Improving understanding

Improving Understanding

Between Each OtherPaul Boos

IT Executive Coach

Why is itimportanttounderstandeachother?

Exercise TimeGame

Instructions• Separate into 3 or 4 teams• Elect a leader• Leader gets a goal & shares

w/team (visual sharing only)• 1st team to arrange all chairs

to meet their goal w/in 2 min wins!

NO TALKING!Accredited

to Chris Sims

Debrief

What is going on in our heads?

• Things aren’t always as simple as exposing them…

• Let’s look at how our mental models can shape how we think…

Exercise• I’m going to present an image of people in rush hour

in NYC; I’ll have an arrow pointing to one person.• I want you to write down the following:

• Is this morning or afternoon rush? What gave you the clue?• What type of work do you think that person does & why

you thought that?• What do you think that person is thinking?• If you were given $1000 to help that person in some way

other than giving it directly to them, how would you go about doing it? Why did you select this choice?

Exercise (Again)• I’m going to again present the same image of

people in rush hour in NYC; I’ll have an arrow pointing to a different person.

• I want you to write down the following:• What type of work do you think that person does & why

you thought that?• What do you think that person is thinking?• If you were given $1000 to help that person in some way

other than giving it directly to them, how would you go about doing it? Why did you select this choice?

Next Step• For both your responses, categorize what your

answers were into the following:

What was factual?(What could I actually see…)

What did I infer?(What did I believe may be occurring…)

Why did I think that?(Any prior event that to led my thinking…)

Ladder of Inference

Event

How To Find Common Ground When Engineers Don’t Like Features – Teresa Torres, Jan 2013Ladder of Inference credited to Chris Argyris by Peter Senge in the Fifth Disipline

The Event Of Conversation

The Event Of Conversation

The Event Of Conversation

The Event Of Conversation

How do we

ourbeliefs

from getting

prevent

in the way?

a shared visionCo-create

ExerciseAt your table,

• Make a list of the types of visions that can be created

• Add who typically creates these

• Add the answer to this question: “In what ways can these become co-created?”

DebriefTake a look at how your visions become co-created…

• What happens during this process of co-creation?

• Where does the original idea for the vision come from..? What role does a person that originates an idea take on during co-creation?

• Did anyone have teaming agreements as a form of vision?

The Johari WindowKnown to Self Unknown to Self

Know

n to

Oth

ers

Unk

now

n to

Oth

ers

TELL

ASK

FEEDBACK

DISCLOSURESHARED

DISCOVERY

OPEN AREA

BLINDAREA

HIDDENAREA

UNKNOWNAREA

Ask forandprovide

feedback

assumptionsVoluntarily make

explicit

ExerciseAt your table,

• List ways you make assumptions explicit

• Think about the last few exercises to help you, specifically co-creating visions and the mental model exercise of people in the subway

Debrief• What happens normally when we have competing

ideas?

• Do assumptions usually get discussed?

• What changes when we begin discussing assumptions?

Thanks - Keep in Touch

Paul BoosIT Executive Coach703-307-4322paul.boos@excella.com

@paul_boos