(Go here to read the previous post in this series)
Most of us have heard the old adage—sometimes attributed to Oscar Wilde, but definitely uttered by Felix Unger in the in the 1970s television version of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple—“When you assume, you make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me.’”
The reason why collaboration is so challenging is that it’s a surefire way to bust our assumptions. When you put a group of people in a room, questions are going to be asked, and over time our deepest assumptions will be tested.
This is a good thing.
Why? Because assumptions can be limiting. These preconceived notions and beliefs that we carry, often unconsciously, shape our understanding of the world. As individuals, we tend to fear that our assumptions will be disregarded or distorted by others. This fear creates uncertainty, so our reflex is to fight for what (we think) we know. But when left unchallenged, assumptions can create blind spots, hinder innovation, and perpetuate misunderstanding.
What if we created better spaces to safely share our assumptions with one another?
Imagine a space where we could support each other in unpacking what we know, acknowledging what we don’t, then working to better fill these knowledge and experience gaps. What if this became the greatest asset within our team, organization, and community? Individually, we would each be stronger. As a group, we would be unstoppable.
Here are three ways to create the space to do this in your next collaboration, based on more than two decades of helping individuals and groups grapple with their assumptions.
- Get to know and understand the strengths of the people in the room.
- Bring voice to their strengths and your strengths, regardless of the topic or the challenge.
- Understand the assumptions you have in common: “Here is an assumption we all share, let’s look at this more deeply.”
This isn’t necessarily easy or comfortable, and it takes time—likely more than one meeting. But it’s worth it. By embracing the challenge of questioning what we know, we can become a community of learners, equipped not just to tackle today’s problems but to adapt and thrive in the face of tomorrow’s unknowns.