How to Test Your Assumptions When Navigating Misunderstandings

Have you ever found yourself making assumptions about a colleague’s intentions based on a brief interaction, a meeting, or an email? When information is limited, it is easy to fill in the gaps. Before long, those assumptions can shape how we interpret the situation and decide what to do next.

 

Making quick judgments is a normal human response. However, when we assume someone’s intent without checking our understanding, we may act on conclusions that are incomplete or inaccurate. This pattern is sometimes called “climbing the ladder of inference.”

 

The good news is that we can learn to recognize when this is happening. By pausing, separating what we observed from what we concluded, and testing our assumptions, we can develop a clearer understanding of the situation and choose a more constructive response.

 

This short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJLqOclPqisexplains shows how we climb the ladder of inference and offers practical ways to step back down before responding.

 

If you are a Pacific University faculty or staff member and would like help thinking through a misunderstanding, preparing for a difficult conversation, or exploring your options, Pacific University Ombuds Birthe Reimers and Derrick Johnson offer independent, impartial, informal, and confidential support.

 

Learn more or request a confidential conversation with Derrick or Birthe. https://www.mwi.org/pacific-ombuds