Power in the Pause: The Ladder of Inference Tool

"When we feel safe in the presence of another, our breath comes easily, our heartbeat is regulated, we don’t sweat nervously, our thinking is clear, and we feel open, expansive, and in sync." 

- Zaretta Hammond, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain 

Our KJCG team loves supporting leaders at all levels - with or without an official “leadership” title. We love coaching brand new teams, teams that have worked together for a while, and teams that are experiencing transition. No matter what type of team we are supporting, we often step back for all participants to ground in our common humanity. We reflect on big picture concepts like: how our brains and bodies are connected, what are some needs that we all have, and how we might react to stress when we feel those needs are in jeopardy. 

For instance, we know that we all need to feel physically and relationally safe to function at our best. When we feel one of those needs is threatened, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, our stress response signal is activated in our bodies, and we have a difficult time thinking straight until we process this stress or feel safe from the threat. We’ve done a lot of reading and research on this; thanks to Dr. Bruce Perry, Zaretta Hammond, and others for great insights here! 

Since we all have this deep need for relational safety - in other words, for connection - at KJCG we help support leaders and teams with their team chemistry, connection, and navigating conflict. One tool that we love to use is the Ladder of Inference. The Ladder of Inference provides a frame for understanding how we process events, and it can often help us step back and recognize why something at work ignited our stress response system. Without taking time to pause and examine what's happening, our stress response can cause us to jump to unfounded conclusions, often compounding stressors and damaging our work relationships.

Let’s look at the ladder. On the first rung are Reality and Facts, followed by Selected Reality. It’s not possible for us to process all of the sensory information around us at once, so we select what to pay attention to, based on the limitations of our senses and the unique perspective of our own lived experience. Our perspective also causes us to Interpret that reality in a certain way. Next, we make Assumptions, draw Conclusions, and create or adjust our Beliefs based on our Selected and Interpreted Reality. We then Act on those beliefs, conclusions, assumptions, and so on. This is a natural process that all humans go through to protect ourselves and survive. But it’s a process we want to be aware of to better understand how we and others react to events based on incorrect assumptions, and what we can do about it.

The Ladder of Inference - adapted from Argyris, C., 'Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning,' 1st Edition, © 1990.

We would all be better served by becoming more aware of when we “jump up the Ladder of Inference.” We get into trouble when we act on our assumptions without pausing to reflect on how we are jumping to conclusions. When we act too quickly based on our Selected Reality and Assumptions, we cause ourselves additional stress, can add stress to our teammates’ lives, and can make a tense situation even worse.  Thus, there is power in the pause. When we pause and take time to reflect, we can avoid some stress on ourselves and teammates. 

Let’s think through an example. During the height of the pandemic I adopted a pupper. As a cattle dog, her natural instinct is to herd and to protect me, and she is not used to people coming into the house often. One day a man pulled up to the driveway in a brown box truck, wearing a brown hat with a matching brown short-sleeved collared shirt and shorts. He grabbed a box out of the back of the truck and walked down the driveway towards the door. I became excited, while my dog activated her protector mode and ran towards the door barking. 

Why did we react to this situation differently? Let’s consult the ladder of inference. We observed the same Reality and Facts, but our Interpreted Reality was dramatically different, and based on our interpretations, we made different Assumptions, Conclusions, had different Beliefs about what was going on, and as a result - Acted differently. I assumed that the UPS driver was delivering a package that I ordered, while my dog assumed she needed to protect me from a potential threat. Of course my dog is not a human, but this example is a fun way to think about how to use the ladder of inference as a reflection tool. 

To use a work example, let’s say my boss emails me and just says, “Meet me at 4:00 in my office.” Depending on my previous work experience with this boss and other managers, I might get super worried. My Interpreted Reality might cause me to assume that I’m “in trouble” for something I did, and I need to prepare a response so I’m not caught off guard in the meeting. This might take up a ton of mental energy, take my focus away from current priorities, and cause me a lot of stress as I try to figure out what I did wrong and what to do about it. If I jump to the conclusion that my boss wants to reprimand me for not finishing a project yet (though it is due in 2 weeks), I might start out the meeting by saying, “I know why you called me in here. I’m going to drop everything and work after hours until the project is done.” Instead, my manager might say, “Hey, no worries, that’s not why I asked you to meet me. We know you did a great job on your last project. There’s an opportunity for you to present your work at a conference next month, and I wanted to give you a heads up so you can start prepping.” 

Though of course it’s natural and a survival instinct for us to interpret reality and try to guess what might be going on, we are better served when we become aware of these tendencies. The Ladder of Inference gives us a way to interrupt less helpful behaviors when we feel ourselves getting stressed out over assumptions, by taking time to reflect, and address what might be at the root of an issue. It takes practice, but there are plenty of opportunities to do that. Have you used the Ladder of Inference before, or need a coach to get started? Reach out to let us know!

Three Ways to Strengthen Team Cohesion

It’s easy to envision the “ideal team”- it’s one that communicates clearly, works well together, collaborates openly, practices often, and is committed to improvement over time. When obstacles appear, this “ideal team” seeks solutions and moves forward in the same direction. When this “ideal team” experiences a win, its members authentically celebrate one another. 

When I dig below the surface of this vision, however, I realize that it lives only in my mind. Abstractly, my brain can jump to find a perfectly functioning group achieving outcomes without thinking about how its members learn to work together. In fact, my own “team” experiences as an education professional have rarely played out so smoothly. I’ve been on teams where, in the face of challenge, many of us panicked. Or, in the presence of a win, one person took all the credit. And I’ve been on teams where we frankly didn’t get better at working together over time- teams where members left because they didn’t feel heard or valued.

When I was in high school, it seemed so easy to get my softball teammates and I aligned on our collective purpose: to win every game and bring home the state title at the end of the season. But for a team of adults in the workplace- adults with varying experiences coming in, different lengths of time in the role, different personality types, and potentially different roles within the team- getting aligned on our collective purpose is less clear than winning games. 

Building a team of adults who work well together takes time. And creating strong team chemistry is surely an art, not a science. There is not one magical way to make it happen in a single moment, but there are ways to invest in team chemistry continually over time. Here are three ways to strengthen your team’s chemistry:

1. Establish trust through vulnerability and authenticity - Normalize celebrating big and small wins, sharing struggles, and supporting each other through the inevitable ups and downs that we all experience. As the leader, be “appropriately vulnerable,” to paraphrase Brené Brown. Share questions you’re pondering, potential solutions brewing, and things that feel hard. A window into each other’s thinking followed by space for even brief conversation after builds authentic community and culture.

2. Strengthen communication - On your team, avoid assigning blame, and instead focus on co-creating solutions. Invite team input and model genuine listening.  “What are some glows and grows from this experience?” “What do we need to adjust for the future?” Help the group keep the solutions they generated in mind as the work moves forward, fostering a growth mindset.

3. Support your people - Be clear that when each staff member is successful, the team as a whole is successful. Find out what each team member needs to execute their role, and share what your support can look like to get them there and name how others on the team are also positioned to assist.  

Remember that many adults in the workplace today have learned to survive as individual contributors. A commitment to building a team mentality will take time. A strong leader will recognize unique individuals and connect their strengths to the collective power of the group.

Want to learn more? KJ Consulting facilitates team building workshops and 1:1 coaching sessions using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and DISC tools as a powerful lens. Contact us at katie@kjconsultinggroup.come to book!

From the Classroom to the Boardroom: 4 Ways to Check for Understanding

How often have you been in a meeting when, after a quick icebreaker (if there was “time for one), the presenter ran through a deck of new information and sent the team on its way without pausing for anyone to take a breath? I have left meetings like this feeling overwhelmed and often unclear of my own next steps, much less how to communicate the information to the rest of my team. 

In our fast-paced workplaces, we must all tune in to take in new information, and many of us are responsible for quickly turning around that information to share with teammates. However, so often the focus is on getting the next thing done, rather than ensuring that all team members understand the new information and expectations on how to implement it. To make a shift, let’s turn to education. 

In the classroom, most teachers build in “checks for understanding” throughout their lessons to collect quick data snapshots around which students comprehend the key takeaways, who is struggling, and why. These moments ensure that learning is taking place and support the teacher in making decisions about what to do next instructionally (e.g. which concepts do they need to reteach and to whom, how can they present the information in a different way to support learners, and which students are ready for more of a challenge). We can all learn from this practice. Whether we are teaching young people or facilitating a meeting for adults, checking for understanding can be done quickly and will lead to more impactful outcomes, while guiding our work for the future.

Here are a few ways to check for understanding, regardless of your audience:

1. Fist to Five. Ask the group how they feel about new information by a show of hands. 

   • Holding up 0 (fist) or 1 finger = not super confident. 

   • Holding up all 5 fingers = I’ve got this! 

   • Skim the room to see if most people are in the 3-5 range. If not, pause for clarifying questions.

2. Thumbs up/ side/ down. Similar to “Fist to Five.” 

   • Ask the group how they feel about new information by giving a thumbs up / thumb to the side / or thumbs down. 

   • Scan the group to see where people are and follow up as needed.

3. Mentimeter. When you want to integrate technology, use a free, easy tool like this!

   • Mentimeter is one way to nab feedback and create a safe space for team members to ask questions anonymously.

   • As a presenter, you can prepopulate questions before the meeting and share a code with participants at various points to check for understanding. 

   • Participants can use Mentimeter on any device for virtual, hybrid, or in-person meetings.

   • As the results come in, you can share and respond to feedback in real-time.

4. Ask open ended questions. 

   • Instead of asking the group “Do you have any questions” at a pause point, ask instead: “What questions do you have?” Framing matters!

If the end goal is retaining information, we can’t blindly assume it will just happen. Embedding a check for understanding moment into an upcoming meeting agenda or presentation will build stronger team chemistry, clarify outcomes, and give you valuable information as the leader. The cost is low (less than a minute for most named above) and the gains are high. Try it out, and let us know your favorite CFUs!

4 Tips for Purposeful Team Retreats

Four tips for a top notch #teamretreat that builds collective purpose, impact, and - most importantly - JOY!

1. Co-plan with a group! A team is by definition more than 1 person, so more than 1 voice should be heard to create the retreat agenda.

• Keep the planning committee small enough to move the work forward (think 3-5 humans) but large enough to incorporate different perspectives. 

• Include representation from different identities in your organization (gender/ race/ ethnicity/ age, etc) as well as different levels of staff.  Remember that entry level staff have as much to add as experienced leaders! 

• INSIDER TIP: Have your planning committee evaluate a draft retreat agenda for a balance of strategy work AND culture building. Does one strongly outweigh the other? How can you adjust? A strong team needs to spend time on both! 

2. Intentionally infuse joy. A retreat should purposefully give team members time to pause as well as built-in mind/ body breaks throughout, not just at the start and end of the session.

• Moments of joy will also help team members calm their amygdalas, the part of the brain that controls emotional responses. When the amygdala is at ease, we’re better able to think deeply. 

• To kick off a retreat, check out our favorite icebreakers here. 

• For a mid-retreat pause, consider adding to a Shout-Out Wall where each team member has an envelope, and they can write short affirmations to each other. 

•  To close a retreat, have the team collectively identify wins (both large and small) that they’ve experienced together. 

• INSIDER TIP: We hear a lot that these moments are often skipped because there “isn’t enough time.” If this is the case for you, pausing for ONE MINUTE to ask your team to focus on their breathing and connect with how they are feeling in the space is worthwhile.

3. Use a common language or framework to get to know each other and build relationships over time. One of our favorite ways to build relationships is through the Myers Briggs (MBTI) tool. 

• The MBTI system provides insights about people’s working styles, energizers, stressors, and communication preferences. The MBTI is helpful on an individual level AND when considering how different people on a team interact, approach a project, and keys to navigating conflicts. 

• Read more about using MBTI to co-create psychologically safe spaces, the #1 predictor of team success according to Google’s Project Aristotle study. In a retreat setting, you can apply MBTI preferences as you dig into strategies and systems. 

• Allow for all voices to be heard by incorporating individual processing time before sharing out or use a tool like Padlet or Google Docs to capture team members’ thoughts throughout the session.

• INSIDER TIP: If your retreat is focused on longer term visioning and planning, the Back to the Future protocol is a good framework to use! 

4. Close strong. We’re big fans of properly closing ALL meetings, but a retreat closing takes on particular importance, as team members will likely be carrying bigger things to implement in their future work.

• Build into your agenda time to think, “Now what?”

• Remind the team in closing that the team is comprised of both culture (a deeper understanding of each other + human relationships) AND the strategies and systems for the work itself. 

• Post-retreat: Team members can help hold each other accountable for maintaining the systems and vibe established during an impactful retreat. As a team lead, you can be the one to follow-up on an ongoing basis.

Back to the Future: Plan with the End in Mind

"People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren't getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might."

- Dr. Stephen Covey

If you immediately pictured time traveling Marty McFly and eccentric scientist Doc Brown when you read the title of this article, I have two things to tell you. First, you have great taste in movies! Second (besides sharing a name with one of the most iconic films of our generation), Back to the Future is also a detailed planning method that can help you flesh out plans to reach your goals.

The Back to the Future protocol is one of my favorite ways to envision a future that is out of the box, beyond concrete goals that you may already have in place. It is also an effective way to drill down from distant dreams into specific steps to propel you towards your destination, as a team or individual. 

Much like in the backwards planning process that is widely used in the education space, the first step of Back to the Future is to begin with the end in mind. A key component of this stage is to hop into your imaginary time machine and set the date to a given point in time (for example, one year from now), just like Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Speak in the present tense, as if you are living in that reality one year from now, and consider what is true for you and your team. Push for clarity, describing both quantitative and qualitative aspects of your work with specificity. For instance, if you want to increase brand awareness in your industry, you might say “We share our successes (list specific topics) at three conferences per year, including at the (list the conferences).”  To include progress towards quantitative goals, you can say “We exceed our goals of (list specific goals).” 

Throughout this process, consider how you work together, as team dynamics can make or break an organization, particularly when challenges inevitably arise. To do this, you might say, "Our team has high trust in both internal and external relationships. We value and create a safe space for the expression of each person’s identity, and we strive to seek out and incorporate a variety of perspectives in our decision making. We acknowledge and seek to understand the varied working and communication styles of ourselves and our colleagues. This looks like (list what that looks and feels like internally and externally).” Supporting teams to build trust and improve communication is one of my passions, and using Back to the Future framework is one way I help organizations think through how they honor the perspectives and strengths of their people and teams. 

When your team is satisfied with the description, track down your time machine and head back to “one year ago” (which is actually the present reality). Open the doors, look around, and describe what it was like “one year ago,” in the past tense. You might say, “We shared our successes at one conference, the (list the conference). We were struggling to meet our goal of (list the goal). Regarding team dynamics, we had started to get to know each other, but needed more work to collaborate effectively and to honor individual working styles, identities, and voices. This looked like (describe what that looked and felt like).” 

These conversations could bring some discomfort, so it is important to acknowledge that with the group and take care of your team during this description of “the past.” Some tips are: collaborate with a skilled facilitator who can keep an eye on how the group is doing, re-grounding staff in the reason for this discussion - so we can work together towards our shared vision of the future, asking people to be honest but kind when describing the past, and giving staff ownership to do what they need to take care of themselves (ask for clarity and/or step out for a break when needed, for instance). 

After you have described “the future” and “past” states, think back to your highlight reel. Reviewing the successful moments that moved you from the past to the present reality will reveal the links between the two points in time. Drill down into the concrete actions you “took” to get from your reality one year ago to your current, improved state. These specific steps form the foundation of your plan to move into the future reality that you envision, and allow you to track progress and reflect on goals throughout the year. As with anything, you have the freedom to adapt this protocol to your needs - planning for longer or shorter time periods, brainstorming on chart paper or post-its first, or starting directly in a planning tool like Google Sheets or Asana. 

The Back to the Future method is an effective tool for leaders and teams to map out their paths to success. In fact, I use it each year to jumpstart my own annual planning. If you want to collaborate with a skilled coach to implement this model, I would love to connect with you. My team has over 15 years of experience supporting leaders and organizations as they collaborate, execute, and reflect on shared plans for success. Let’s crank up that time machine and get on the road! 

Your Teammate, 

Katie