As I’m writing this, I am listening to the live Emergency Special Council Meeting of the Portland (Oregon) City Council. If you’re not familiar with what Portland is like right now, there is a heartbreaking amount of houseless folks within the city (and as I just wrote that sentence, I heard that there are currently over 700 encampments within the city’s limits, wtAf?); this emergency meeting is purportedly focused on this issue.

As I listen to all the stats being quoted and the hum of endless politicking as each council member takes the mic, my choice for this week’s Mathnificent Word feels quite appropriate. This new(est) proposal by the city seems to invite a more collaborative (instead of dictatorial) approach for our local government & social service entities.

The words ‘distribution’ and ‘cumulative’ are key to what differentiates how this word ‘additive’ is so much more significant compared to an action that is merely an addition.

When you employ an action that is additive, there is intention from the get-go to touch all the entities currently involved plus thoughtful intention to include the entities that need to be involved, and the entire process continues onward together to build, in collaboration, towards one defined goal.

Like sprinkling an additive powder over everything, the intention is to give strength and bind all things together so that there is effective on-going communication towards the common end goal, be it making you – or in this case, an entire city – healthier.