a pmfo series - eclkc · mental models & their influence on your work as a leader . teenager...
TRANSCRIPT
A PMFO Series
Ellen B. Kagen, M.S.W. Director
Georgetown University Leadership Academy
Why Did I Do That?
Mental Models & Their Influence on
Your Work as a Leader
Teenager
Mental Models are the combination of your:
•Beliefs
•Habits of thought
•Ancestral voices
•Assumptions
•Perceptions
Your Culture Shapes Your Mental Models
Conscious Awareness
dress age
race/ethnicity language
food music gender art
“Out-of
Awareness”
eye behavior sense of “self”
notions of modesty authority figures & roles
patterns of handling emotions concept of justice
group decision-making patterns levels of acculturation
patterns of superior/subordinate roles sense of power
theory of disease concept of cleanliness risk interpretation
body language problem-solving approaches religion & spirituality
attitude toward the dependent sense of competition/cooperation
social interaction rate patterns of visual perception
facial expressions definitions of religious
roles in relation to status by gender, age, sex, class
Mental Models are the combination of your
•Beliefs
•Habits of thought
•Ancestral voices
•Assumptions
•Perceptions
Mental Models are the combination of your:
•Beliefs
•Habits of thought
•Ancestral voices
•Assumptions
•Perceptions
Conscious Or
Unconscious
MICROMANAGER!!
Ladder of Inference
Observe Data or
have an Experience
Select Data
Add Meaning
Make Assumptions (based on added
meaning)
Draw
Conclusions
Adopt Beliefs
Take Actions (based on beliefs)
Observe Data or
have an Experience
Staff morale seems low, employees
complain about low pay and ask for raises
Select Data Their requests stand out in your mind
Add Meaning Pay is the biggest issue
Make Assumptions (based on added
meaning)
Everyone wants a raise
Draw
Conclusions Any additional resources should go toward
pay increases
Adopt Beliefs People are primarily motivated by money
Take Actions (based on beliefs)
If you can’t increase pay you don’t consider
alternative motivators
Assessments
•Cannot be shown to be true or
false
•This room is cold! •Hiring additional staff would
not be worth the added cost
Assertions
•Can be shown to be true or
false •This room is 67 degrees
•Hiring one more full-time
employee would make our personnel costs exceed our budget by $35,000
“If we believe something to be true that is not tested or not true, we often act as if it is true.”
-Professor Daniel Kies
Kies, D. (1995). Underlying Assumptions.
Your mental models might be based on:
Grounded and warranted
assessments
Ungrounded and unwarranted assessments
Advocacy
•Stating your point of view •Expressing your opinion •Urging the action you think is best
Inquiry
•Asking questions •Clarifying information •Being curious
Discussion vs Dialogue Meeting Agenda
Report on Topic #1
Report on Topic #2
Report on Topic #3
Report on Topic #4
Report on Topic #5
Developed by Ellen B. Kagen, M.S.W. Georgetown University
References:
Isaacs, W. (1999). Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together. New York, NY: Currency/Doubleday.
Kies, D. (1995). Underlying Assumptions. http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/comp2/assume.htm
Pink, D.H. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us New York, NY: Riverhead Books
Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency.
Wheatley, M.J. (2006) Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Zull, J. E. (2002) The Art of Changing the Brain. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
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A PMFO Series
This product was prepared under Grant #90HC0006 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, by the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations