possibility…

Whether we are initiating change or responding to it, how we feel, think, and act will depend largely on how we navigate the “ladder of inference.” The ladder of inference is a model developed by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge and many others.  It’s a brilliant way of visualizing the ways that we can limit our understanding and our options. It also points to ways we can see and create possibilities.

The first rung of the ladder is where we are “exposed to data” as Stober and Grant so succinctly put it in their Evidence Based Coaching Handbook. We receive sensory input. On the second rung of the ladder, we pick and choose certain pieces of data as more important or worthy of attention. For most of us, this activity typically takes place without much awareness that we may be ignoring potentially important data. As with all ladders, on the second rung we feel quite secure, perhaps naively so.

The third rung on the ladder of inference is when we make assumptions about the data we’ve decided is key. In my experience, this is where things can really get shakey. Then it gets even worse on the fourth rung when we form conclusions based on our assumptions.

On the fifth rung, we take action based on our conclusions based on our assumptions based on selected data based on our sensory input!

Revisiting the junctures: data selected, areas for attention, assumptions, and conclusions, we might well discover an alternate interpretation, route, or possibility. By making different choices in where to direct our focus, the assumptions we make, or our conclusions and actions, we could end up with very different opportunities and outcomes. How different our stories might be if we remembered to be careful–or at least more conscious–on the ladder.