Judgement

What comes to mind when you think about judgment?

Judgement tends to get a bad rap and often times we focus on the negative aspects of judgments. However, if we look at the Merriam-Webster definition of judgment, it is “the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing.” Look closely, do you see any negativity mentioned? And yet it’s where our minds seem to take us. (I’m sure there’s a correlation to Ladder of Inference intertwined in there somewhere.)



So, what’s the true challenge surrounding judgment? If you think about it, it’s not the actual judgment itself, it’s what we do with the judgement that’s important. Judgment is one of the biggest interrupters of truly listening and connecting with others. We all do it, whether we realize it or not, so don’t judge yourself harshly about your own judgments. The key is to figure out ways in which you can release the control judgment can have over your thinking and behaviors.

Well, why would I want to do that you might ask yourself? Here’s why - when we make judgments about others or their situation, we're blocking ourselves from truly understanding who they are and what they might need. We can end up assuming that we know exactly where they are coming from. And we know what happens when we assume!

How can you hold your judgments lightly?  

Rasheeda Coston, Director of Coaching (rascos@pakeys.org)

Barb Willier, Coaching Coordinator  (barwil@pakeys.org)   

The Pennsylvania Key