Let’s delve into the concept of assumed knowledge. If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely come across the term “Assume” and what it means (of course, we are going to keep things clean here). The issue of assumed knowledge often leads to confusion and frustration among individuals attending goal-setting training sessions, hindering their genuine desire to learn and achieve their objectives. Let me illustrate this with an example.
Imagine you’re an eight-year-old wanting to surprise your parents by baking a cake. You diligently gather all the ingredients, carefully measuring 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and three eggs. So far, so good. Following the instructions precisely, you preheat the oven, mix the cake ingredients, and bake according to the provided guidelines. The instructions seem crystal clear to us, right? But consider this from an eight-year-old’s perspective – what’s missing? The instructions never explicitly mention not using the eggshells. That’s going to be one crunchy cake!
The person who wrote those instructions assumed that whoever was making the cake would naturally know not to use the eggshells. Now, you might be thinking, “That’s a silly example; everyone knows not to use the shells.” Fair point, but let me pose another question: How often have you come across advice in conferences or goal-setting books telling you something as simple as to write down your goals? Probably quite frequently. But here’s the catch – how many times have you actually written your goals down? Were you aware that for optimal effectiveness, you should do it at least once a day, preferably twice (morning and night)? This is the “Assumed Knowledge” I’m referring to. Trainers often assume you know to do it more than once, but if you’re not entrenched in the goal-setting world, how would you know? And this is just one example.
This is precisely why having a knowledgeable coach or trainer is paramount. You need someone who can guide you through the process step by step, avoiding assumptions about what you know and taking the time to truly understand your knowledge gaps. Finding the right coach can make all the difference in you achieving your goals!