Problem solving patterns in leaders’ conversations: Maybe we’re just hard-wired to think our beliefs are truth

Abstract

This research considers patterns in educational leaders’ thinking and conversational behaviours as they attempt to solve problems with another party who is the primary subject of the leaders’ concern. A sample of 26 educational leaders provided data by completing a preconversation questionnaire, recording their own conversation, transcribing it and annotating the transcript with their unspoken thoughts and feelings. Transcripts were coded for two sets of behaviours that allow for testing one’s own beliefs about a problem - inquiry and advocacy behaviours. Three sets of patterns were examined in regard to the coded behaviours: firstly, patterns of beliefs the leaders had about the nature, causes and solutions to problems, secondly, patterns of testing behaviours and the extent to which leaders tested these beliefs in the conversation with the other party, and finally, the analysis examined the two sets of patterns in relation to each other - exploring which beliefs leaders were more or less likely to test. The main findings were as follows. The leaders limited the number of key beliefs they disclosed about the nature of problems and solutions and significantly limited the disclosure of their key beliefs about problem causes. They also generated a small number of new key beliefs during the conversation. Leaders tested a limited number of their key beliefs with the other party and avoided more complex and challenging testing behaviours. Also, a significant proportion of leaders were manipulative in their use of inquiry conversational behaviours with the apparent intent to lead the other party towards the leader’s undisclosed beliefs about problem causes which consequently justified the leaders’ solutions to problems. Cognitive biases, defensive reasoning and avoiding negative emotion are likely to have contributed to the leaders’ thinking and behaviour in conversations. These findings suggest that the problem-solving efforts of many leaders are unlikely to address complex problems because they are geared towards persuading the other party of the leaders’ key beliefs about the nature of problems and problem causes and solutions through a degree of non-disclosure and manipulative behaviour. A further likely result of the level of manipulation through inquiry behaviours is a negative impact on the commitment of the other party to the solutions that were proposed.