PART 03: THE TAO OF COMMUNICATION // TAKE IN

06 Don’t Assume — Validate

Our ideas are built from numerous pieces of information and data, as well as insights and ideas made by others. Our minds take all these ingredients and magically use them to develop new ideas. This is how creativity generally works and is even more critical when we aim to co-create. But what if some of these inputs are not real? What if some of the raw material we rely on is just a figment of our imagination? What if we take assumptions for facts?

Assumptions pose obstacles to effective communication. Our minds don’t easily distinguish between facts and assumptions. We often treat assumptions as facts, building ideas and arguments on potentially unreal, untrue, or inaccurate foundations. 

Validating (or invalidating) assumptions is essential to the analysis activity we will discuss next. When analyzing, we distinguish actual data and supported arguments from weak assumptions. But when we think about assumptions in the context of analysis, we typically think about assumptions made by others: the ones we communicate with. Before analyzing, it’s crucial to validate our own assumptions, which we often use to fill gaps without solid evidence. In this context, validating assumptions ensures we don’t create an inaccurate mental model of what we take in. 

There were countless times when I “knew” what others would say before a meeting. In almost all of these cases, I filtered what my colleagues shared through what I already thought I knew about their perspective. I used what they said to affirm what I assumed and dismissed or ignored the things that didn’t support my thesis. Generative Communication requires us to approach discussions with a blank slate, free from biases and assumptions. For most of us, this is one of the most challenging parts of communicating. 

We have already discussed one common assumption we make regarding our associates: We often assume their mission aligns with ours. When this is not the case, it is better to recognize that upfront and not assume we are heading toward the same destination. 

There are more subtle assumptions, of course, and the subtler they are, the harder it is to realize they affect what we take in. When drawing conclusions from data, we often make assumptions about certain parts of the equation. I recently saw some raw data showing how a particular group improved delivery rates. I immediately concluded that the team members had improved how they did their work. Of course, my underlying assumption was that the size of the team remained pretty much the same, and as you can guess, that wasn’t the case. Had I acknowledged the parts I filled in as assumptions before starting to analyze, it would have been easier to find the missing piece and use it to normalize the outcome. 

There are many parallels between the implicit layer and our assumptions, but while we often sense something unspoken, our assumptions are frequently in our blind spot. One way to bring our assumptions to light and explicitly validate them is by capturing what we understand in writing. Whether you are reading a document, an email, or taking part in a face-to-face conversation, take a few minutes to summarize what you understand in a few short sentences. When you capture your line of thought in writing, it is easier to distinguish between what was actually presented and what is merely assumed. 

For instance, in the example above, I would write: 

• According to the chart, the team delivered 10% more in 2024 than in 2023.
• The chart included the number of items delivered per month across three years
• The quality of the deliveries was confirmed to be more or less the same over time. 
• The way the team works improved between these two consecutive years.

Reading these four sentences, it is noticeable that while the first three sentences could be directly traced back to the material presented, the fourth one is a logical leap, which is not supported by the chart I saw. It might be true, but I must ask more questions or get additional data to establish that. When I realize that, I highlight it as an assumption. Next, I must validate it to make my understanding more accurate and complete. 

Collaborating with a colleague on this exercise is an excellent way to uncover subtle assumptions. Sometimes, we have a collective blind spot, but it is often easier to identify and challenge assumptions when you are not the one making them. This is particularly true when you explicitly ask a colleague to challenge your understanding.