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Process ( NTTP ), details seven steps for effective problem solving6 . When doctrine is utilized as the process to follow for problem solving activities , headquarters can mitigate many of the challenges associated with diversity of experience and perspective .
Understand before Advocating . Most organizations acknowledge the necessity of establishing systems that facilitate communication during problem solving . More productive organizations establish systems that encourage effective communication , not just in the form of venue but also in the form of process . Johnathan Hughes and Jeff Weiss explain in Making Partnerships Work that communication often breaks down when stakeholders in a conversation advocate from their own perspective without fully understanding or acknowledging
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their counterparts ’ perspective7 . It is very easy to see how this may happen in a joint , multinational headquarters where the diversity of culture , experience and perspective is so great . It likely also occurs due to a language barrier , both national and experiential . With clear applicability for the NRDC-ESP headquarters , the authors also suggest a model that can assist teams in overcoming this potential communication challenge called the “ Ladder of Inference .” Hughes and Weiss adapted Chris Argyris ’ original ladder of inference into a three-level model that explains how individuals very quickly reach conclusions and advocate for a specific action .
First , individuals select data available to themselves , based on their environment . This is the “ pool ” of consciousness , most easily categorized by senses : sight , sound , smell , taste and touch . Due to limitations explained by bounded rationality , individuals select only a small portion of all data available at any given time . The human mind cannot physically process all sensory inputs , moreover it routinely decides when it has received enough input and proceeds to the second level . Second , the individual interprets a select few of these data inputs to be a specific pattern . That person has now climbed up one step of the ladder . Interpretations can be heavily influenced by religious beliefs , family values , a person ’ s childhood , attributes closely tied to a person ’ s identity , and even their professional experiences ; any of the cultural dimension factors identified by Hofstede .
As one can imagine , an Air Force officer , a Navy officer and an Army officer could all interpret tactical data in a different manner . Similarly , an officer who has strong multinational experience may interpret selected data in a different manner than an officer with limited multinational experience . Often times , the way we see the world is largely a function of where we sit8 . Reaching the “ top of the ladder ” enables the individual to reach a conclusion and ultimately advocate a specific action .
Argyrus ’ ladder shows how two individuals can arrive at very different conclusions when drawing from the same pool of data inputs . This conclusion causes the person to make a decision and act . This model reveals that action is derived from limited data selected from a large pool that is interpreted into recognized patterns based on previous experience . Acknowledging this dissonance , one might ask “ How can two or more people move past their individual and
( 6 ) Allied Procedural Publication 28 ( APP-28 ): Tactical Planning for Land Forces . Edition A . Version 1 .
( 7 ) Hughes , Jonathan and Jeff Weiss . Making Partnerships Work : A Relationship Management Handbook . Page 30 .
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( 8 ) Fisher , Roger and William Ury , edited by Bruce Patton . Getting To Yes : Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In . Page 23 .