Liberating Assumptions

I don’t remember much at all from my university degree.

But I do remember one lecturer opening his session by writing ASSUME on the whiteboard and saying “If you don’t want to make an ass out of you and me, be really, really careful what you assume.”

30 years on, I am reminded of the power of assumptions as I undertake my accreditation in a Thinking Environment.

The Thinking Environment is the life’s work of Nancy Kline.

Nancy has spent 50 years researching and testing the factors that activate our best thinking.

One of her most powerful discoveries was Incisive Questions ^TM

Incisive Questions reflect the way our minds naturally identify and overcome thinking constraints.

An incisive question can be life-changing.

An incisive question ‘cuts out’ an untrue limiting assumption (lived as true) and replaces it with a true liberating assumption to activate fresh thinking.

The formation of an incisive question follows this elegant path:

❓What outcome do you want?

❓What are you assuming? What else?

❓What are you assuming that is MOST stopping you from going forward towards this outcome?

❓Do you think that assumption is true?

❓What is true and liberating instead?

❓If you knew that <insert liberating assumption> how would you go forward?

Here are two examples from recent thinking sessions I have held with clients.

Example #1

⭐️ OUTCOME: I want to let go of the pain, while holding onto the lessons.

🛑 LIMITING ASSUMPTION: If I let go of the pain, I won’t be able to hold the people who hurt me to account, and protect others from being hurt.

💡 LIBERATING ASSUMPTION: I am fu**ing brave

🚀 INCISIVE QUESTION: If you knew you were fu**ing brave, how would you go forward?

Example #2

⭐️ OUTCOME: I want to accelerate change, while still being inclusive.

🛑 LIMITING ASSUMPTION: I need to go “above and beyond” to make sure no one gets upset with me.

💡LIBERATING ASSUMPTION: I am enough. My worth is not measured by how much people like me.

🚀 INCISIVE QUESTION: If you knew you are enough, how would you go forward?

Curious to learn more?

Here are some additional free resources:

• Podcasts Rethinking Our Thinking and Rethinking Our Thinking as Coaches with Nancy Kline
• The 10 components of a Thinking Environment
• Online Assessment of how well you are creating a Thinking Environment
• Audiobook The Promise That Changes Everything – I Won’t Interrupt You by Nancy Kline