As I’m writing this chapter, I am delighting in the Italian culture in Rome. It has been a terrific experience for challenging my own assumptions about “the way things should be,” particularly with a cultural slant. As we march forward as a more advanced interconnected global economy, some of our assumptions need to change particularly if you are a “people-business.” To understand your personal assumptions, it is critical to develop a high level of self-awareness (See Self-Awareness chapter). When you have a high degree of self-awareness, you can observe assumptions with greater objectivity and deeper thinking. Objectivity delivers insights to develop a product or service that is precise in its alignment with a customer. Product and service innovations break through assumptions with a promise of telling the customer we do or make something better. The problem with that assumption is sometimes the customer does not want better. So far as I can tell, having roamed around the country, Italians do not want drive-thru restaurants. The concept of eating on the go is antithetical to their centuries-long mindset around meals. Taking the concept home on a different slant, I have been in organizations that have extraordinary cafeterias and break rooms. Others (of sufficient budget) still have a drip coffee maker with no other options and no fresh coffee. Both exist because of assumptions about need, benefit, and outcome.

 

An outdoor company recently brought in a new CEO. One of the initiatives that got axed were company sponsored outdoor adventure trips. I was told from a reliable source that the revenue brought in from this division was inconsequential and obviously on the accounting ledger, a loss. Observationally, my impression is that the assumptions built into that service offering were built on faulty assumptions about the customer journey.

 

The Exercise:

A fun activity to re-awaken your awareness about assumptions can be accomplished through a quick review of social psychology research on conformity, obedience, the fundamental attribution error, and false consensus effect. Take a moment to reflect on whatever you are working on now: the people, the decision-making steps, and the desired outcome. Give your assumptions a ranking such as: I am definitely correct with this assumption. I might be wrong. I actually do not know. Then find the answers.