How often do assumptions get in the way of our reality?
Unfortunately, the answer is a lot more than we actually believe is the case. We all know the saying about what happens when we assume. We all know that assumptions are dangerous. Yet we all still assume.
I caught myself assuming this weekend. I was driving on the freeway and preparing to merge from 3 lanes to two. I was in the lane that was vanishing, and waiting for my turn to merge with the next lane. In California, there’s an unspoken rule that drivers follow- allowing an efficient every-other-car merge.
Well, when it came to be my turn – the guy wouldn’t let me in. I had to slam on my brakes, causing havoc behind me. My first thought was, well, that’s unprintable – let’s just say I was not happy. What a jerk! But then a voice said “Why do you think that? What if he doesn’t know any better?”
I paused and checked the license plate on the car that wouldn’t let me merge – South Dakota. That made me feel pretty small. I was dead wrong – the guy wasn’t a jerk, he just didn’t know any better.
See what assumptions can do in our personal lives? Now think about how many assumptions are buried behind our business decisions. We assume a certain type of customer is our key opportunity because of our past experience with others like them. We assume a product feature is required because of a lost deal tat required it. We assume a person is capable of managing sales because they are a great sales rep.
We’ll never be rid of assumptions. It’s part of the human experience. Our learning and judgements are based on making assumptions. So how do we avoid allowing the wrong assumptions to put us on the wrong course?
The only way I know of to avoid letting assumptions drive my actions is to consciously think about my decisions, reactions and beliefs. Conscious thoughts mean examining the reality of the situation – in addition to the assumptions I bring to the table. That’s how I check my assumptions at the door – or behind the wheel as the case may be.
How about you? How do you check your assumptions to avoid that hazardous “assume?”
