Unchallenged Assumptions

I would like to respond to emails I received after a presentation I gave at a recent business conference. The emails referred to my comments and concern about the cultural transmission of assumptions in organisations.

My concerns emanate from a philosophical position. I believe that knowledge is tentative because it is socially constructed within and between communities of interest within organisations. Knowledge shapes our reality. Reality is similarly constructed - through the sharing of social discourse and interaction. Therefore it is logical for me to propose that shared meanings are at the core of any evolving business culture.

Lack of communication and clarity can exist in organisations and this results in people thinking and behaving according to their assumptions about the shared meanings within their business. Assumptions exist even if we are not consciously aware of them. They exist at multiple levels within organisations and over time they can become unchallenged and taken-for-granted.

How often do you check the assumptions that exist in your business? As I highlighted in my presentation, unchallenged assumptions can create a reality that is counterintuitive to the desired culture and climate of your business. If unchecked they can be responsible for creating barriers to high performance. Taken-for-granted assumptions can also create a fertile ground for the corrosive development of low morale.

I have just finished reading My Life by Nelson Mandela.  

It has really surprised me… as I wasn’t aware that he knew anything at all about my life!

See what I mean about assumptions?