Mental Models
diambil dari
The Fifth Discipline
Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art
and practice of the learning organization.
New York: Doubleday.
Mental Models
Mental models are deeply ingrained
assumptions, generalizations, or even
pictures or images that influence how
we understand the world and how
we take [Link] often, we are not
consciously aware of our mental
models or the effects they have on
our behavior.
Mental Models
deeply ingrained assumptions
and generalizations
honest and critical scrutiny of
entrenched mental models
transcend mental models in
order for change to take place
The Core Disciplines : Mental Models
◦ Semi-permanent tacit "maps" of the world
which people hold in their long-term memory,
and the short-term perceptions which people
build up as part of their everyday reasoning
process
◦ Deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations,
or mental images that influence how we
understand the world
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The Core Disciplines
When you apply for jobs, who are you
competing against?
When you are a Manager…
◦ What tasks will you be doing?
◦ What knowledge will you need?
◦ What skills will you be using?
◦ What is the standard of job performance your
employer will expect of you?
◦ What is the standard of job performance you will
expect of yourself?
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What’s the Problem?
Many of the best ideas never get put into
practice
◦ Why???
◦ Because they conflict with deeply held internal
images of how the world works
◦ These images limit us to familiar ways of
thinking and acting
We keep making the same mistakes over
and over again--we’re not learning
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Why are MMs so powerful in
affecting what we do?
They affect what we see
◦ They become the cognitive lense through which we
view the world
◦ Two people with different MMs can see the same
situation and describe it differently
◦ Big three auto-makers believed Americans bought
cars on the basis of styling
◦ Today outdated MMs dominate the service industries,
which still provide mediocre quality in the name of
controlling costs
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So the Problem arises when our
mental model is wrong…RIGHT?
WRONG!!!
The problem with mental models is that
they are tacit--below the level of
awareness
We don’t realize that our behavior is
being dictated by a certain mental model
that we have bought into deeply
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Overcoming the basic diseases of
the hierarchy
For hierarchical organizations the dogma
is “manage, organize, control”
For learning organizations, the dogma is
vision, values, and MMs
Healthy firms are ones that bring people
together to develop the best possible
MMs for facing any situation at hand
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Left-Hand Column Analysis
◦ The left-hand column details what you were thinking
◦ The right-hand column details what was actually said
Sample case: Jim is an R&D project manager.
Jim assumes his supervisor Todd feels harshly
about him. Jim just had a conversation with
Todd. Jim writes out the conversation with
Todd in the right-hand column and his thoughts
at the time in the left.
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TODD: Jim, I’d like to come
We’re two months late and I down there next week. We’re a
don’t think he knew. I was few weeks behind, and I think we
hoping we could catch up might all benefit from a meeting
at your office.
I need to make it clear that I’m
willing to take responsibility for ME: I’ve been very concerned
about these deadlines. As you
this, but I don’t want to
know, we’ve had some tough
volunteer for more work luck here, and we’re working
He never offers this help in the around the clock. But of course,
planning stages, when I could we’ll squeeze in a meeting at
really use it. It’s too late now your convenience.
to bring that up. TODD: Well, its occurred to me
The changes he keeps making that we could use better
are the real reason we’re late. coordination. There are some
He must have another one. ways I could help.
It’s a shame I can’t tell him that ME: Well, I’m happy to talk
he’s the cause of the delays. If I through any changes you have in
can hold him off two more mind.
weeks, I think we’ll be ready. TODD: I don’t have anything
specific in mind
Prepared by James R. Burns 12
Hanover’s Credo
The effectiveness of a leader is related to the
continual improvement of the leader’s mental models
Don’t impose a favored mental model on people
Self-concluding decisions result in deeper convictions
and more effective implementation
Better mental models enable owners to adjust to
change in environment or circumstance
Internal board members rarely need to make direct
decisions
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Hanover’s Credo, Continued
Multiple mental models bring multiple
perspectives
Groups add dynamics and knowledge beyond
what one person can do alone
The goal is not congruency among the group
When the process works it leads to congruency
The leaders’ worth is measured by their
contribution to others’ MMs
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Reflection and Inquiry Skills: Managing
Mental Models at Personal and
Interpersonal Levels
Reflection skills concern becoming more
aware of how we form our mental models
and the ways they influence our actions
Inquiry skills concern how we operate in
face-to-face interactions with others
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Reflection Skills
Recognize leaps of abstraction
Miller’s 7 plus/minus 2 rule
Untested models of customer behavior
are often leaps of abstraction
To surface leaps of abstraction, ask “What
do I believe about how the world works?”
Then ask, “Is this generalization inaccurate
or misleading?”
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As a Human Resources Manager, what will
you bring to the table?
◦ How should the job performance of someone
in this job be evaluated?
◦ How much should this job pay?
◦ Is this training program working?
◦ Does this test discriminate?
◦ Does this test predict job performance?
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Leaps of Abstraction
Left-Hand Column
Mental
Models
Balancing Inquiry
and Advocacy
Espoused Theory
versus Theory-in-Use
Cornerstones of a Learning Organisation
Aspiration: Individual Personal Mastery
& Collective Shared Vision
Mental Models
Systems
Thinking Team Learning
Understanding Collaboration
Complexity & Change
What are self-limiting mental models?
How do they influence our thinking
processes?
Self-limiting mental models are assumptions or
beliefs that “define” what is “easy to do,
“possible”, “realistic” or “achievable” and restrict
what people aspire for.
How do we usually define “health
problems”?
1. “Deviation from a norm” or “indicator chasing”
2. Existing “solutions” in tool box
- Ideology
- Training
3. Knee-jerk “lack of resources”
Deviation from the “norm”
1. Who determines the “norm”? MDG?
2. What if “norm” is the source of the
problem?
3. Restoration of “norm” is system
maintenance not improvement
Use existing solutions - When we have a
hammer, everything looks like a nail!
1. Trainer - everything is a training problem.
2. Manager - everything is a management problem.
3. Community mobilizer - everything is a community
mobilization problem.
4. Medical doctor -everything is a medical problem.
Lack of resources
1. Resources are universal constraints -
when will we ever have enough?
2. Are we using existing resources effectively
and efficiently?
3. How resourceful are we?
What is an alternative way to defining
problems?
Define problems in terms of why there is a
difference between what we want (shared
vision) and what is happening (current
situation) and how to bridge this
difference.
Our choices in defining health problems
1. Deviation from a 4. Ask why is there a
norm difference between our
shared vision and the
2. Tools in our tool current situation?
box 5. Other ways?
3. “Lack resources”
Approach requires two things
1. We need to know clearly what we want.
2. We need to know clearly what is
happening now.
The “war” on HIV/AIDS
It took more than 20 years since HIV/AIDS appeared
before Kofi Anan declared “war” on HIV/AIDs in
Abuja, Nigeria. He declared that the UN will raise
$10 billion a year and will mobilize all the resources
of the UN system to fight HIV/AIDS.
How do health strategy concepts compare
with military concepts?
Grand strategy Shared vision
Strategic level Policy
Operational level Program strategy
Tactical level Campaign strategy
