Let’s talk about assumptions.
That’s actually kind of a funny opening line, because when I’m working with people on developing strategies or even just moving through a meeting, no one wants to talk about assumptions. Everyone wants to pretend they aren’t making any assumptions.
“I’m starting from scratch with my thinking about this issue.”
“Nothing I’ve learned or thought before will influence how I view this problem.”
Of course, no one actually says those things. We all know we make assumptions all the time. (We couldn’t function if we didn’t.) And yet when I ask people to list or say their assumptions, everyone shuts up.
Our reality is this: we come to nothing—no issue, no project, no problem to solve—without a distinctive point of view. That’s all assumptions are, really, a point of view.
The problem is that the assumptions that we’re making always have a significant impact on the information we’re looking for, the information we’re willing to consider, and the decisions we will ultimately make.
Our assumptions have this kind of impact because they are subconscious or unconscious influences on our thought processes.
Think of assumptions like software that runs in the background on your computer. You’re generally not aware of the operating system of your machine when you’re using it. When you do notice, it’s typically because something has surfaced and interrupted your work. It’s time to install updates when you’re trying to file a report, for example.
Assumptions work the same way for us. They’re constantly running underneath the surface, and generally they work pretty well. But when something goes wrong, we have to surface the assumption to figure out what impact it has on our thinking or our decision-making before we can get things to run smoothly again.
There’s a way to short-circuit that loop and make sure that the assumptions don’t cause problems later. That is simply to move them from the background to the surface. You need to move those assumptions from the unconscious or subconscious parts of your brain to the parts of the brain that are working through the project or issue or problem.
So list every single assumption that you’re making. (It can’t actually be done, but it’s good to try. Even after you think you’re done, keep going.) Just make a list.
“We’re assuming that cost projections are difficult.”
“We’re assuming that this political candidate is going to influence the laws that impact how we operate.”
“We assume that our clients love working with us.”
“We assume everyone hates paying taxes.”
Remember that you’re not trying to justify or explain or confirm any of the assumptions that you’re making. You’re just listing them. Even an incorrect assumption has much less power to derail your efforts once it’s been surfaced. Once the unconscious assumptions have been surfaced and voiced (either out loud or in writing), you know to watch for them.
Assumptions have a bad reputation in our culture. We think that assumptions are automatically incorrect or negative. It’s more fun and more effective when you remember that assumptions can be neutral or even positive, and that assumptions can be correct.
Maybe as a group we’re assuming that our sales team is one of the best in the industry, and maybe we’re right! But it’s much better to say that out loud than to leave that unsaid. If you’ve voiced the fact that your sales team is doing top-level work, it’s simpler to discuss giving bonuses to the sales team, or creating a mentorship program within your sales team. You’re not relying on everyone to connect the invisible dots.
Also keep in mind that assumptions can be contradictory. I worked with one group who was looking at their organization’s finances. They listed two different assumptions about budgeting.
1. Budgeting is difficult because our funding levels don’t always match our needs and so much is determined by where you focus your money and your efforts.
2. Budgeting is easy because it’s basic arithmetic.
Those two assumptions are exact opposites—budgeting is easy and budgeting is difficult—but the group held both of those assumptions at the same time. Acknowledging that the group viewed budgeting as both easy and difficult allowed them to have quality conversations around their budgeting process and how they wanted to move forward in the future. And they didn’t have to decide which was true or correct. Is budgeting easy or difficult? It didn’t matter, because they’d talked about it.
So the next time you’re getting ready to strategize on a new project or initiative, remember that one of the first things you should do is list out all of the assumptions you’re making. When you think you’ve got them all, set a timer for ten minutes and list more until the timer goes off. Is it fun? Not really. Will it help you form a better strategy? Guaranteed.
This blog post was written by Amie Pilla, without the assistance of AI.
Copyright Amie Pilla, 2024, All Rights Reserved
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