Page 93 - Fearless Leadership

80 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

3. You form a judgment about the “exception.” It doesn’t
make sense that Fred is friendly today and was abrupt and aloof
yesterday. You add an interpretation to the facts and attempt to
make meaning of this change in behavior. You may think,
“Fred is political so he’s covering up the problem and putting
on a good show.”
4. You make up a story about the “exception.” You build a story
that links and explains why Fred is behaving differently today.
Your story is designed to ensure that the exception proves the
rule. For example: “Fred’s slick; he’s buying time with the Board
situation. He’s going to manipulate this so he comes out on top.”
5. You search for past evidence about the “exception.” The
search for past evidence is to prove that you are right, not
discover something new. For example: “Fred never reveals
what is really going on so we need to watch him carefully.”
6. You predict the future using the “exception” to be right.
You have now traveled full circle, and the mind predicts the
future. You might think, “All of this friendly behavior is just a
show so Fred can get himself a great package when he leaves.”

By the end of the loop, the exception has proven the rule. Contradictory
information, behavior, and actions are distorted to support your view. In
automatic listening, you are guilty and will not be proven innocent, and
there is no court of appeals.
The following example of two business groups in an insurance com-
pany illustrates how automatic listening can lead to costly problems.

Automatic Listening and Distrust between
Two Groups Impacts Business Results

The New York claims office had decreased its referrals to the San
Diego office by an estimated 50 percent. This was based on their
automatic point of view, which was described as follows: “We no
longer have confidence that the San Diego office will adhere to
our process.”

What Happened. There was a long history between these two
offices, which fueled the belief that the San Diego office was not up