Foundations of Team Leadership Ladder of Inference CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS ??FILTERS?? FACTS/ DATA ACTIONS

Ladder of Inference CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS ??FILTERS?? FACTS/ DATA ACTIONS The Ladder is a metaphor for how our mental models influence perception, judgment, and action “Climbing the ladder,” from data to conclusion, is an automatic, unconscious process

How We Usually Climb The Ladder… Unaware of Some of Our Mental Processes We are so skilled that we jump to the top rungs of the ladder without knowing it... We tacitly filter some data and ignore other data We impose our own interpretations on these data We draw conclusions from interpreted data CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS??? Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

How We Usually Climb The Ladder… Filters Assumptions are colored by filters: Automatic Inferred to be true Personal filters come from one’s background, experiences, & beliefs (Culture-family-faith…) These often come from Mental Models These filters are mostly unconscious

Implications of the Ladder Blind about Ourselves We don’t realize that we are making interpretations because we do not think about our thinking -... Our conclusions feel SO obvious to us We see no need to retrace the steps we took Or explain how we reached our conclusions Even if others reach different conclusions Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

Steps in the Ladder of Inference Assumptions Conclusion Data Action Johari Example Johari XX Statement in the Johari I listened with my filters … I made an Assumption I decided which statement was true I raised my hand accordingly Filtered Meaning

Climbing Our Inference Ladder CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS???

Implications of the Ladder From the Top of the Ladder When people disagree, they often hurl conclusions at each other from the top of their respective ladders This makes it hard to resolve differences and to learn from one another Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

Climbing the Inference Ladder DATA CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS???

Implications of the Ladder Blind about Ourselves & Others We see the different conclusions of others as obviously wrong And INVENT REASONS to explain why others say things that are so obviously WRONG Even if others reach different conclusions We do not often think to explain how we reached our own conclusions, because our conclusions seem so obvious to us Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

Bushfire Example of Inferences CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS?? Scenario #1 Action-Leave Conclusion- Safe to drive away in car Assumption-Car can outpace fire Data Selected- CAR Scenario #2 Action-Stay Conclusion- Unsafe to drive away Assumption-Fire moves faster than car Data Selected- CAR

SO WHAT? Self Awareness As a Tool of Reflection Can be used to slow down thinking Make more obvious one’s assumptions CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS ??FILTERS?? FACTS/ DATA ACTIONS

Lessons from the Ladder Effective Conversations Are Enabled by Moving Up & Down Our Ladders If we are willing/able to climb down one’s ladder And make an effort to review data together And to share with each other our reasoning and assumptions CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS ??FILTERS?? FACTS/ DATA ACTIONS

Able to Come Down Our Inference Ladder CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ??FILTERS??

Using the Ladder Positively ONESELF Pay attention to how your conclusions are based on your inferences Explain to others the steps in your thinking, from the data you select and the meanings you paraphrase, to the conclusions you reach Ask others if they have other ways of interpreting the data or if they see gaps in your reasoning Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

Using the Ladder Positively OTHERS Assume that others may reach different conclusions because they have their own ladder of inference with logic that makes sense to them Paraphrase (aloud) the meanings you hear in what others say Ask others to explain the steps in their thinking Source: Action Design/ Pegasus

Analyzing Our Inference Ladders Foundations of Team Leadership Open FTL Analyzing Our Inference Ladders Exercise Format Review the details of the Ladder of Inference steps Re-create on the exercise sheet’s ladder the steps you inferred in one of the Johari mystery card “read-out” What assumptions did you make? How did these lead you to the conclusions you made?

Inference Ladder & Mental Models DATA CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS???

Inference Ladder Exercise Open FTL Foundations of Team Leadership Inference Ladder Exercise DATA CONCLUSIONS ASSUMPTIONS FACTS/ DATA ACTION ???FILTERS???