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