Do you regularly check your assumptions?
Whether you know it or not, most of our behavior is driven
by our assumptions. This is obvious in our personal life, but also in our
business we are (heavily) influenced by assumptions. The collective set of assumptions could be
called the culture of an organization, or ‘the way we do things around here’.
Let me give you some examples, which exists in business:
-
The use of social networks is a waste of time.
-
The website is the core of our business (as
opposed to a mobile first strategy).
-
If employees are not at their desks, I assume
that they are not working.
-
Going to conferences/ seminars is a waste of
time and money.
-
The marketing department looks like they are
always dreaming.
-
IT projects are always too late and too
expensive.
I can continue and make this list pages long. But that is
not the intention. What is crucial is that we understand that our behavior is
continuously being influenced by our assumptions. While some assumptions might
be helpful and true, others might very well limit you and fool you!
It is therefor suggested to – regularly – check myself/ourselves
and our assumptions. This can be done by self-observation and also by group-observation
in meetings. The results of these observations can show us whether these
assumptions are helpful or rather limiting the business.
Are you monthly checking your assumptions?
Enthusiasm drives Excellence!