Cybernetics and Human Knowing. Vol. 20, nos. 1-2, pp. xx-xx Storytelling and Listening: Co-creating Understandings Peter M. Bednar 1 and Christine Welch 2 As sentient and social beings, we live in hope that we can be understood when we try to communicate with each other but we also know that we might be wrong. We strive for better understandings, engaging in an on-going dance of collective sense-making. This paper considers how communication among individuals involves co-creation of meaning by exploring narratives— those expressed by a speaker and those created internally by listeners in efforts to achieve understanding. We note that the extent of these efforts varies from reliance on prejudice at one extreme to deep listening at the other, and that organizational barriers may exist which inhibit co- creation of meaning. We suggest that an open systems approach, which enables individuals to explore and share their contextually dependent understandings, will be helpful. We propose a framework that supports and guides participants in endeavors to co-create understandings of problem spaces through storytelling and listening. Keywords: listening; narratives; communication; sense-making; knowledge creation; open systems Introduction This paper sets out to discuss listening as part of dialogue. We intend to do this from interdisciplinary, open systems perspectives considering situations in which people interact in what can loosely be described as human activity systems—be they organizational or social in nature. We are aware that this topic could be examined using a number of different lenses within the field of cybernetics, for example, psychology. Our purpose, however, is similar to that of Steier and Jorgenson (reflecting on the work of Bateson), asking how we might “explore our assumptions in ways that allow us (to) challenge deeply held … traditions—including diverse dualisms that have rendered such connections, such ‘in-betweenesses’ as blindnesses in our ways of understanding” (Steier & Jorgenson, 2005, p.5). Most of us have indulged our senses from time to time listening to a lovely piece of music, or been moved by an impassioned speech from a skilled orator. Most of us talk with family and friends, listening to their news and concerns. Listening is an important part of our lives as sentient, social beings. Parkinson (2001) comments that: “stories show life as it might be, should be, shouldn’t be, never could be. Basic social values, skills, wisdoms and all show up in stories but so do all sorts of other things on many different levels. It’s no accident that the founders of religions have been storytellers” (Parkinson, 2001, n. p.). Sometimes, in a work context, we attend meetings where decision-making is intended, giving our views and listening to those 1. School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, UK. Email: peter.bednar@port.ac.uk 2. Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, UK. Email: christine.welch@port.ac.uk