LADDER OF INFERENCE

The ladder of inference is a powerful tool created by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in the book "The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization."

The ladder of inference is a framework that helps users reflect on their thinking and hidden assumptions that feed the beliefs on which they based their actions. This tool may help you become aware of the thinking process that can lead you to jump to wrong conclusions. Walking back the ladder steps helps you get back to hard reality and facts.

Argyris, C., 'Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning,' 1st Edition, 1990. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. and Sons, Inc.

How does it work?

Starting at the bottom of the ladder, we have reality and facts that are observable and objective. From there, we:

Select data based on our beliefs, prior experience, and relevance to us.
Interpret what they mean based on our unique past experiences and culture.
Make assumptions, sometimes without considering them.
Draw conclusions based on the interpreted facts and our assumptions.
Develop beliefs based on these conclusions.
Take actions that seem "right" because they are based on what we believe.

How to use it

Use the Ladder of Inference at any stage of your thinking process. Asking any of the following questions, the framework may provide useful aid:

Is this the "right" conclusion?
Why am I making these assumptions?
Why do I think this is the "right" thing to do?
Is this really based on all the facts?
What is the significance of these facts for me?
Why does she believe that?

Staying close to the bottom of the ladder helps us gain more objectivity and a broder perspective not only of our actions but also others'.

To the extent that our current perceptions are distorted,

our future perceptions will be even more distorted.