Mental Models

1
Purpose

Mental models –
• What are they?
• Where do they come from?
• Why are they important?
• What is their power?

2
 Mental Models

Definition:
Our internal pictures of how the world works

3
 Question?
• Do you behave differently towards an
individual if you believe they are
trustworthy - or untrustworthy?
• How do you behave differently?

• Why?

4
Why Are Mental Models Important?

Our mental models determine not only how

we make sense of the world …

… but how we take action.

5
Where do mental models come from?

The Ladder of Inference

6
 Ladder of Inference
• We live in a world of self generating beliefs which
are largely untested.
• We adopt these beliefs based on conclusions inferred
from observations and experience.
• Our ability to achieve results is eroded by our
thinking that:
• Our beliefs are the truth
• The truth is obvious
• The data we select is the real data
• Our beliefs are based on this real data

7
 Ladder of Inference

• Taking Action – based upon beliefs

• Adopting Beliefs – drawing conclusions about the world

• Adding Meaning – both personal and cultural

• Selective Attention – selecting data from available data and

experiences

• Observable Data – all data and experiences available

8
 Home Buyers
• I take action based on my • Buy the most
beliefs expensive home you
can afford
• I draw conclusions and adopt • Home ownership is a
beliefs about the world riskless investment

• I add meaning - - - cultural • Housing prices will

and personal not drop

• I “select” data from what I • Home prices have

observe (selective attention) risen each year

• Observable “data” and • People buy homes

experiences

9
 Mother
• I take action based on my • Mothers go to baby
beliefs

• I draw conclusions and adopt • When they baby cries

beliefs about the world she needs my help

• I add meaning - - - cultural • The baby is in

and personal distress

• I “select” data from what I • Baby’s cry

observe (selective attention)

• Observable “data” and • Tv, voices, baby’s cry

experiences

10
11
 Discovering Mental Models

Surfacing, testing, and validating our internal

pictures of how the world works requires:

• Reflection
• Advocacy
• Inquiry

12
 Reflection
• Slow down our thinking
• Recognize when we substitute simple concepts or
generalizations for details
• Asking ourselves what is the “data” on which this
generalization is made
• Consider that this generalization may be
inaccurate or misleading

13
 Advocacy

• Make your own reasoning explicit.

• What is the actual data
• How did I arrive at my view from the data?

• Encouraging others to question your view.

• Do you see gaps in my reasoning?
• Do you have different data?
• Do you have different conclusions?

14
 Inquiry

• Seeking to clearly understand others’ views.

• Stating your assumptions about others’ positions.
• Asking about the “data” upon which their
generalizations are based.
• Being genuinely interested in the others’ response.
• Being willing to consider a view different from your
own.

15
 Discovering Mental Models

Practicing reflection, advocacy and inquiry

means:

• Being willing to explore the limitations of our

own thinking.
• Being willing to be wrong.
• Being willing to change.

16
 Paradigm Shift

• A paradigm is another name for a mental model.

• A paradigm shift occurs when one’s existing
mental model is replaced with a significantly
different new mental model.

17
 Paradigm Shift

• Old view:
• The sun revolves around the earth

• New view:
• The earth revolves around the sun

• This paradigm shift took almost 300 years

18
 Paradigm Shift
• Old view:
• Parents have no hope for their child who has a terminal
disease which has no effective treatment

• New view:
• Parents learn of new treatment discovery and now have
hope for their child

• How long do you think it will take for this

paradigm shift to take place?
19
 Paradigm Shifts

• The shift to the belief that the earth revolves

around the sun took almost 300 years.

• The shift to the belief that the parents’ child could

benefit from a new treatment would likely
instantaneous once they absorb the new
information

• Why is there such a disparity in time?

20
 Implications for Leaders

• Leaders must be open to challenging their own

mental models.

• Organizations that continually assess their mental

models have a competitive advantage.

21
 Summary

• Mental models determine how we take action

• To test them we can use

• Reflection
• Advocacy
• Inquiry

• Paradigm shifts occur when one mental model is replaced

by another

22