I have all of a sudden realised the severity of hearing someone say “I assume...” Honestly, does that not really mean “I don’t know, so I am just going to make up a fact and call it the truth...” To assume means you have weighed some options in your head, thought about how legitimate they could be and then made a call.
I hear it a lot. How often do you say it?
Lately my work has been working with assumptions which are, in fact, incorrect. The deal is we will act on what we believe. What we assume we believe. What I see is years of actions based on assumption upon assumption that has done a great deal to create scenario’s which simply did not need to happen. This can be damaging. Damaging to relationships where either parties assume. Damaging to organisations where colleagues assume. Damaging to you.
So why do we do it?
In my humble opinion it seems to be that we need information to work with. That makes sense as you can’t work with nothing. But information gathering is, at times, hard work. It may involve research. It may involve asking questions. It may involve having a conversation, all of which take time and energy.
What stops us?
Time in a fast paced environment.
Fear when you feel threatened.
Resentment when you have been hurt.
Low energy when you have been going hard.
Disengagement when you are not enjoying your work.
So what do we do?
Kill assumptions. No matter what, commit to end the game of assuming. Confront whatever it is you need to confront and hunt for information that is correct. Avoid spending time in your head with fictitious stories. If you are feeling something, verify it. Have the conversations. Commit the time. Do what you know you most need to do.
I don’t know about you but I have had many moments of relief when I have found out what is really going on. I have also felt embarrassed when I acted on an assumption and was totally off the mark.
• Right now - what are you assuming?
• Right now - who do you need to speak to or what do you need to do to find out the facts?
• What was the difference between the two?
• What will you choose to do now?
Goodbye assumptions!
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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com