Challenge Your Assumptions

(Part Three of Our Series on "Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar)

Assumptions make our lives easier. As creatures of habit we frequently rely on our assumptions and past experiences to drive our actions. Most of our day, with few exceptions, is driven by our unconscious assumptions and habits developed over time versus creative thinking and new conscious thought.

For example, when cooking over an open flame you automatically draw your hand back when you feel heat from the flame. This “stimulus-thought-response” chain of events relates to pain you previously felt from burning your hand. This automatic assumption serves you well and avoids a painful experience.

In business, however, this is often not the case. Cancer Registrars, for example, may use any number of assumptions, or statements of belief about their work, such as:

• “That won’t work here.”
• “I’ve tried that before.”
• “We don’t get support for that here.”
• “They just don’t listen to me.”

Brilliant, and successful, Cancer Registrars know that these assumptions can be challenged and take great pleasure in defying them. They welcome the opportunity to look within themselves, to create a new energy and develop new directions to solving problems or leading their Cancer Registry in a different direction.

Each of us has an inner reservoir of talent, ability, and intelligence. It is endless and readily available if we are willing to step out of our comfort zone to tap into these resources. Whatever you face, taking one step closer to success means you must trust your inner self, ignore criticism and judgment, and let go of your own resistance to doing something differently or believing that you can make a difference. Developing a new habit or behavior, based on what you know in your heart to be the right thing to do, is all the evidence you need to make your passion become reality. This mindset is what creates harmony and balance in life and business and determines your path between success and failure.

Here are six tips to help you challenge your assumptions:

1. Recognize that you, and everyone else, have assumptions about every situation.
2. Ask basic questions in order to discover and challenge those assumptions.
3. Compare the ground rules and assumptions to your situation or problem and then ask yourself, “What if we do the opposite of the norm?”
4. Pretend you are not a Cancer Registrar and ask yourself, “Why do we do it this way at all?”
5. Reduce the problem or situation to its most basic elements for understanding and creative problem solving.
6. Restate the problem in completely different terms.

It is up to you to decide what you would like to do to drive growth and success in your Cancer Registry. You must be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to challenge your assumptions and develop new behaviors to help you grow personally and professionally. By tapping into your inner resources you will develop a new mindset that is creative and in harmony with everyone you encounter.

http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.