Improving communication: The Ladder of Inference

The ladder of inference is a useful tool to help check assumptions made by ourselves and others. This powerful frame helps you to improve your communication by making your thinking and reasoning more visible to others, as well as inquiring into others’ thought process and motivations.

We all have beliefs and biases that are based on ‘mental models’ which is how we see the world. Mental models are built throughout our lives and are influenced by our upbringing, experience and relationships with others. Our mental models pre-dispose us to making assumptions based on our beliefs.

Making assumptions and judgements can be disruptive and cause tension between individuals or within teams. The ladder of inference demonstrates how we make these assumptions and judgements and how this influences our behaviours. Through being aware of this process we can consciously check our thoughts and actions, and therefore contribute to an enhanced communication skillset and a more harmonious team.

Our beliefs affect what data we select next time in a similar situation. In time this can perpetuate our mental models of how we see the world – this process is shown in the image as The Reflective Loop.

How to climb down the ladder?

It is important to question your potentially biased assumptions to make sure you are not jumping to any conclusions and acting fairly and appropriately. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to help you ‘climb down the ladder’, which encourage you to assess the conversation or situation more accurately.

• What was the observable data?
• Do we agree on the data?
• What assumptions did I make?
• What conclusions did I draw?
• How did those conclusions influence my beliefs and actions?

Check your assumptions

These useful tips help you check any assumptions you may make:

• Make your thinking process visible to others, explain your assumptions, interpretations, and conclusions
• Invite others to test your assumptions and conclusions
• Use respectful inquiry to help others make their thought processes visible
• Use open and non-judgmental questions, rather than questions that exhibit a bias
• Explore impasses

Language that helps

Here are some tips and language that may help clarify a situation in a calm and fair way:

• Soften your tone, slow your pace, lower your voice
• Allow a pause- it might break the deadlock
• “Help me understand…”
• “Can you help me understand your perspective better?”
• “The story I’m telling myself is…”
• Use “yes and”, not “yes but”
• “Can I get your advice on…”

Some further responses you can use

You can test your assumptions:

• “Are there any issues with meeting me?”
• Your colleague might be surprised and start to explain

Or you can simply test the observable data

• “I noticed you were late to our last few meetings”
• To which they might reply: “Yes, I’m sorry my Mum is sick and I’m drowning with work at the moment.”

An example of the Ladder of Inference

The ladder of inference is a really helpful tool for improving communication with those around you – particularly at a time while tensions may be high or situations may be strained due to COVID-19. We hope this helps improve your communication skills and enhances your team dynamics.

**Adapted from: The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge, 1994