Context is Everything: Why Stories at Work Can Make or Break Progress

​Part One: The Stories We Tell — How Workplace Narratives Trap or Transform Us

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why some workplace issues feel like they just keep repeating themselves—no matter how many times they’re raised? Maybe someone always feels left out of decision-making. Maybe a team keeps missing deadlines, or a manager thinks their team isn’t proactive. We often jump to conclusions or solutions, but what if the issue isn’t the behaviour at all? What if the real challenge lies in the context around it?

Our working lives are made up of patterns—things that tend to happen—and we make sense of those patterns by telling stories. These stories shape how we see people, problems, and possibilities. But here’s the thing: they don’t just describe reality—they create it.

The Science

This post draws on the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) framework, a communication model developed by W. Barnett Pearce and Vernon Cronen (1985) and systemic organisational thinking. These ideas explore how meaning is co-created through layers of context and how the stories we tell shape what feels possible in our organisations.

Key Findings

1. Patterns and Stories
In every team or relationship, there are patterns—ways things usually go. We make sense of these by telling stories with:

• Characters (e.g., “my manager,” “the new hire”),
• Relationships (e.g., “they don’t trust me”),
• Plotlines (e.g., “they never listen”),
• Emotions and interpretations.

But no story captures everything. And the stories we repeat—about ourselves, others, and the organisation—can either open up or shut down new ways of acting. These stories help us simplify what’s going on, but they can also trap us. If the story is negative or one-sided, it shapes how we act—and often reinforces the very pattern we want to change.
Example: If a manager says, “My team just isn’t proactive,” it becomes a story that shapes how they treat the team—and how the team behaves. The story reinforces the pattern.

Stories shape what’s possible.
Stories aren’t just descriptions. They become self-fulfilling. If we say someone is difficult, we may stop engaging with them—and they may eventually withdraw, proving the story. When stories are too similar across a group (groupthink), they shut out new perspectives. When they’re too different and disconnected, trust breaks down. The goal is to notice and work with this dynamic, not ignore it.

2. The Power of Context
Context gives meaning to what’s said. CMM describes layers of context that influence communication:

• Cultural context: What's normal or rewarded in your organisation?
• Relational context: What’s the power dynamic or trust level?
• Identity context: How do people see themselves? Do they feel safe or silenced?
• Episodic context: What’s the specific moment—e.g., a high-pressure meeting?

A simple phrase like “I don’t feel heard” can mean a hundred things to a staff member, depending on the organisational culture, their relationship with their manager, how they see themselves, and the moment it’s said. If the culture doesn’t value different voices, the relationship is strained, and the person sees themselves as powerless, their comment may land as a complaint—rather than a request for support.

A Quote to Reflect On
"Stories help us make sense of the world, but they also shape what’s possible within it."

A Question to Reflect On
In your team, what story gets repeated the most—and what might it be reinforcing?
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Further Reading

• Pearce, W. B., & Cronen, V. E. (1980). Communication, Action, and Meaning
• Shaw, P. (2002). Changing Conversations in Organizations
• Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership

Next up in Part Two: We’ll explore how to actively shift context and story—using choice, interpretation, and feedback loops to enable a more inclusive, flexible culture. You'll also get practical tools like the Context Mapping Tool, the Story Audit, and ideas for building deeper feedback systems.

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