| We go through life making decisions and giving our | | | | noticed that Marty was late a couple of times. I make |
| opinions on things without really thinking about the | | | | the assumption that Marty doesn't care about our |
| assumptions we are making. Assumptions are | | | | team and our meetings because I knew of several |
| powerful things. They drive our thinking, actions and | | | | people who really did not care and their behavior was |
| outcomes. They tell the world about what we believe. | | | | to be late to meetings (my added interpretation of |
| Yet, we seldom take the time to challenge them to | | | | Marty's behavior). When Marty was late a couple |
| see if they are true. | | | | more times I concluded that Marty doesn't care. My |
| Our assumptions are based on our experiences and | | | | belief was solidified that people who are late to |
| knowledge. We take in information, lay it up against | | | | meetings don't care about the meeting or about the |
| other information and the beliefs we have and then | | | | team. The action I decided to take base on my belief |
| we make assumptions based on that. Our | | | | was that I removed Marty from the team. |
| assumptions can come back and bite us in a number | | | | Had I challenged my assumption I would have learned |
| of ways. | | | | that Marty and his boss had a standing meeting right |
| First our assumptions are based on our personal view | | | | before our team meeting and the boss often ran late. |
| of the world. The problem here is that we only have a | | | | Marty could not leave that meeting until his boss was |
| limited view of the world. We don't know everything | | | | done so he was often late for our meeting. It turned |
| that is out there. Each person sees the world from his | | | | out that Marty really did care about us but there were |
| individual perspective and we can never know exactly | | | | circumstance beyond his control that kept him from |
| what that is for another person. We make | | | | always being on time. Had I known that I would have |
| assumptions all of the time that other people know | | | | made different assumptions about his behavior. |
| exactly what we are thinking and we assume we | | | | That is what I mean by "challenging your assumptions." |
| know exactly what other people are thinking. This | | | | It is very useful to walk backwards from action steps |
| often leads to misunderstandings and conflict. | | | | to see where assumptions came in and what they |
| Second, it is not always easy to realize we have | | | | were based on. Very often you will find that your |
| made assumptions and to know how to challenge | | | | assumptions are faulty which leads to faulty thinking. |
| them. One good way to do this is to note when | | | | If you find this difficult I suggest you get a well-trained |
| something has not gone as we had hoped or | | | | coach to help you test your assumptions. A good |
| expected it would. We can walk backward from the | | | | coach can help you with the process of challenging |
| outcome to our actions to the beliefs we adopted | | | | your assumptions and will also help you with aligning |
| based on the assumptions we made about some | | | | assumptions with beliefs and values. Be sure to screen |
| piece of data that we observed. Here is a simplified | | | | your coaching candidate to find someone who is highly |
| example: I dismissed Marty from our work team | | | | credentialed and trained to help you. |
| because he was late to several meetings. Originally I | | | | |