The activity of meaning making is not static” (Polkinghorne, 1988, p. 7), nor is it linear.OPPT-in is a journey rather than a destination. The point is not to arrive at a particularknowledge-set, but rather to practice new skill sets and new language for framing. OPPT(ing)-inhas the potential to extend the established work of practical impact developed in organizationalcommunication over the last forty years and propel us to communicatively constitute theorganizations and lives we need to flourish into the future.

Ontology, the O in the OPPT-in framework, is not about the science of reality orexistence, but rather focuses on the notion of thrownness, and being-in-the-world (Heidegger,1996). The approach moves theories of social and discursive construction from epistemologicalframeworks to models that allow for an interrogation and reassessment of life as lived. It askspeople to consider how they wound up being a particular way of acting or behaving in the world;and asks them to identify the stories they are living and how those stories shape and constrainother possible ways of being and knowing available.

So, how might the discipline turn studentsonto this power of language for opening up expert communication craft practice—and do so in away that they are left not only able to define and apply theories of social and discursiveconstruction, but see the power of them in their own lives and organizations?

Scholars and educatorscould valuably encourage the living and practicing (and not just the knowing about) some ofthese fundamental theories that already undergird organizational communication scholarship.

What might it looklike if organizational communication scholarship provided access to new ways of acting andbeing in life as lived—not only in the future should it be applied in the future, but immediately?

What fills you up, and what drains you?

What characteristics, actions, and behaviors do you want to capture your identity? Are there any misalignments between who you appear to be and who you want to be? What is the best representation of your desire to show up daily?

Transformational leaders often embody their vision and believe in it so strongly that they can empower others to do the same.

Servant leadership places the value of the team ahead of the individual. As such, a servant leader is someone who can shed personal agendas and whose main goal is for their team (and the company) to thrive.