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# Balancing advocacy and inquiry
![[calendar-plus.svg]] <small>Apr 09, 2022</small> | ![[calendar-clock.svg]] <small>Jan 02, 2023</small> 🏷️ [[Communication]], [[Learning]], [[Leadership MOC|Leadership]]
This is a great tool for testing and changing [[mental models]], both our own and those of others. In a productive discussion, we can balance [[advocacy]] and [[inquiry]] by laying out our reasoning and thinking and then encouraging others to challenge us.
![[advocacy inquiry grid.png]]
### When advocating
- Reveal your thinking and conclusions when taking a position - walk up the [[Ladder of Inference]]
- Describe the data you're using
- Explain your assumptions
- State why you're saying what you're saying
- Publicly test your conclusions and assumptions
- How does what I've said sound to you?
- Do you see any flaws in my reasoning?
- What makes sense to you and what doesn't?
- Encourage others to provide different views or confront yours
- Do you see it differently?
- Does anyone have any different data?
- Do you see any ways I can improve it?
- Listen and stay open
- Avoid being defensive
### When inquiring
- Ask others to describe their though processes - walk down the [[Ladder of Inference]]
- Find out what data they've selected and are using to make assumptions
- Verify their assumptions
- What leads you to conclude that?
- Share your reasons (concerns, hopes, needs) for inquiring
- I'm asking because...
- Listen for a new understanding
- What are the implications of looking at it this way?
- Use [[left-hand column]] as a resource to raise your concerns
- State what is leading you to have them
- When you say... I worry that...
## Sources
[[ORGL 615 Discussion Board Primer - Conners]]