Courtney Thompson Part I Analyzing Mental Models from a personal perspective Prompt # 1: b. Have you ever known anyone with behaviors or traits that were very obvious to others, but seemingly invisible to that person? Why do you think this was so? Might you have similar blind spots about yourself, because they don t match your self-perception? Describe the example clearly and connect your reflection to the concepts from the readings. I have a friend who is really well-known for over- exaggerating stories and adding events into the story that never happened. It makes the story sound interesting, but those who where with her at the time of the event know that certain things did not really happen. When you confront her about the over-exaggerated story, she seems to not understand what you are talking about, and she believes everything that she had previously said. It can be quite confusing because she is very adamant about her perspective, even when her friends know it is not true. I think that my friend may have over-exaggerated stories and believed her exaggerations, because she may have actually perceived the events in that way. In the story of the Neanderthals, Oogie will not go outside because he believes that there is a big mad god. Outside is a big mad god. Big mad god stomp on Oogie, and splat (Hutchens,p.3). Just like Oogie, my friend believes something that is not real. This may be due to personal experiences, devised rumors, and the unwillingness to explore the truth. She may also feel that she has dug a deep hole, and it is too deep to climb her way out. I too, might have similar blind spots about myself because they do not match my self-perception. I was made aware of some of my blind spots during the interviews conducted for the previous writing assignment. One blind spot that I think I was subconsciously aware of, but chose not accept, was my tendency to be rude when I get stressed. For example, if I am worried about my homework, I will take my stress out on people around me by being short with them, or by blaming them for something. This strongly relates to how the cavemen acted when Boogie decided to leave the cave. Boogie s question stressed out his fellow cavemen, and they reacted unfairly. They yelled and screamed at Boogie, and then threw clay at him until he left. Little did they know that they were wrong, and Boogie was right. There were many wonders outside the cave. I need to become more aware of how I react during stressful situations, and I need to not blame others for my personal feelings. ca Prompt # 2: b. Think of a time when you, or a group you were associated with, excelled by adopting a new mental model. Explain the time clearly and connect to the readings. A year ago, I really wanted to get my bachelors, but I believed that I was too old and I should focus on a career path instead. Time and again, I would try to get a job and start my career path. However, I was unable to obtain a quality job because of my lack of education. I decided that it was now my priority to get my bachelor degree. I adopted the mental model that it is important to get my degree, and I have plenty of time. I no longer told myself that I was too old. Now, here I am, almost a year later and closer to obtaining my bachelors degree. Finding a quality job with no degree was like the cavemen trying to catch food by chasing the shadows on the wall. It just wasn t possible. I could have gotten a job, but it would not have been a career path that I would happy with. I needed to change my mentality and take a step out of the cave to see what I could find. I am extremely happy that I did. 1
Prompt # 3: The next time you are personally offended or frustrated by someone s comments, what questions could you ask to better understand the other person s mental models? How could you help him or her do the same for you? Explain your answers. What has this person experienced that led them to believe this? - In order to better understand where this person is coming from, I need to know what has happened to this person, what they may have heard or seen, that would make them believe the things they said. Better understanding their experiences will help me understand if their comments are truly reflective of what they feel, or just a result of preconceived notions. What have I done to lead this person to feel this way? - I need to look at my own actions and see if I am aware of the things I did to make someone feel the way that they do. It may be that I did something to offend the other person, and now they are reacting. Or it may be possible that I said something and the person and I had a misunderstanding and now they are offended. Is this something that may be true and that I have been unaware of? - It is possible that the person is saying something that they have had bottled up for awhile. It could be possible that the comments are true, and I have been unaware of this personality trait of mine that is offensive to others. Becoming more self-aware will help me better understand my personal actions, and the actions of those around me. How can I better understand where this person is coming from? - Instead of becoming defensive, it would be best to try and understand all aspects of where this person is coming from. That way, I can react appropriately. If I were to offend someone, I could help them better understand my mental models by making sure they understand where I am coming from. I would tell them what I have experienced that led me to believe the acquisitions that I made. I would then ask if we are on the same page, and my understanding is accurate. I would apologize for being offensive, and then offer my side of the story. I may be able to make the person aware of something that they had not been before. Prompt # 4: Consider the different towers with different views metaphor as it applies to your own life. What towers do you inhabit? To get your mind flowing, it may help you to think in terms of your beliefs about, for example, how organizations should be run, or beliefs about leadership and motivation, political ideology, theology, parenting style, etc. Think through at least a few beliefs you hold. How has your tower view affected your life? Have you changed a view? Also, comment on how your beliefs have led to disagreements or impasses with others who inhabit different towers with different views. Dogs vs. Cats- It is my belief that dogs are better pets than cats. I am high up on the tower that believes cats are boring, mean and smelly. This tower has affected me quite a bit in my life. Growing up, I was always raised with dogs. I also had a few cats now and then. My family lives on a ranch, so the cats would always end up straying off and never coming back, or sticking around and clawing up all of our furniture. Also, I always thought it was disgusting how cats had litter boxes and pooped in the house. On the other hand, dogs are so loving, affectionate and obedient. They are protectors who will help you when you are in trouble, instead of running the opposite direction. It is scientifically proven that dogs help people live a longer and happier life. Cats can do the same, but statistics are lower. My love of dogs has led me to be the proud owner of two dogs; a boxer and a lab/pit. My husband and I have tried adopting a cat before, and each time we had to find a new home because the cat did not fit our lifestyle. My belief that dogs are better than cats has led to a few disagreements with friends and family. Nothing much bigger than a common disagreement for the most part, however there was this one girl that I really didn t like, and it made me grow an even larger disdain for her when I learned that she hated dogs and loved cats. When I meet people who hate dogs, I have a hard time understanding where they are coming from. I automatically stereotype them in my mind. I realize that I do this 2
and need to become more aware of my reactions and realize that they probably feel the same way about me. Prompt # 5: How can this self-reinforcing dynamic help in understanding, for example, racism? Generational conflicts? Problem children in a family full of achievers? Companies that don t change, even though they re losing customers? The way we see the world affects our experience of the world. When we see the world changes, we can then change our role in the world and get very different results. This selfreinforcing dynamic can help in understanding issues such as racism and generational conflicts by bringing awareness to how people view the world differently from one another. Different viewpoints can cause conflict, thus resulting in larger conflicts if not resolved early on. Racism is a huge conflict that was initially caused from a clash of different cultural viewpoints. If one person views another race as inferior, and shares their views with others, the perspective spreads amongst people, and ultimately affects many people s lives. The way that one person saw the world, ultimately changed the millions of people s experience of the world. Companies that don t change, even though they re losing customers, may not be able to see how their business practices are affecting their income. It is possible that the business believes that there is an external factor affecting their revenue. The business may not see how it is in fact, the way they see and manage business. If the company becomes aware that there is an internal factor affecting their income instead of an external factor, the company may have a better chance at saving themselves and generating more income. In conclusion, if we change our perspective, we change our world. After reading about this, I have been trying to be more optimistic and trying to enjoy life more. I noticed that I have been having a lot more fun lately, and I ve been able to enjoy the little things more. When talking to people that I don t agree with, I try to have an open mind and understand where they are coming from. Having an open mind changes my reactions to what people say, and therefore changes our experience of conversation. Part II Analyzing Mental Models from an organizational perspective Prompt # 6: Prompt 6 has five parts / sub-questions. First, identify the organization you are choosing for this assignment then write up a response to the following: Yard House- This is the restaurant that I work for. 1) What are some mental models that your organization may hold about its role in the world? We are the best restaurant in Roseville to work for; We have the best food and beer in town; We are an extremely professional organization; We provide excellent customer service for all of our guests. 2) How might you and your other organization members begin surfacing and testing some of your organization s mental models. In order to test and surface some of my organizations mental models, my team members and I can do quite a few things. To test out the best restaurant to work for module, we can conduct a survey amongst employees for all restaurants in the Roseville area. Whichever restaurant has the most satisfied employees would be rated as the best restaurant to work for. In order to see if Yard House has the best food and beer in town, we can conduct a public survey and ask multiple residents of the Roseville area what restaurant has the best food and beer in 3
town. To test the mental module of being an extremely professional organization, we can research the mandatory policies and procedures of Yard House, and then assess whether or not those policies and procedures are adequately followed. In order to test out whether or not Yard House provides excellent customer service for all of are guests, we would have to ask each individual guest whether or not their service was excellent. Also, we would have to ask each employee if they do what it takes to provide excellent customer service. 3) What are some of your organization s biggest challenges? How might untested mental models be contributing to the problem? I think that the organization has big challenges with keeping their employees happy. A lot of employees that I talk to do not like how the organization is managed. I think that the mental model of being the best restaurant in Roseville to work for, is contributing to the problem. This is because management believes that they are the best, so therefore they do not see the need for change. When employees confront them about issues, management will sometimes choose to neglect what is being said because they do not agree with it. If management would be willing to actively listen and make changes accordingly, then Yard House would have a better chance at fitting the mental model of being the best restaurant to work for. 4) Cite an example or two of times that your organization has set in motion a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which the group s belief in something actually made that something come true. Recently, Yard House has implemented a cocktail shift for Friday and Saturday night. This is meant for people to be able to get drinks while they are waiting for a table. At first, everyone was really unsure of how it would work and what would happen with the server tips. However, the managers were very adamant about how the cocktail servers will help increase guest satisfaction and therefore, help increase tips. Yard House began to utilize cocktail servers and the guests were more patient and satisfied while waiting for a table. 5) Review the material on the Ladder of Inference (page 72 from the Neanderthal Debrief document in the Readings content area of Learning Module 2). Cite a recent conflict that took place in your organization in which someone hastily climbed up the ladder and jumped to conclusions about someone else. TRACE THE STEPS OF THE LADDER. That is, for this item, clearly demonstrate that you ve tied your situation to the steps of the ladder demonstrate you read and understood the steps and can apply them. One night, I tipped the bartender out $17. I later learned that she was unhappy and she thought I did not give her enough money. Step #1: I select data: I was told that a bartender was unhappy about how much I tipped her. Step #2: I add meaning: I did not tip her as much money as she thought she deserved. Step #3: I make assumptions: The bartender does not appreciate the fact that I gave her a good amount of money even though she barely made any drinks for me. Step #4: I draw conclusions: I better start showing her how much I make every night so she knows that I am tipping her well. Step #5: I adopt beliefs: The bartender is super selfish and annoying. Step #6: I take actions: I start showing the bartender what I am making in comparison to what I am giving her so that she know I am tipping her well. Step #7: I get results: The bartender stops complaining and becomes more nice and appreciative of me. 4
6) Review the guidelines for making your thinking explicit (the bullet points on pages 75-77 from the Neanderthal Debrief document in the Readings content area of Learning Module 2). With the conflict you identified in item 5 (above) write down the kinds of questions and the kinds of statements that would make your thinking about the conflict explicit. Stick with it, you can do it - Can you tell me why you think I tipped you poorly? - What do you think would have been the appropriate amount to tip you out? - Why do you think that? -What can I do to make sure that I tip you appropriately next time? Part III Textbook Readings Connections Prompt # 7: Prompt 7 has four parts. Briefly define each of the following concepts and make some connections / relate each concept to some aspect of the Tales of the Neanderthal story. 1) Primacy Effect: When Boogie first learned about the other people in the world, he was in such a rush to get home and tell his fellow cavemen, that he disregarded it when the old man told him to wait. Boogie only knew about the initial information that he learned, but he rushed away so fast that he wasn't able to learn about the millions of others that live differently than him. Boogie payed more attention to the initial information instead of the later information. 2) False Consensus Bias: This relates to how the cavemen from opposite tribes were arguing about whether to hunt food, or gather berries. The one tribe that wanted to hunt had no idea what the tribe who wanted to gather saw from their tower, and vice versa. The tribe that wanted to gather saw a huge supply of vegetation and berries from their tower. They could not see all the animals because of the brush. The hunting tribe was able to see all the animals but were not able to see the vegetation. 3) Confirmation Bias: I think that confirmation bias was shown when Unga, Bunga, Oogie, Boogie and Trevor were chasing the shadows on the wall. Every shadow seemed to make sense to them, and they would chase down butterflies and other objects that they recognized. However, when the giraffe stomped the warthog, the cavemen had no idea what that was. Instead of seeking out information that supported their beliefs, the cavemen chose to ignore the information that contradicted their beliefs. 4) Fundamental Attribution Error : This relates to when the two tribes began to call each other names such as barbarian and tree-hugging dork. The two tribes thought that they had different opinions because of their personalities, and not because of situational influences. 5