Fickle. Disloyal. Money-minded. Shirkers. Evaders. Such are the labels I hear about employees from leaders.
The minute I talk about engagement of staff, that very minute I get this response.
Many leaders vehemently state how much they do for their teams and how little the team appreciates it. They eloquently describe how they gave increments and promotion only to discover that the employees quit after a few months. This of course upsets them. They feel frustrated and call them job hoppers and professional con artists.
While this may be true in some cases, this may become a generalization that colours the leader’s behaviour.
The colour we give is the colour we see. The colour we see is the colour we behave. The coloured behaviour then is followed by a set of consequences.
Science has proven that no two brains are alike. Each has its own uniqueness. Even with the same circumstances, two brains differ.
Most people follow their assumptions. They assume on the basis of their own interpretation coloured by their experiences and beliefs. In my coaching sessions the most fascinating part is how the same thing can have paradoxical interpretations.
One leader will come and complain about the pre-mature market and uncertain sales. Another leader will come and be excited about entering the same market as he believes that there is little competition.
The set of assumptions they carry about the same market is different. These assumptions then colour everything including the end results.
Leaders have to be wary of the circle of assumptions they carry. There are 4 basic assumptions in this circle that they need to question before they make a decision:
Assumption#1— Is it a self-fulfilling assumption? Our brains look at the data we want to believe in due to our previous experience. For example, most men while driving assume that if car ahead of them is parking in a wrong lane, it must be a woman driver. That is because they have experienced it many times previously. One of the most common coaching areas for me is to get leaders out of this “confirmation bias”. In a meeting a leader may assume that the person with a loptop open is distracted and inattentive. This may make him biased and upset. He may in turn try to ignore him in the meeting. When the person is being overlooked he may feel demotivated and stop contributing. When the person stops contributing the leader will say “I told you he is not up to the mark”. That is what a self-fulfilling assumption is. In some cases it may be true but in many cases it is not. When I asked the leader to find out about the behaviour of why that person had his eyes on the laptop, it was not because he was not interested. On the contrary, he was the most interested member as he was writing down each word the leader was saying. Imagine the loss if the leader had not checked his assumption.
Assumption#2— Am I tilted towards a side? This happens when we have to make a choice between two options. We have a favourable assumption about one option that leads to a selection decision. Once the leader makes a choice of, for example, of promoting a certain person over another, they then try to prove themselves right even when they are wrong. This is known as the “cognitive dissonance” bias. The brain is ultra smart in weeding out information contrary to the choices. Look at how when we buy a certain product after comparing two brands we only want to know the good points of our choice and the bad points of the choice we forgo. Similarly, we wonder why leaders knowing about a wrong selection keep on insisting it is right. Their cognitive assumption only makes them see the partial picture.
Assumption#3— Am I assuming based on the recent information? This happens due to the “recency bias”. The brain has a short memory. It is not easy to dig deeper. To go back in time takes effort. Many leaders are too preoccupied and distracted. An employee’s good work most of the year round may be forgotten if he makes a blunder that annoys the leader. This annoyance may bother the leader so much that the previous efforts may be overlooked. That is why we see so many smart employees pushing up their efforts at the time of appraisal to take advantage of the “recency bias”. Leaders who are unable to take a wholesome view are then making decisions that our coloured by the freshness of the memory.
Assumption #4— With all my experience I know more— This is known as the assumption of competence. The leader assumes that since he has more years of experience, more span of control, he can make better judgements. This assumption is justified to some extent, but not always. I often hear from people talking to younger employees “I have more experience than your age” or “Have not spent time in the sun to grey my hair”. These statements are just an aging fact. Age by no means guarantees competence or maturity. There is also a fear in leaders that if they ask younger employees for some help, it will make them look incompetent. These fears and assumptions then pollute their ability to be non-discriminatory and just.
Assumptions if left unchecked are dangerous. They lead to poor decision making. They hurt undeserving people. They eventually hurt the leader’s reputation and image. The leader must ensure that his decision-making is not enslaved by his own mind’s limitations. Firstly, leaders must have a vulnerability mindset. That may be the biggest challenge.
The ability of the leader to accept that his thought process may be incorrect requires high integrity and humility. Secondly, the leader must have a ‘Red Team’ that checks the facts and verifies the existing perceptions.
Thirdly, the leader must seek information that gives a more holistic view about the person or the issue at hand. In the end, it is simple-question your assumptions before they become questionable.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is a columnist, consultant, coach, and an analyst and can be reached at [email protected]
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