Assumptions (2)

In my previous blog I wrote about the effects of assumptions in organizations. Recently I ran into this picture on www.froot.nl.

At first sight we see a very brave lady and her husband sitting in a jeep and we start assuming things. 

• Maybe we assume they are on a safari trip and they've put a nice steak on the hoot of their jeep. A lion jumps on the hoot to eat the steak and the couple smiles, because they will have the greatest picture of a lion in the world. 
• Maybe she lives in Serengethi and maybe the lion is her pet, so she doesn't have to be scared of the king of the jungle. 
• Maybe she is complete insane and doesn't understand the danger of it allMaybe she played the role of Jane in the movie Tarzan and she is used to play with animals
• ...

This is exactly what we do in organizations. We see something and we build a story around it, without gathering the necessary information to get the correct story. We assume ... and assumptions are most of time incorrect. 

So next time you observe something in your organization, don't jump to conclusions, dig deeper and ask the people involved in the action for more information to obtain the right information. 

And about that lady, 

It is a fantastic real-life video projection in a zoo. She was never in danger and both lion and the lady survived the confrontation.