwoven threads of stories and actions comprise the texture of social worlds. Much of the development of the theory consists of heuristic models and concepts that enable the user to perceive and describe the ongoing processes of communication.

In all, CMM heavily relies on three basic processes: coherence, coordination, and mystery. Separately and sometimes in combination, these processes help to clarify and explain how social realities are created through conversation.