How Our Thinking Impacts Our Results

1. How Our Thinking Impacts Our Results Cynthia Way Master Certified Coach President, Way To Go! Inc. www.waytogoconsulting.com 301-779-1764

2. Poll • How many people think I did something criminal? • How many people think I went to prison as a result of my work at the CIA? • How many people are questioning my credibility?

3. Purpose • To help you understand the link between thinking and results • So that • You avoid disconnects and unintended results • You improve communications

4. Ladder of Inference Take Action Adopt Beliefs Draw Conclusions Add Meaning Filter Available Data Adapted from Chris Argyris

5. Discuss at Your Table • Think of a colleague you respect and admire. Suppose they are 10 minutes late to a meeting. What are 5 conclusions you might make about why they were late? • Think of a colleague you don’t like, that you regard as a poor performer. Suppose they are 10 minutes late to a meeting. What are 5 conclusions you might make about why they were late?

7. Ladder of Inference Take Action Adopt Beliefs Draw Conclusions Add Meaning Filter Available Data Adapted from Chris Argyris

8. B-A-R Cycle

9. Table Exercise • What Belief-Action-Result cycle is occurring for you that may be a barrier to success or change, or making a bad situation worse? • Write belief as if it were fact. • Chart it out in a B-A-R cycle. • Share at your table.

10. Poll • How many people recognized they had an unhelpful B-A-R cycle at play?

11. How the Ladder Gets You In Trouble • Belief ≠ Fact • Conclusions ≠ Truth • Red Flags • Always, Never, Every, You… • I’m right, you’re wrong mindset

12. What’s the Way Out? • Willingness to Temporarily Suspend Judgment • Attitude of Curiosity • Seek First to Understand Before Being Understood (Stephen Covey) • Ask yourself: “Why would a reasonable, rational person do/say that?” • Walk Up/Down the Ladder

13. Walking Up/Down Ladder • For others: unattached curious inquiry • Can you help me understand your thinking? • What led you to that conclusion? • When you said X (their words), did you mean (your interpretation)? • For yourself: skillful advocacy • Here’s my view, and here’s how I got there. • I think X is going to happen and here are the data points I’m basing that conclusion on. • Let me explain where I’m coming from on this. Adapted from Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook

14. Table Exercise • Consider a time when you climbed the wrong ladder • What could you have done differently? • What can you do to change your Belief-Action-Result cycle?

15. Intended Outcomes • Learn about the Ladder of Inference model • Learn about the Belief-Action-Results cycle • Learn how to use this information for better communication and more positive results

16. In Conclusion… • Jot down 3 key takeaways • Identify the next opportunity you will have to practice

17. Resources BOOKS: Covey, S. R. (1989), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Simon and Schuster). Patterson, et al. 2002), Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High (New York, McGraw-Hill). Rock, D. and J. Schwartz,(2006), “The Neuroscience of Leadership,”Strategy + Business, Reprint 06207. Senge, P. M., et al. (1994). The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York: Doubleday/Currency). WEBSITES: http://stiatemenos.com/ Systems Thinking In Action Conference & resources http://www.solonline.org Society for Organizational Learning www.waytogoconsulting.com Way To Go! inc. coaching and consulting