Mental Models For Managing Change - The Ladder Of Inference

The Inner Game of Change

Welcome to a very special mini-series on The Inner Game of Change. I’m thrilled to take you on this journey as we explore something both timeless and practical: Mental Models for Managing Change.

In this episode of Mental Models for Managing Change, we explore a mental model that helps us pause, reflect, and challenge how we make sense of the world around us: The Ladder of Inference.

Developed by organisational psychologist Chris Argyris and later popularised by Peter Senge, this model shows how quickly we move from observing facts to taking action — often based on assumptions, not evidence.

It is especially useful in moments of tension, misalignment, or misunderstanding — and in change work, those moments happen often.

If you have ever walked away from a meeting wondering, “How did we end up on such different pages?”, this episode is for you.

Learn how to recognise the thinking patterns that drive your decisions, how to stay grounded in what is observable, and how to open up better, more constructive conversations — even during complex change.

Listen now to step off the ladder, and into clearer, more intentional leadership.

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Ali Juma
@The Inner Game of Change podcast

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Chapters

1. Mental Models For Managing Change - The Ladder Of Inference (00:00:00)

2. Welcome and Introduction (00:00:05)

3. What is a Mental Model? (00:00:35)

4. The Ladder of Inference Explained (00:01:11)

5. Why This Matters in Change Work (00:02:23)

6. Practical Application Techniques (00:04:50)

7. Reflection Challenge and Episode Closing (00:05:41)