THE ARGYRIS LADDER OF INFERENCE IN MENTORING

Argyris's ladder of inferences in mentoring is a model of reasoning that we follow in our internal conversations to make sense of what is happening. As we climb the ladder, our mind triggers a chain of unverified interpretations, untested assumptions, automatic judgements and successive abstractions that lead us to draw erroneous conclusions and predispose us to certain behaviours.

For improving communication and emotional attunement in mentoring, it is important to practice exploration of mental models, questioning our preconceptions and assumptions and trying to get closer to the mental map of our mentee. This is achieved by listening deeply and contrasting our interpretations of the facts with the other person's view, to see with their eyes.

What is the Argyris ladder of inferences in mentoring?

The Argyris Ladder of Inferences is a conceptual model that describes how people climb a "ladder" of interpretations and assumptions to reach conclusions in communication situations. The model was developed by organisational psychologist Chris Argyris.

As people climb the ladder, they select facts about the situation that confirm their beliefs and discard information that does not, which can lead to inaccurate interpretations and communication conflicts.

The model is often applied in the context of mentoring to help mentors better understand their own beliefs and how these may affect their ability to communicate with their mentees.

What happens when we climb the ladder of inference?

When we climb Argyris' ladder of inferences, our mind triggers a chain of unverified interpretations, untested assumptions, automatic judgements and successive abstractions that lead us to draw erroneous conclusions and predispose us to certain behaviours.

This can lead to misunderstandings and hinder effective communication between two people, as can happen in a mentoring process between mentor and mentee.

What is public communication in Argyris and Schön's model?

In Argyris and Schön's model, public communication refers to what we say openly during a conversation, i.e. the explicit content of what is being talked about.

For example, if we are discussing a project with our mentee, public communication would be the discussion about the objectives, timelines and tasks related to the project.

What does the two-column exercise propose?

The two-column exercise, proposed by Argyris and Schön, consists of identifying and recording in two different columns the thoughts and feelings you have during a conversation.

• The left-hand column contains unspoken thoughts and assumptions.
• Right-hand column is written what is actually said, based on the assumptions of left-hand thinking.

This exercise helps to become aware of the mental models and assumptions that underlie our conversations and to explore them in order to improve communication and mutual understanding.

TRAINING METHOD FOR A MENTOR TO PRACTICE USING THE ARGYRIS LADDER OF INFERENCE IN MENTORING:

1. Presentation of the model: The mentor should explain to the mentee what the ladder of inferences is and how it affects effective communication between people.
2. Identification of beliefs: The mentor and mentee must identify the beliefs that influence their communication and how these beliefs affect their perception of reality.
3. Data analysis: The mentor and mentee must analyse the data they have selected and determine whether this data is objective or subjective.
4. Verification of assumptions: The mentor and mentee should check the assumptions they have made from the selected data and determine whether these assumptions are true or false.
5. Reflection on the conclusions: The mentor and mentee should reflect on the conclusions they have reached and determine whether these conclusions are valid or not.
6. Comparison of the two columns: The mentor and mentee should compare the two columns of the conversation (what has been thought but not said and what has been said) and reflect on how these two columns can influence effective communication.
7. Action plan: The mentor and mentee should develop an action plan to improve their communication and avoid climbing the ladder of inferences in the future.

This training method can help mentors understand how their beliefs and assumptions can affect their communication with their mentee and how they can avoid the ladder of inferences to achieve more effective communication and emotional attunement.