ABSTRACT
Most of us think of our circumstances in current terms first. We concentrate on things that press on us at this moment instead of thinking about the past and factors that may have brought us to the present situation. The present, though, is composed of more than recent events and issues that concern us now. It is a complex web of relationships built on shared understandings of reality that have been constructed by many people over long periods of time. An example from organizational practice would be the conduct of negotiations between an employer and employees about conditions of employment such as wages and benefits. These negotiations can be complex to the point of being confusing, and the people involved are likely to be caught up in the many details of working with bargaining team members to establish positions, discussing disagreements with those on the other side of the negotiations, and so on.
