MINDSET DEVELOPMENT

AND CRITICAL THINKING

Exercises to distinguish between FACTS and OBSERVATION

Are These Facts or Observations?

1. You are reading this sentence now.

2. On the Earth, if you drop something, it will fall to the ground.
3. Windows are made from glass.
4. The economy is better now than it was in 2009.
5. My project is due in 45 days.
6. Successful businesses have innovative products.
7. My manager is responsible for evaluating performance.
8. As a manager, I’m responsible for evaluating the performance
of my direct reports.
9. Our competitors just lowered their prices.
10. Over the past year, I received more than 50 e-mails per day
Exercises to distinguish FACTS, OBSERVATIONS and EXPERIENCES
Are These Facts, Observations, or Experiences?

1. Someone says to you, “Wow, there’s a lot of traffic out there.”

2. You are driving and you say, “Wow, there’s a lot of traffic out here.”
3. You pass a road sign that says, “Traffic ahead.”
4. Our projects are always late.
5. I just spoke to a customer. He said that our service is the best
he has ever experienced.
6. The store’s hours are posted, and the sign reads, “Open at 9:00 am.”
7. The store opens at 9:00 am.
8. I went to the store, and the door was locked.
9. Our supplier said it will have the delivery to us within three days.
10. In the past, when our supplier says it will deliver within three days, I always see the delivery truck
pull up in one or two days.
Exercises for CONCLUSIONS
Although you normally wouldn’t use conclusion tools for simple, automatic conclusions, I’ll suggest a
few here so that you can practice:

1. Listen to any conversation between two people expressing their opinions, keeping in mind that an
opinion is a conclusion. Listen carefully to what they say. You’ll hear them convey observations as facts
and talk about experiences. Although they might not say outright, “Here are my assumptions,” you’ll
hear those come out, too.

2. As you think about your next lunch, think about how you actually conclude what to eat or where to
go—whether you make lunch at home and bring it to work, go to the company cafeteria, or go out to
eat. For example, it’s Friday, you like burgers, and you see a special on juicy burgers in the cafeteria. You
say, “That looks good (observation), but I haven’t barbequed for a few weeks (experience). I think we’ll
grill this weekend (assumption), so maybe I should have the salad.” You also considered what you read
(observation) about too much cholesterol and how you don’t feel great (experience) when you eat too
many hamburgers and concluded that the salad is healthier for you. You’ll be amazed how much
thinking you do in automatic mode and how quickly you do it.

3. Try having an assumptions conversation about something you have already completed by asking how
you accomplished it. Start by asking what assumptions you made when you began the task.
Exercises for CREDIBILITY
1. Determine whether this statement is credible: there are more atoms in the head of a pin than there
are grains of sand on all the beaches of the world.

2. Which scenario would give you more confidence about receiving your order?
a. I called my supplier, and they said they shipped my order.
b. I called my supplier, and they said they shipped my order, and gave me the tracking number.

3. Spam filters often look at e-mail content and apply rules for credibility. Act as your own spam filter.
Use the philosophy “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Don’t assume it’s definitely bad, but use
more scrutiny when deciding.

4. Look at a forecast, project, production schedule, or some plan with respect to completing something
within a certain time frame. How realistic is the schedule? What observations give you confidence in
that timeline? What can you do to raise confidence? What assumptions are you making about the
schedule, and why?

Exercises for CONSISTENCY

1. What’s a nice restaurant you remember visiting? Look up the reviews of that restaurant on
TripAdvisor. Are those reviews consistent with your experience?

2. Retailer Wal-Mart’s slogan advertises that they have “Always low prices” (an observation). Visit a
SIMILAR SHOP near you. Are the prices you see (now an experience) consistent with that statement?
Look up another company’s slogan, such as Subway’s (“Eat fresh”). Is your experience consistent with
that slogan? Now take a look at the company you work for. Are your products, services, customer
treatment, and pricing all consistent with your company’s slogan or advertisements?

3. Review some data related to your job reflecting a future outcome. If you’re in sales or marketing, look
at a forecast or a quota. If you’re in development or on a project, use a project schedule; if you’re in
manufacturing, use a production forecast; in human resources, perhaps an employee attrition forecast;
in finance, a financial forecast. Is the forecast (observation) consistent with the current trend, sales,
revenue, project plan, or attrition rate? If so, you can have good confidence in the forecast. If not, find
out why!