Assignment Instructions
Mental Models and Associated Behavioral Implications
Assignment formatting instructions:
Respond to each of the prompts / questions.
IMPORTANT: Include each of the specific prompts / questions before your responses (you can copy and paste these prompts from this document into your paper). Type your responses to each of the prompts where you see "(type your response here)" - following each of the prompts / questions.
Use Georgia 11 point font (or Arial will do, if you don't have Georgia).
You may be wondering "how long should this be?" With respect to assignments that ask you to respond to a series of prompts, remember the "Goldilocks rule" for each of your responses - which is not too long, not too short but "just right." That means answering the questions succinctly (not rambling) but thoroughly (that is, with sufficient content to demonstrate thoughtful engagement of the material). Generally that means two to three well-constructed paragraphs per prompt / sub-prompt.
Preparation:
Listen to the audio files and read the various documents in the Lectures / Presentations content area.
Think about what you've learned about mental models and the organizations and people with which you interact. Think about how you could use these ideas to better understand the behavioral dynamics in your own organization(s) or your own behaviors, thinking, or approach to situations.
There are seven prompts associated with this assignment.
Be sure to copy/paste the prompts (and not all the set-up information) into your paper, and then respond meaningfully to each of the prompts.
Part I - Analyzing Mental Models from a personal perspective
Set up:
Be sure you have the "Neanderthal Debrief" reading handy to re-read if you need help doing these items (see the Week 3 Readings content area).
Prompt # 1: Quoted from Hutchens (page 65), please write up a response to either item (a) or item (b) below.
Think of a comment that a spouse, partner, or colleague has made about you that you found disturbing or frustrating. After reflecting on the comment, do you find that there is any truth in it? How hard was it initially for you to consider that the comment may be accurate? Describe the comment/situation clearly. Don't ramble but do connect your reflective comments to concepts from the readings.
Have you ever known anyone with behaviors or traits that were very obvious to others, but seemingly invisible to that person? Why do you think this was so? Might you have similar blind spots about yourself, because they don't match your self-perception? Describe the example clearly and connect your reflection to the concepts from the readings.
Prompt # 2: Quoted from Hutchens (page 66), please write up a response to either item (a) or item (b) below.
Think of a time (either personally or organizationally) when you did not get the results you wanted. What were the specific actions you took that led to those results, and what was your thinking at the time that caused you to take those actions? (It may be easier to reflect on this with a friend, because it is often hard to see our own mental models.)
Think of a time when you, or a group you were associated with, excelled by adopting a new mental model. Explain the time clearly and connect to the readings.
Prompt # 3: Quoted from Hutchens (page 66), please write up a response to either item (a) or item (b) below.
Think of a time when someone presented his or her mental model as if it were a fact. What kinds of responses did this elicit? Can you think of a time when you have done this? Clearly and succinctly describe this, connecting to the readings.
The next time you are personally offended or frustrated by someone's comments, what questions could you ask to better understand the other person's mental models? How could you help him or her do the same for you? Explain your answers.
Prompt # 4: Quoted from Hutchens (page 68), please write up a response to the following:
Consider the "different towers with different views" metaphor as it applies to your own life. What "towers" do you inhabit? To get your mind flowing, it may help you to think in terms of your beliefs about, for example, how organizations should be run, or beliefs about leadership and motivation, political ideology, theology, parenting style, etc.
Think through at least a few beliefs you hold. How has your tower view affected your life? Have you changed a view? Also, comment on how your beliefs have led to disagreements or impasses with others who inhabit "different towers with different views."
Prompt # 5: Quoted from Hutchens (page 70), please write up a response to the following:
How can this self-reinforcing dynamic help in understanding, for example, racism? Generational conflicts? "Problem children" in a family full of achievers? Companies that don't change, even though they're losing customers?
Part II - Analyzing Mental Models from an organizational perspective
Remember, when you see the word "Organization" you can choose to think about a team, a department, a whole company of any sort or other non-business organization (like family, volunteer, civic, community, church, military, etc.) Consider the different levels as you work through these questions.
Prompt # 6: Prompt 6 has five parts / sub-questions. First, identify the organization you are choosing for this assignment then write up a response to the following:
What are some mental models that your organization may hold about its role in the world?
How might you and your other organization members begin surfacing and testing some of your organization's mental models.
What are some of your organization's biggest challenges? How might untested mental models be contributing to the problem?
Cite an example or two of times that your organization has set in motion a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which the group's belief in something actually made that something come true.
Review the material on the Ladder of Inference (page 72 from the Neanderthal Debrief document in the Readings content area of Week 3).
Cite a recent conflict that took place in your organization in which someone hastily climbed up the ladder and "jumped" to conclusions about someone else. TRACE THE STEPS OF THE LADDER. That is, for this item, clearly demonstrate that you've tied your situation to the steps of the ladder...demonstrate you read and understood the steps and can apply them.
Review the guidelines for making your thinking explicit (the bullet points on pages 75-77 from the Neanderthal Debrief document in the Readings content area of Week 3). With the conflict you identified in item 5 (above) write down the kinds of questions and the kinds of statements that would make your thinking about the conflict explicit. Stick with it, you can do it!
Part III - Textbook Readings Connections
For this part of the assignment, please refer to Chapter 5 in your textbook.
Prompt # 7: Prompt 7 has four parts. Briefly define each of the following concepts and make some connections / relate each concept to some aspect of the Tales of the Neanderthal story.
•Primacy Effect
•False Consensus Bias
•Confirmation Bias
•Fundamental Attribution Error