Review of “The Thin Book of Naming Elephants” by Hammond and Mayfield
I. MULTIPLE REALITIES “The Thin Book of Naming Elephants” provides a small glimpse into how not discussing problems can be detrimental to any work environment. This can happen due to a number of factors; the greatest of which can be traced back to human nature. Key among these factors are: multiple realities, assumptions, and not paying attention to instincts.
Multiple realities are when two or more people receive the same piece of information, and through their own personal filters have different interpretations of what it means. These misinterpretations can cause significant damage when the information is processed. It is an ongoing concern at my current job.
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As stated earlier, often people do not want to have these talks, but there are ways to encourage this. A simple and direct way is to invite an unencumbered third party to review it. As an example from my own life, I was head of a project team in college who were building a small off road vehicle. One of the team members and I disagreed several times during the project. We were both strong willed and convictions that prevented us from taking criticism well. As a result, we both would automatically assume that the other was wrong about something simply because we did not get along. The unfortunate truth of the matter was that most of our disagreements were result of us looking through our own filters. We would say the same thing but in different ways, but because we were so blinded by our own assumptions we could not or would not acknowledge it. This would go on until another, more level headed, member of the team would interject and point out that we in fact agreed. This is just one of the many ways to get assumptions out in the …show more content…
The book uses a great example of fighter pilots need to sense something early in order to be able to react in time. In a professional setting this means that when you are doing anything in regards to your job, and you sense that something has or is going to go wrong you should pay attention to it.
In my job I often have this feeling, because there are so many unknowns in my work field. To fight this, I cross check my work with other engineers. Also, if it is a project that involves multiple persons, I will inquire to all parties involved as to whether I or another member have missed something in our work. My final process is to sit and quietly do a reality cross check on everything I have done to ensure that I have accounted for everything that I am able.
“The Thin Book of Naming Elephants” is another great piece of literature that is applicable in any work environment. It can also be applied to personal life as many of the things discussed are done naturally by practically everyone on a daily basis. This book reminds us that although things have always worked in one way that doesn’t mean that they should, or will continue to. This is a hard reality that must be acknowledged, especially in the engineering and technology