When was the last time you got an email from a boss, coworker or client and worried they were angry or annoyed with you, only to find out you misinterpreted the tone or wording?
Think about other workplace situations when miscommunication arises because of assumptions. As executive coaches, this is a common theme we explore with leaders.
Sometimes a leader assumes that silence in a meeting means everyone on the team understands a project as assigned, but one key person doesn’t understand the tasks assigned to them or the deadline, which becomes a huge problem.
Or, they judge a team member as scattered, unfocused and unreliable–only to learn that the team member’s direct supervisor isn’t giving them the information required to complete their work.
Frequently, folks assume they know other people’s motives, skills and competencies (or lack thereof). They assume they know the information others have been given and how it’s been understood.
It’s problematic because making assumptions can damage your team. The fallout ranges from hard feelings and decreased motivation to retention issues because division causes a toxic work culture.
We’re wired to interpret our environments. As humans, we’re always trying to figure out “why” – “why did they say that?” or, “what prompted that?” We are prone to:
- Cognitive bias, which is when we misinterpret information because we focus on information or view the situation in a certain way because of beliefs we hold. An example of this would be only reading news stories that confirm opinions that you hold, or analyzing data and only looking for information that supports your theory.
- Implicit (or unconscious) bias, which happens when our thoughts or decisions are unconsciously influenced by pre-existing beliefs or attitudes about certain groups or situations. For example, we might meet someone who looks very professional and attractive and assume they are competent when they’re not–and dismiss someone who appears dishevelled as incompetent when they are experienced and capable. Or we might have had a bad experience with a certain type of client and that makes us wary when encountering someone similar.
- We also tend to think our view of the world is “accurate.” Meanwhile, we don’t realize we’re looking at things from our perspective, and our experience, not the other person’s. This leads to an illusion of transparency, which is the tendency for people to overestimate the degree to which their personal mental state is known by others, and to overestimate how well they understand others’ personal mental states. It also leads to the illusion of validity, the tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one’s judgments, especially when available information is consistent or inter-correlated.
Without critical thinking, the actions we take after making assumptions might reinforce false beliefs and biases, even if they’re invalid. The way we act (or react) because of them affects communication and relationships.
Are Your Decisions Based on Reality or Assumptions?
How would you know? In our work as executive coaches, we use a tool called the Ladder of Assumptions to help clients reflect on the decisions they make, evaluate their critical thinking process and actively reject biases.
The Ladder of Assumptions (which is also called the Ladder of Inference) was created by Chris Argyris, a business theorist, in 1970 to describe how the mental models people have are the lens through which they view the world. It’s a way to reflect on the reasoning behind how we assess a situation and decide how to react or take action.
Each rung on the ladder represents a step in this decision-making process. Here are the steps on the Ladder of Assumptions:
Observe—the first step is when our senses pick up on everything around us (many things subconsciously).
Filter—the second step is when our brains begin to take note of some of the observations, but still very much subconsciously. Some of the data is selected.
Meaning—the next step is when our brains add meaning to the selected information that’s been observed, based on our culture (familial heritage, organizational culture and personal norms) and lived experiences.
Assumptions—from the meanings, we proceed to the next step and make assumptions. We try to answer “why” to figure out why something has happened, what caused a situation or why someone has said something. However, we look at this from our own perspective and not from the perspective of the other person or people.
Conclusions—from the assumptions we make, then we draw conclusions about the people, environment or situation we’ve observed.
Beliefs—the conclusions we draw inform the beliefs we adopt about the world, our life experiences and relationships with other people.
Actions—the next step is to take actions based on our beliefs that are based on the assumptions we made about the meaning that our brains subconsciously applied to experience.
As we get near the top of the Ladder of Assumptions, we begin to loop back.
The Reflective Loop is when the beliefs we form influence what we observe (unconsciously) and select or filter the next time.
The Action Loop is when our actions create new situations. How we act or react will affect how others act or react in response.
The Ladder of Assumptions can be critical and helpful, protecting us from potential harm when our gut feelings are cautioning us to act carefully. However, at times the Ladder of Assumptions can be problematic because we might be making assumptions that are invalid, which then lead to flawed conclusions and unwarranted beliefs. This is why it’s important to use the Ladder of Assumptions to consider whether we are aware of any biases or incorrect assumptions that would lead to bad decisions.
How to Use the Ladder of Assumptions
You can draw the ladder on a sheet of paper or download our free worksheet here. This tool is intended to create self-awareness so that we can recognize cognitive and unconscious biases. It is NOT a tool to take you through steps to make your best decisions.
The Ladder of Assumptions is a visual explanation of how we make decisions based on judgments that are influenced by assumptions.
- Start at the bottom rung and work your way up. Talk yourself through each rung on the ladder: data, observe, filter, meaning, assumptions, conclusions, beliefs and actions. What are you thinking at each step?
- Now work your way back down the ladder, rung by rung. This time, as you consider each step on the ladder, you’re going to consider why you think this. For example:
Data–Do I have all the facts?
Observe–What have I observed? Is there anything I’ve missed or disregarded?
Filter–What data have I decided to consider? Why did I make this choice?
Meaning–What cultural and personal meanings have I attached to this? Do they really have any meaning for this new situation?
Assumptions–What did I assume? Are they realistic?
Conclusions–Why did I come to these conclusions? Is there evidence to back the conclusions?
Beliefs–What beliefs informed my actions? Are these beliefs grounded in reality?
Actions–Why did I act in this way? Could I have acted differently?
- Take your new perspective back up the ladder. Work your way from rung to rung, trying to keep any assumptions from clouding your perception. Consider any beliefs you’ve made that might guide you – the reflective loop. Then, consider any actions you’ve taken (deliberate or unconscious like negative body language) that may affect those around you and prompt them to react and make their own conclusions – the action loop. Some folks find it helpful to talk their way through as if they’re explaining their reasoning to another person so that they feel like they’re accountable.
When to Use the Ladder of Assumptions
This tool is valuable any time that you want to understand how someone has come to a particular belief or action. It’s very useful if you want to:
- understand why there’s been an emotional reaction to someone or to a situation.
- facilitate a discussion when different team members have conflicting beliefs (so they understand opposing points of view better).
- help someone uncover their own biases.
The Ladder of Assumptions can help with conflict in the workplace because it’s a way to build consensus while exploring and understanding different perspectives. It helps team members sharpen their critical thinking skills and become aware of times that they are jumping to conclusions. This is valuable when you need to challenge assumptions, identify gaps or blind spots and consider all courses of direction.
Whether you use this tool for yourself or with your team, the Ladder of Assumptions helps to ensure that all available evidence is considered and biases are checked before decisions are made.
Coach’s Questions: When have assumptions negatively affected your work or your team? How can you use the Ladder of Assumptions? How can you sharpen your critical thinking skills?
