There's been so many times when we've gotten ourselves in trouble, when we've lost lives, money and time, over the assumptions that we've made. It has come to a point when we'd say that "assume" is "ass-u-me". It makes an ass out of you and me.

Assumptions are derived from experience, and from formal schooling. Both of these sources, unfortunately, are coloured by factors of culture and knowledge limitations.

The culture we grow up in influences what we experience (the general Singaporean realises early in his life that it's best not to question too much) and also our formal schooling (American curriculum tends to be pretty inward-looking, to the point that understanding of close neighbours like Canada and Mexico could be distorted...and we will not talk about China).

Similarly, knowledge limitations influence our experience (would you dare to venture where you do not know?) and also formal schooling (18th Century Astronomy in Europe indicated 6 planets in our Solar System - no Uranus or Neptune).

And so we carry our set of assumptions with us throughout our lives, making changes whenever new experience or knowledge require us to make adjustments and come up with new assumptions. The discovery of Uranus, for example, upsets all calculations, and the new assumptions derived resulted in the discovery of Neptune, and later Pluto (which is no longer a planet).

In management, some of us have gotten admonished, "Don't assume - ask." I disagree with people who make such statements. Our lives are governed by assumptions - it's impossible not to make assumptions!

Imagine the very simple act of eating a slice of bread. We assume that the act of eating it would nourish us, and the process of eating it would be good, based simply on previous experiences with it.

But wait! Are you sure the bread has not been tampered with? Are you sure the ingredients are not tainted with rye or some other hallucinogens? Are you sure the yeast is ok? Perhaps the person making the bread has HIV and a cut? Perhaps the baking process was improper? Don't assume - ask! But goodness, how do we know whether the person we ask are either not lying or else knows the whole truth?

Or how about getting into the elevator? How do you know it's safe? Has the maintence been done? Was the maintenance done properly? Perhaps a freak accident just 10 minutes ago has weakened the cable considerably? Perhaps the electrical circuit is going to blow a chip soon (but passed the test because it fits into the requirements?)? Could you trust that certificate of maintence signed by the supervisor? Paranoia sets in, and you'd rather take the stairs. But you're sure the stairs are not going to collapse any moment?

You'd never get to get that slice of bread if you cannot make the assumption that it should be ok. You'd never get to your apartment unless you make the assumption that, generally, the lift should be safe. Our life is based around assumptions, so to tell the person who made the mistake that he's wrong in assuming is very bad leadership.

Someone was once asked, "How do you avoid bad mistakes?"
"By having plenty of experience."
"And how do you get plenty of experience?"
"By making plenty of bad mistakes."

I've heard also the story of this executive who has just make a decision that cost the company several million dollars in losses. Ashamed of himself, he went to the CEO to tender his resignation. The CEO glared at him and yelled, "I've spent millions of dollars in educating you and now you want to leave? Get out of my face and get back to work!"

A manager who understands this part of life tries to cover as many possible assumptions as possible with his new subordinate. An organisation handbook or the department Standing Operating Procedures (yes, my dear military friends, SOP is not Standard Operating Procedures - they are standing because they are always in place) would be of great help to the new subordinate. He would also understand that he'd need time to make his bad mistakes and gain experience.

The good manager gives his subordinate that space to make the bad mistakes and covers for him. Such managers can give his subordinates the badly needed space to learn and become better persons.

I think asses make great pack animals and companions, if you allow them to!