Based on the work of the Chilean biologist, Humberto Maturana

Turning the word language into a verb focuses attention on it being a process, rather than "a thing". It then has the capacity to produce different realities.

Languaging is something humans do everyday to get things done to fulfil their need to take care of their concerns. See Linguistic Acts. In the latter half of the last century there was a significant shift in our understanding of language from its function as a way of describing things, to its role as a tool or process for creating our reality.

Philosphers such as Nietzche and Martin Heidegger realised that language created reality. But it was Ludwig Wittgenstein, John Austin and John Searle who provided the sibstane for this new way of viewing language as a form of action.

Words create and constitute the reality as it is perceived by the speaker. To interpret a situation as a crisis , makes it a crisis in their world. This can limit their thinking, actions and possibilites by focusing on the problem and not on creating a preferred solution.

This new thinking can be seen to shape approaches to therapy and coaching such as the Solutions Focus. For example, positive words can create positive attitudes and using a client's own words, such as in the use of Clean Languages helps them to explain their own reality more clearly.

The realision that it is through language that we get things done, if we do not speak , and listen, in certain ways, then things in our lives do not get accomplished. Research suggests this is true irrespective of the language or culture. They are referred to as lingusitic actions or speech acts, and have a major bearing on the success of people's lives.

Language enables us to take action togther, to coordnate our actions. So how we use language shapes how we perceive the world and react to it. The ability to use different words to create different realities (or perspectives) means we can make things happen and improve our circumstances.

Fernando Flores built on the work of Martin Heidegger and John Searle developing the Promise Cycle of linguistic acts. These acts commit the speaker to focus on what is important to them at that moment. It's about taking care of their concerns. Someone who is not engaging in purposeful conversations is usually someone who is suffering.

Much depends on the assessments they make of themselves of their competence to deal with the concerns they have in their lives. This is their self-perception, which relates to self-confidence and self esteem. Nathanial Brandon uses the technique of sentence completion to get at the primary assessments people have of themselves and what they can and cannot do to deal with their concerns that is not consciously apparent to them. Sentence completion helps a coach get at the 'silent conversations' that run in the background that run people's lives without them realising it.

There at least six different types of conversations to be aware of and to focus on from time to time.

1. Conversations for stories and assessments
2. Conversations for clarity
3. Speculative conversations
4. Conversations for coordination of action
5. Conversations for possible conversations
6. Conversations for relationship

Consideration also needs to be given to:

Listening is a critical factor in effective communication and we must be more aware of the factors that make us good listeners.

We also need to understand the way in which we make assessments and assumptions about ourselves, others and our circumstances.

Attention needs to be given to the lingustic processes and actions that compose the Promise Cycle.

A map that helps us understand the role of narratives and stories and how one is embedded in another.

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