v
CHALLENGING ASSUMPTIONS
Now that you have completed this activity, take some time to review; a summary of common assumptions, their likely impact and the actions
you can take to challenge restrictive assumptions. You can see the benefits of supportive assumptions and identify how you can take action to
maximize these benefits in your business.
ASSUMPTIONS
Restrictive - I have been very
successful so far, so I must be
doing most things right.
Restrictive - I employ the best
people I can afford to, but there is
no point in developing them as
they may leave.
LIKELY OUTCOMES
The business declines as there is no effort
to make changes that could improve
growth or relationships within the
business.
The business plateaus or declines as
employees leave to pursue development,
taking their skills and experience with
them.
ACTIONS TO TAKE
All businesses and business leaders can
improve. Focusing your attention on what you
could be doing better could help you to grow
more efficiently and/or improve relationships
with your employees, customers and
suppliers.
Being resigned to the assumption that your
employees are as good as they can be, could
limit the potential for your business to grow.
Seeing every employee’s potential and
identifying ways in which they can develop
and grow will help to retain the knowledge and
experience they have gathered within your
business. Developing people helps to create a
motivated, committed and engaged workforce.
Restrictive - People need to be
told what to do, without delegating
responsibility.
Restrictive - I don’t have time to
train people; they have to be able
to jump straight in.
Restrictive - If I work longer and
harder, I will be successful.
Supportive - Motivated,
committed employees are more
The business plateaus or declines as the
business leader will spend most of their
time micro managing, leaving little time to
focus on innovation and strategic growth.
The business may lose their most talented
employees, with initiative, to its
competitors.
Growth may be restricted by your lack of
time to focus on growth through thoughtful
analysis and deliberate change.
The business grows as the business
leader listens to their employees and pays
Delegating responsibilities to others can free
time to focus on strategic activities and
innovation, such as identifying new business
opportunities. Following the steps of effective
delegation can lead to employees who do
more, take more initiative, and are more
satisfied, which supports growth.
This assumption limits the pool of possible
employees for hire. If you make a hiring
mistake, you may be constantly looking for
employees. Expecting all employees to be
able jump in to new tasks may be over-
optimistic and may result in some employees
feeling under-supported. Using experienced
employees as mentors to support new
employees can help ensure that every
employee is supported when taking on a new
task. Developing documented processes will
also help guide new employees.
Working longer and harder does not
necessarily mean working most effectively or
productively. Pausing to reflect on your goals
as well as other options and feasibility with
careful analysis can lead to your working less
but more successfully.
A low turnover of employees could be a good
indicator of commitment to your business.
productive employees than those
who are not.
Supportive - Putting in good
processes and controls can be a
substitute for my personal
monitoring.
Supportive - People want to be
challenged in their work.
attention to the aspects of the culture
which supports motivation and
commitment.
The business grows as guided by
processes and controls, employees are
productive when the business leader is
not available.
Business leaders may be more likely to
delegate responsibilities to their
employees helping to support greater
autonomy.
Employees are motivated by a wide range of
factors.
To find out more you could consider talking to
your employees, even just a small number, to
find out more about why they work with you to
be sure that you are doing everything you can
to maintain a motivated and committed
workforce.
Clear processes and controls, designed with
the input of employees, can help to make
employees more productive and reduce the
need for monitoring. More productive
employees can help you extend your own
efforts and provide you with more time to work
on your business strategy and develop new
opportunities for growth.
Careful delegation of responsibility to
employees can challenge and motivate them
to make more valuable contributions to your
business and save your time for other work.
Following the steps of effective delegation can
lead to employees who do more, take more
initiative, and are more satisfied, which can
support growth.