The Danger of Assuming

 

The world spins based upon assumptions.  I don’t know if you realized it, but the very fact you are reading this blog is based upon your assumption that it will provide some type of insight or impart some wisdom.  I won’t disappoint!  Assumptions are the crux upon which mid-level leaders and companies stand.  Great companies, however, do not assume, at least on the level that their lesser competition does.  Why is this?  The answer, I’m afraid, is not as exciting as you are hoping.  The answer is: because not assuming means you have to be engaged in the process.

I cut my teeth in leadership capacity in the military, and this is the root of my retisence to assume anything.  Mission preparation meant rehearsals, period.  It didn’t matter how many times you had performed the task, whether it be a simple patrol or an ambush, you still rehearsed every step.  Assumptions were a sure fire way to get someone killed or injured.  But I also found that those leaders outside of combat arms didn’t always understand the consequences of assumptions.  Time and again I have read, heard, or witnessed the aftermath of a poor leader’s assumptions.  You can easily transfer this to the business world.  Many companies have a revolving assumption wheel, where the result is often the blame game.  Sure, the consequences aren’t as severe in the short term as the military, but they get exponentially more severe as time goes on.  Many times these assumptions lead to team failure or team disarray.

How can you stop the assumption train at the station?  Simple – ask the question, regardless of how trivial it may sound.  Middling leaders don’t often know if their assumptions are valid, and are often too busy beating their chests to understand that their whole plan may be based on one very invalid assumption.  I find it easy to sketch out a timeline of expected results and work backward.  Erroneous assumptions will raise their ugly heads at some point in this process.  Again, this is a holdover from the military days, and it works in any planning situation.  Plan your work and work your plan.  If you don’t have the vertebral fortitude to ask the hard question then you may find yourself on the stinky end of the blame stick.  Asking that trivial question, and getting everyone on the same sheet of music, will result in the team performing good work, instead of flailing around needlessly when the wheels start to fall off (due to missing lug nuts).  Make your life easier, don’t be afraid to challenge the assumptions, and for goodness sake, don’t assume that your leadership has all the bases covered.  That’s what they turn to their teams for!  Game the project out, and don’t assume anything.  Your life and well-being actually depend upon it.