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Are You Aware You are Making Assumptions?

Do you ever stop yourself and ask, “How do I know?” or do you jump to conclusions? 

Assuming really can make an ass out of u and me. Assuming can also be the reason you do not consider an opportunity or idea.  

There are two sets of assumptions when working with another person: yours and theirs.  

Our team discussed how important it is to engage and take a step back during conversations to examine any assumptions. There are many ways to be aware of others making assumptions during conversations, asking assumption discovery questions like, “My sense is that you may not be all that interested in this opportunity based upon…”  “Why do you think or feel this way?”  “On what basis do you believe … and how do you know this is the case?”  

At The Richmond Group USA, we practice having the confidence to challenge assumptions that may hinder motivations and desires to pursue, perceive and obtain great opportunities. 

In the book Unleashing the Power of Unconditional Respect: Transforming Law Enforcement and Police Training, authors Jack Colwell and Chip Huth write: 

We automatically tend to assume the following: 

The way I see something is the way it is. 

The way I feel about someone is the way he or she is. 

The way I remember an event is the way it was. 

If you disagree with me, you are stupid, a liar, or psychotic (disconnected from reality). 

The irony is that this assumptive thought base (all problems and misunderstandings are external to me) IS the apex of self-imposed ignorance, deception, and even psychosis. Probably the only reason it is not considered pathological is that it is endemic. 

Why do we naturally make assumptions? Assumptions are an efficient way to process the world. Our brain saves energy by making assumptions. Analyzing each situation without any bias or assumptions takes a lot of energy, attention and self-awareness. Our brains look to our experiences to find patterns in how the world works (Or how we have perceived the world in former times). When we encounter new situations, we apply these patterns or assumptions to the new environment.

Next time (because there will absolutely be a next time) you find yourself assuming something, stop and ask yourself:

“What do I really know for sure and what don’t I know?”  “What assumptions am I making that have led to my decision?”

The more you evolve your thinking and become conscious of your assumptive thinking the better informed you will be in all areas of your life.

Becoming aware of your assumptions is the start of limitless opportunities.

June 15, 2022By Tips0 CommentsRead more...

Are You in Control of Your Day?

Have you heard the saying “if you want something done give it to someone that is busy”? Well, its true success is connected to action, however, it is not necessarily connected to staying busy. A better version of the saying is “if you want something done give it to someone that is productive.”

Are the most successful people in the world really the busiest? Or are they the most productive and least distracted?  

Being busy and being productive can often be confused with one another. If you are busy, you may have a lot on your plate, but this doesn't necessarily mean you are productive or using your time efficiently. Being productive means being able to complete a task or get something done. You do not need to be busy to be productive. 

Being busy has to do with how you spend your time, whereas productivity has more to do with what you accomplish. 

BUSY

Busy

[Busy is defined as having a great deal to do. ] 

PRODUCTIVE

Productive

[Productive is defined as achieving or producing a significant amount or result. ]  

So, do you just have a great deal to do or are you actually producing a significant amount of results?

A lot of people are great at “looking and feeling busy,” but not so great at actually being productive. Having a busy mindset can feel disorganized and fast-paced, resulting in you working harder, not smarter. Having a productive mindset is more action-oriented and result-driven, keeping you organized, steady-paced and working smarter, not harder.  

Those with higher emotional intelligence (EQ) are typically less busy and more productive. Busyness can lead you to overextend yourself with varied obligations, appointments, commitments, and responsibilities leading to less success overall. Being productive versus being busy will be the reason you hit your goals. 

How do you become more productive and less busy? The answer is to be in control of your focus. Naturally, we will have many distractions and attention grabbers throughout the day. The most productive people can filter through the noise adjusting their attention to result-driven actions.  

The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, a book by Daniel Levitin, has an interesting section on cognitive overload and how it correlates to productivity. Levitin points out an interesting fact on how highly successful people (HSP) differ from the rest of us when it comes to attentional filters. 

What is an “attentional filter?”

Simply put, our attention is limited. To pay attention, the brain uses a filtering system known as the attentional filter.  

This passage from Levitin’s Book explains it well:  

In order to understand one person speaking to us, we need to process 60 bits of information per second. With a processing limit of 120 bits per second, this means you can barely understand two people talking to you at the same time. Under most circumstances, you will not be able to understand three people talking at the same time. …  With such attentional restrictions, it’s clear why many of us feel overwhelmed by managing some of the most basic aspects of life. Part of the reason is that our brains evolved to help us deal with life during the hunter-gatherer phase of human history, a time when we might encounter no more than a thousand people across the entire span of our lifetime. Walking around midtown Manhattan, you’ll pass that number of people in half an hour.  Attention is the most essential mental resource for any organism. It determines which aspects of the environment we deal with, and most of the time, various automatic, subconscious processes make the correct choice about what gets passed through to our conscious awareness. For this to happen, millions of neurons are constantly monitoring the environment to select the most important things for us to focus on. These neurons are collectively the attentional filter. They work largely in the background, outside of our conscious awareness. This is why most of the perceptual detritus of our daily lives doesn’t register, or why, when you’ve been driving on the freeway for several hours at a stretch, you don’t remember much of the scenery that has whizzed by: Your attentional system “protects” you from registering it because it isn’t deemed important. This unconscious filter follows certain principles about what it will let through to your conscious awareness. 

Not giving your full attention is a sacrifice made on the quality of your thoughts and your work. To be more productive and less busy learn to be more present and in the zone with anything you're trying to finish or accomplish.  Practice focusing on one thing at a time and fully completing one task before jumping to the next. 

Use your attentional filter to your advantage. Filter out the less important things and give 100% of your focus to tasks that drive value and productivity. Being in control of your day will not only help you obtain your goals but will also increase your confidence, decisiveness, and self-esteem by knowing you run your life and your life does not run you.

June 7, 2022By Tips0 CommentsRead more...

The work you were meant to do… (Or perhaps debunking that statement entirely)

Have you ever felt like you do not know your purpose professionally? Perhaps you are a professional with a broad skill set that could work within a multitude of jobs or industries. Having several areas where your skills are valued is a wonderful thing, however, it can cause a sense of overwhelm or stress when it comes to finding “what you were meant to do.”   Great news, there is no need to worry, your career is not linear. A career path is often the opposite, and most people don’t know what they like until they try it. In fact, no one really knows this answer until they have experienced it themselves.  When it comes to finding your purpose within a career, there is no right or wrong path as it will likely change course. You will change, your skills will change and what you want to do for a living will most likely change. For that reason, being open to exploring new opportunities may be the best tip to achieving what you “were meant to do.”   According to a recent survey done by The Bureau of Labor Statistics, 53% of college-degreed professionals use half or less of their education, and 15% use none of their education in their current job. You may be gawking at these statistics thinking, “How is this possible?” The answer is experience. Of course, education and a sharp skill set are needed to be a top-notch employee, yet work experience is always at the top of a job description. Knowing this should create an eagerness to be open to new opportunities and explore different areas.  Tips to find “the work you were meant to do.” 
  • Don’t be hesitant or reluctant to take on new opportunities. Rather, be curious. 
  • Explore the unknown, you may find that it is much better suited to you.  
  • If you are unsure, ask more questions.  
  • Don’t turn down an opportunity because it doesn’t fit in the box you may have created around your career. Expand the box, destroy the box!
  • Act as if your skill sets are unlimited and see what happens.  
Around 70% of all working-age people are actively looking for a job change.   Don’t limit yourself and make assumptions about opportunities that could potentially have a significant impact on your life. Explore all the opportunities presented to you, accepting an interview could be the most valuable 60 mins of your life.   The world is your oyster, go out and experience all it has to offer. 
June 1, 2022By Tips0 CommentsRead more...

Improve your Employer Brand

Your employer brand impacts a candidate's interest in working for your organization and you. Organizations that understand this and take action position themselves as an “employer of choice.” In this week's tip, we provide three ways you can positively #impact your employer brand.
  1. Treat candidates like customers
  2. Respond to both negative and positive comments on social media 
  3. Use anonymous employee satisfaction surveys  to learn why people work for your company & use that in your social media content. 
See what others are saying about this. Check out our LinkedIn Post!       
September 20, 2021By Uncategorized0 CommentsRead more...