The Ladder of Inference

In discussion today with a team leader struggling to resolve his team's lack of trust, cohesion and inability to put "truths" on the table. It reminded me of the important writing Chris Argyris did on "defensive routines" and the importance of his Ladder of Inference.

The Ladder of Inference serves as an important tool for understanding how we think and interpret the world (and how relevant these are for a team in conflict).

At its most basic, the ladder describes how human minds operate -- beginning with our observations of experience -- the data of our experiences. He suggests that (often at the unconscious level) we select the data that we want most to attend to and then make meaning out of this based on our cultural and personal norms. This then leads us to make assumptions and draw conclusions which shape our reality (which in turn, shapes our conclusions) and by this means, we build our beliefs about the world and take actions as a result.

On a team, one can see how easily this process can create discord. The simple act (again, often unconscious) of different selective attention to the "data" of a workplace occurence can lead to a chain of distinct meaning, assumptions, conclusions, beliefs and actions for each team member. If the team members' communication and rules of engagement are not clear or productive, they might never have the chance or willingness to expose the "process" of their thinking -- the underlying data selection, assumptions, conclusions and beliefs -- that drive their actions. Without this transparency, the team remains stuck and ineffective.

Today I found a great book which helps describe how to navigate through these challenges using these tools -- Discussing the Undiscussable: A Guide to Overcoming Defensive Routines in the Workplace by William Noonin: http://www.amazon.com/Discussing-Undiscussable-Overcoming-Jossey-Bass-Management/dp/0787986321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293481443&sr=8-1-spell

A good resource for us all.