We all make assumptions about the world we live in. Without assumptions, we would be unable to function effectively; we would spend far too much time making even the smallest decisions. But sometimes, our assumptions can lead us astray – or lead us into conflict.
You may have heard of the “Ladder of Inference”, a concept first proposed by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Here is how it works:
You may have heard of the “Ladder of Inference”, a concept first proposed by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Here is how it works:
| The bottom rung of the ladder consists of objective facts and data. As we climb the ladder, we
|  |
This can result in a destructive loop. Our beliefs and prior experiences greatly influence what facts we select, and often lead us to ignore other facts and data entirely. We then “jump to conclusions”, by missing important facts and substituting belief-driven conclusions for reasoning.
For example, if I am having dinner with a friend and she pulls out her phone, I may 1. focus on that action, 2. believe that she is bored with our conversation, and 3. assume that she is checking her facebook updates. As a result, I may 4. conclude that she does not value our friendship, 5. believe that I am wasting my time with her, and 6. change my own demeanor for the worse. In reality, my friend may have been thoroughly enjoying our conversation, and may have been letting her partner know that she will be home later than expected because she does not want to cut the evening short…
So step off that ladder and take a moment to examine the underlying facts more fully. You may discover very different meanings – and a much broader set of options – than those you saw once you started climbing.
For example, if I am having dinner with a friend and she pulls out her phone, I may 1. focus on that action, 2. believe that she is bored with our conversation, and 3. assume that she is checking her facebook updates. As a result, I may 4. conclude that she does not value our friendship, 5. believe that I am wasting my time with her, and 6. change my own demeanor for the worse. In reality, my friend may have been thoroughly enjoying our conversation, and may have been letting her partner know that she will be home later than expected because she does not want to cut the evening short…
So step off that ladder and take a moment to examine the underlying facts more fully. You may discover very different meanings – and a much broader set of options – than those you saw once you started climbing.
