June 2024
ASSUMPTIONS
"When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." — Oscar Wilde
Prompt:
An assumption is a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. In most cases it is a shortcut that our brain takes based on the information we have or the context of the situation. When we assume correctly it expedites our journey to where we want to go. However when our assumptions are wrong, they become barriers that prevent us from communicating our message, they make it harder for us to connect with others, and it is much more difficult to overcome challenges and solve problems. This month utilize the activity to prompt a discussion about the assumptions you and your team are making, that might not be serving you and your organization. When assumptions are broken, breakthroughs occur. Can you spark a breakthrough in your company?
Activity:
We have given you four sets of tangram’s. Two are a mixed color set, and two sets are all the same color.
*Make sure that the participants do not see each other’s pieces when you present them! It may help to put them in a box or non see-through bag as not to disclose the difference.
Use the following instructions to run the activity:
Select four people to participate in the first round and put them in two pairs.
Have them each sit with a table in front of them and with their backs to each other.
Participant #1 in each pair will be the Instructor, and their job will be to tell their partner how to arrange the tangram pieces so that they can create the shape provided.
Their partner, Participant #2 is the Builder, and not allowed to talk/ask questions/etc during this exercise.
Give the Instructor the mixed color set of tangram pieces.
Give the Builder the set of pieces that are all the same color.
Give the tangram house shape card with the individual pieces outlined to the Instructor.
Give the tangram house shape card without the individual pieces outlined to the Builder.
Countdown and give the two sets of pairs a few minutes to try and replicate the shape. 2-4 minutes should be good, but if you need to cut it shorter or go longer, use your discretion.
The rest of the group can observe what is going on to see if the Instructor assumes the Builder has the same information they are working with.
Once you’ve completed it with this group, repeat the exercise with four new participants. This time they will be ready for the pieces to be different, but now you are going to change the shape they are trying to build!
Give the Instructor the tangram rocket ship card again with the pieces outlined.
This time you will not provide the Builder with any template of what they are trying to build.
Again, have the rest of the group observe to see if the instructor assumes the builder knows the shape they are trying to create and how that impacts their ability to complete the task.
*Note - this activity can be modified for additional participants by printing the tangram pieces on a sheet of paper and cutting them out.
Discussion:
After you’ve done the exercise bring everyone together for a discussion about assumptions. While these assumptions for the game might not be overly significant, the assumptions we make in our businesses can have a big impact on our ability to solve problems and reach our goals. It’s important to recognize that assumptions are the result of our unique experiences that each of us has had in our lives and therefore two people may observe the same situation and have very different assumptions.
Example:
Observation: There is a man lying in the street.
Assumption #1: That man needs help, anyone lying in the street is in need of help.
Assumption #2: That man is a bum, only bums lay in the street.
Additional Questions:
What assumptions are we making in our business? Which of them might not be true?
What assumptions are we making about each other? Where do those come from?
What can each of us do to identify the assumptions we make? And how can we verify that they are indeed true?