Dr. Greg Waddell
Mid-south Christian College

Look at the words in the box.
Slumber Pillow
Dream Night
Bed Blanket
Quiet Pajamas
Nap Snooze

Now write down on a piece of paper as many of the
words in the box that you can remember.

Our minds tend to categorize things
and then squeeze what we see into our
categories.

Triangles

Triangles

Circles

Circles

Our categories
begin to organize
themselves into
systems.

Our categories
begin to organize
themselves into
systems.

Our systems begin to organize
themselves into ideologies.

Goodness

Goodness
Wealth

How these two
Goodness
are connected
Wealth

Learning at the level of our mental
models is categorically different from
everyday learning.

Problem

Problem
Cause

Solution Problem
Cause

Implement
Solution Problem
Cause

Implement
Solution Problem
Cause

Implement
Solution Problem
Cause Assumptions

Implement
Solution Problem Priorities
Cause Assumptions

Implement Categories
Solution Problem Priorities
Cause Assumptions

• Teach your staff to
recognize their own
mental maps.

• Teach your staff to
recognize their own
mental maps.
• Develop a culture of
psychological safety
where people feel
free to expose their
mental maps.

• Teach your staff to
recognize their own
mental maps.
• Develop a culture of
psychological safety
where people feel
free to expose their
mental maps.
• As a leader, be willing
to set the example.

“Get your model out there where it can be
shot at. Invite others to challenge your
assumptions and add their own. Instead of
becoming a champion for one possible
explanation or hypothesis or model, collect as
many as possible.”
Donella Meadows, \"Dancing With Systems: What to Do When Systems Resist
Change,\" 2001; available from http://www.wholeearthmag.com/ArticleBin/447.html

Sources
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institutions. Washington University: Center for the Study of Political Economy. Accessed
September 23, 2006 from http://129.3.20.41/eps/eh/papers/9309/9309003.pdf
Pfeffer, J. (2005) Changing mental models: HR's most important task. Human Resource
Management 44(2), 123-128. Retrieved September 24, 2006, from Wiley InterScience
Richards, D. (2001) Coordination & shared mental models. Journal of Political Science 45(2),
259-276. Retrieved October 4, 2006, from Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost
Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization
(Revised ed.). New York: Currency/Doubleday. (Original work published 1996).
Argyris, C. & Schön, D. A. (1996). Organizational learning II: Theory, method, & practice.
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kim, D. H. (1993) The link between individual & organizational learning. Sloan Management
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