Reflection Questions
- How can the ladder of inference be used to counter bias?
- In what ways can you use the ladder of inference in your organization/department?
Some examples of how you can use the Ladder of Inference when interviewing candidates for a job or giving feedback for performance reviews.
Start by identifying where you are on the ladder and then ask yourself these questions.
1. What are the facts of your situation?
2. What evidence are you focusing on?
3. What past experiences or beliefs do you associate with this situation?
4. What assumptions have you made based on your past experiences or beliefs?
5. Have you drawn a conclusion about the situation? What is it?
6. Which of your beliefs does this situation reinforce? Have you adopted a new belief based on what happened here?
7. What action did you take?
Then, work your way back down the ladder to help widen your perspective and consider additional data.
7. Why did I choose this course of action? Are there other actions I could have taken?
6. What belief led to that action? Was that belief backed by evidence?
5. Why did I draw that conclusion? Is that conclusion backed by evidence?
4. What am I assuming? Are my assumptions realistic?
3. What past experiences or beliefs and I associating with this situation, and why? Do those really have anything to do with what’s going on now?
2. What data have I chosen to consider, and why?
1. What are the real facts that I should be using? Is there anything missing that I haven’t considered?
Credit: MacNeil, Caeliegh (2022). The ladder of inference: How to avoid assumptions and make better decisions. Asana.com.