Looking at Choices with the Ladder of Inference Model

The Ladder of Inference is one of those wonderful ‘models’ I learned about when I studied to be a Coach back in 2005.  I hadn’t heard of it before, but once I absorbed the diagram it all became oh so clear.

It’s a useful model to know about.  It helps us in our own self reflection as well as when we are engaging with others.  It’s a tool that helps us look at our thinking about an issue.

We start at the bottom of the ladder- the logical place for ladders when you think about it.  We start at the first rung and climb up.  So what’s on the first rung?  “Observable Data”.  Next rung up, is “We Select Data From What we believe”.  Third rung up the ladder is that “We add meaning to that data”.  Are you with me so far?  Fourth rung is my favorite… “We make assumptions based on that meaning”.  Fifth rung states that “We draw conclusions”, sixth rung indicates that we “Adopt beliefs about the world”, and then when we reach the top of the ladder what do we do???  “We take actions based on our beliefs”.

So here’s a simple example to demonstrate the power of this Ladder of Inference that oh so often guides us unconsciously … and not always to a positive happy place!

We observe a work colleague speaking to us.

We notice most, the part of his speaking that seems loud.

We equate loud with angry- that’s the meaning we’ve just added.

We assume that he’s angry with us.

We conclude that he’s angry maybe because we forgot to finish a project, or that a recent update was not up to par, or something else we make up in our mind.

We adopt a belief that when a colleague speaks loudly to us, we’ve done something wrong.

And so often, the actions we take in this case, are based on how we’ve chosen to interpret (or what we infer from) that observable data.

So try observing yourself from time to time, when you get into ‘reaction mode’, and use this simple but oh so accurate Ladder of Inference model to help you unpack your automatic response.  Notice how you feel when you are able to stay more open to other action choices.