MENTAL

MODELS
Presented By:
RUHI BERI

HOW MANY
OF YOU HAVE
GREAT IDEAS
FOR
YOURSELF?

DO THOSE
IDEAS
REALLY GET
PUT INTO
PRACTICE?

WHERE
DOES THE
REAL
PROBLEM
LIE?

THE
ANSWER
IS
Mental
Models

MENTAL MODELS
Many of the best ideas never get put into practice
because:
They conflict with deeply held internal images of how
the world works. (e.g. Anger)
These images limit us to familiar ways of thinking
How we
and acting.
ACT???

Images
Assumptio
ns
Stories
Generalizati
ons

Our
viewpoint

EXAMPLE
Mom:Son, it is 7 'o clock already. Get up! You are
getting late for school
Son:I don't want to go to school Ma.. The teachers
don't like me and all the students laugh at me.
Mom:Son.. that is no reason to skip school.
Youhaveto go to school -- besides, you are
thePrincipalof the school!!

MENTAL MODELS
Our mental models determine what we see and what
we do not see. They are the symbols that we use to
mentally process the environment in which we function.
Mental models can be simple generalizations such as
"people are untrustworthy," or they can be complex
theories, such as my assumptions about why members
of my family interact as they do. But what is most
important to grasp is that mental models are active;
they shape how we act.
These are the mental constructs that dictate:
The decisions that we take.

THE SECOND DISCIPLINE

The second discipline in the art of building learning
organizations is the discipline of MENTAL MODELS.
Discipline of working with mental models starts with
turning the mirror inward; learning to unearth our
internal pictures of the world, to bring them to the
surface and hold them rigorously to scrutiny.
It involves:
Surfacing these models
Testing these models
Improving our internal pictures of how the world
works

POWER OF MENTAL MODELS

ON OUR ACTIONS
The inherent power of the Mental Models on our actions
lie in the following:
They become the cognitive lens through which we
view the world
Two people with different Mental Models can see the
same situation and describe it differently.
Therefore, it can be said that people observe
selectively, based on their Mental Models, and act
accordingly. (e.g. Argument)

MENTAL MODELS SHAPE

OUR PERCEPTIONS
An Example of Detroit Auto Executives:
Japan was steadily gaining market and profit share in
automobile industry
US automakers felt that the reason behind their
success might be attributed to their management
(apart from cheap labour and protected home markets)
Detroit Executives visited their factories but were
unimpressed as they felt that the manufacturing
operations were all staged for their tour and they were
not shown the real plants because of the absence of
inventories.

MENTAL MODELS SHAPE

OUR PERCEPTIONS
Mental
Model
Real
Plants
have
Inventorie
s

Percepti
on
Japanese
staged
fake
plants for
Detroit
Executive
s

Reality

Just-inTime

THE REAL PROBLEM WITH

MENTAL MODELS
Mental Models are simplifications which may be true
for a particular set of conditions, which are good for a
limited time.
So the problem is not whether these mental models
are right or wrong, the real problem arises when they
become implicit- when they exist below the level of our
awareness.
We dont realize that our behavior is being dictated by
a certain mental model that we have bought into
deeply

HOW IT WORKS???
Reality 1

GAP

Mental
Model

Reality 2
Mental
Model

Unawareness > Unexamined >

Unchanged
*This

gap between the reality and our mental models

lead to counterproductive actions.

MENTAL MODELS AND

SYSTEMS THINKING
Failure to appreciate Mental Models has undermined
many efforts to foster systems thinking.
Example of an American Industrial Goods
Manufacturer :
A leading player was continuously losing market share
A team of MIT system dynamics specialists was
brought in
Post analysis, it was concluded that the production
managers held inventories as low as possible for the
purpose of cost control. They also aggressively cutback
production when orders turned down.
This resulted in unreliable and slow delivery, even

CONTD
The specialists also predicted that deliveries would lag
further during business downturns than during booms.
(counter to conventional wisdom, but was true).
The recommendations were thus implemented,
production rates were maintained and delivery
performance was improved.
This experiment gave results beyond expectations, as
was seen in the next downturn. Market share increased
due to prompter deliveries and repeated buying from
satisfied customers.
Internal systems group was set up but the new policies
were not taken to heart ,as was seen in the recovery
period when managers stopped worrying about delivery

CONTD
Four years later when another recession occurred, the
firm went back to their original low inventories and
began losing market share again.
Reason for the system to drift back to the original state:
The inertia of deeply entrenched mental models which
overwhelmed even the best systemic insights.
Mental Models deeply embedded in firms
management traditions: Importance of inventory
control and the responsibility of every production
manger to avoid stockpiling.

INCUBATING A NEW
BUSINESS WORLDVIEW

Strategizing

Innovation

Working
with Mental
Models
System Thinking

Preparing for Future

Scenarios

WORKING WITH MENTAL

MODELS IN PRACTICE
Three facets to developing an organizations capacity to
surface and test Mental models:
Tools that promote personal awareness and reflective
skills.
Infrastructures that try to institutionalize regular
practice with mental models.
A culture that promotes inquiry and challenging our
thinking.

OVERCOMING THE BASIC

DISEASES OF THE HIERARCHY
For traditional authoritarian organizations the dogma
is Manage, Organize, Control
For learning organizations, the dogma is Vision,
Values, and Mental Models.
Healthy firms are the ones that bring people together
to develop the best possible Mental Models for facing
any situation at hand.
The core values to overcome the basic diseases of the
hierarchy:
Openness
Merit

OVERCOMING THE BASIC

DISEASES OF THE
HIERARCHY

Openness

Merit

Antidote to the
disease of
gamesplaying
that dominated
peoples
behavior in faceto-face meetings

Antidote to the
disease of
bureaucratic
politics in
decision making
by considering
the best interests
of the
organization

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS

IN PRACTISING THESE
VALUES?
Chris Argyriss Action Science offers theory and
method for examining the reasoning that underlies our
actions.
Insulate our
Mental Models
from examination.

Defensive
Routines

Skilled
Incompeten
ce

Highly skillful at
protecting
ourselves from
pain and threat
posed by learning
situations

Failure to learn
lead to
incompetence
which hamper the
achievement of
results we really
want.

Results
Suffer

TOOLS AND SKILLS

Two major skills required to work with Mental Models:
Skills of Reflection: concerns with slowing down our
thinking process so that we can become more aware of
how we form our mental models and the ways they
influence our actions.
Skills of Inquiry: concerns how we operate in faceto-face interactions with others, especially in dealing
with complex and conflicting issues.

CONTD
The tools and methods constituting the core of the
discipline of mental models:
Facing up to distinctions between espoused theories
(what we say) and theories-in-use (the implied theory in
what we do)
Recognizing leaps of abstraction (noticing our
jumps from observation to generalization)
Exposing the left-hand column (articulating what we
normally do not say)
Balancing inquiry and advocacy (skills for effective
collaborative learning)

ESPOUSED THEORY VERSUS

THEORY-IN-USE
One basic reflective skill involves using gaps between
what we say and what we do as a vehicle for becoming
more aware.
The awareness about this gap holds the potential for
creative change. (e.g. Honesty)
Where a gap does exist, the questions to ponder over
are :
Do I really value the espoused theory?
Is it really part of my vision?
If
there
is no the
commitment
to the a
espoused
theory, then
*To
discover
theories-in-use,
ruthlessly
the
gap does notpartner
represent
a tension between reality
compassionate
is needed.

LEAPS OF ABSTRACTION
Leaps of Abstraction occur when we move from direct
observation (concrete data) to generalizations
without testing.
They impede learning because unexamined
assumptions are treated as facts.
The way out:
Ask yourself, what you belief about the way the world
works-the nature of business, people in general, and
specific individuals.
Ask What is the data on which this generalization is
based?
Then ask, Am I willing to consider that this

LEFT-HAND COLUMN
This is a powerful technique to see how our mental
models operate in particular situations.
It reveal ways that we manipulate situations to avoid
dealing with how we actually think and feel, and
thereby prevent a counterproductive situation from
improving.
Steps:
Choosing a Problem
The Right-Hand Column (What Was Said)
The Left-Hand Column (What You Were Thinking)
Reflection: Using Your Left-Hand Column as a
Resource

A SAMPLE CASE
An R&D project manager (Jim) assumes his supervisor
(Todd) feels harshly about him. In the right-hand
column, Jim writes down his last conversation with
Todd. In the left, Jim recalls his own thoughts.

What I was thinking

What we said

We're two months late, and I didn't

think he knew. I was hoping we
could catch up.

TODD: Jim, I'd like to come down

there next week. We're a few weeks
behind, and I think we might all
benefit from a meeting at your
office.

I need to make it clear that I'm

willing to take responsibility for this,
but I don't want to volunteer for
more work.

ME: I've been very concerned about

these deadlines. As you know, we've
had some tough luck here, and
we're working around the clock. But
of course, we'll squeeze in a
meeting at your convenience.

He never offers this help in the

planning stages, when I could really
use it. It's too late now to bring that
up.

TODD: Well, it's occurred to me that

we could use better coordination
between us. There are probably
some ways I could help.

The changes he keeps making are

the real reason we're late. He must
have another one.

ME: Well, I'm happy to talk through

any changes you have in mind.
TODD: I don't have anything specific
in mind.

It's a shame I can't tell him that he's ME: I'd like to have a prototype
the cause of the delays. If I can hold finished to show you before you
him off two more weeks, I think we'll come down. What if we set up

REFLECTION
As you reflect, ask yourself:
What has really led me to think and feel this way?
What was your intention? What were you trying to
accomplish?
Did you achieve the results you intended?
How might your comments have contributed to the
difficulties?
Why didn't you say what was in your left-hand
column?
What assumptions are you making about the other
person or people?
What were the costs of operating this way? What were
the payoffs?

BALANCING INQUIRY AND

ADVOCACY
Advocacy
(Influenci
ng
Others)
Inquiry
(Learnin
g From
Others)

Collaborative
Learning

Involves
articulating
ones own
views and
learning
more about
others
views.

Pu
re
Ad
vo
ca
cy

Ba
la
nc
in
g
In
qu
iry
an
d
GoalAdis to
findvothe
best
ca
cy
argument

Confirming data is
revealed
selectively

Both confirming
and discontinuing
data are revealed

Goal is to
win the
argument

BALANCING INQUIRY AND

ADVOCACY
Reciprocal inquiry can be used in the following manner:
Revealing your views and assumptions, alongwith the
reasoning or the data in support of it.
Inviting others to inquire into them.
Inquiring into others views and assumptions.
Requesting for additional reasoning or data in support
of their views.
*If practised with commitment, this would lead to
collaborative learning.

MENTAL MODELS AND THE

FIFTH DISCIPLINE
Mental Models effect on Systems Thinking:
Entrenched mental models can lead to failure of
system thinking efforts.
If managers believe their views as facts rather than
assumptions, they will not be open to challenging those
views.
If they lack skills in inquiring into their and others
ways of thinking, they will be limited in experimenting
with new ways of thinking.
Systems thinking is equally important to work with
mental models effectively. It helps to uncover the flaws

CONTD
Just as linear thinking dominates most mental models
used for critical decisions today, the learning
organizations of the future will make key decisions
based on shared understandings of interrelationships
and patterns of change.

It is high time
to challenge
our belief
systems and
break-free
towards new
horizons of
learning and
HAVE
FUN
growth!!!

EXPLORING
LIFE
BBy: Harun
Yahya