PBL Participant Toolbook
NORMS of Objectivity
“What you don’t
see with your
eyes, don’t invent
with your
tongue.”
—Jewish proverb
 2002 CLG
Context
Stan is reading an e-mail from Rick, his boss:
Thank you for the proposal you submitted regarding
expansion into a new region. As you know, our recent
reorganization has left all of us with plenty of questions.
Because of the confusion and lack of clarity in our
environment, I don’t think it’s a good time to move
forward with your project. We need to focus on the
basics right now. It doesn’t mean that we won’t pick up
the project later—it’s just not the right time.
As Stan read the e-mail, he questioned what Rick meant. Did he
mean the proposal was not on target? That Stan should stop all
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activity that wasn’t considered “the basics?” And just what were
NORMS of Objectivity
“the basics” anyway? Was this a sign that a decision had been made
that Stan didn’t know about? Based on Stan’s interpretation of
Rick’s message, he began to generate ideas about how he should
act, and more importantly, how he should not act.
Rick’s intent was not at all how Stan interpreted it. However, Rick’s
message was so general and subjective, that it left the door wide
open for interpretation.
Imagine how different Stan’s reaction would have been if Rick’s e-
mail message had been more objective:
Thank you for the proposal you submitted regarding
expansion into a new region. It’s a tough call for me
right now, given our reorganization. I firmly believe we
need to limit our capital expenditures to projects and
activities that will directly impact our scorecard metrics.
Your proposal is borderline—it’s not clear that expansion
 PBL Participant Toolbook

right now would impact our metrics in the short term. I

believe your analysis was on target and would like to
talk with you about incorporating many of your thoughts
into other current projects, such as Jim and Gloria’s.
Can we meet to discuss this sometime this week?

Description
Successful leaders recognize when they are being objective or
subjective, and they make adjustments in their communications
accordingly. Objectivity involves using words and descriptors that
are factual and neutral. Subjectivity involves moving beyond the
facts and adding opinions, judgments, interpretations, etc. When
you add your own judgment or interpretation, you are being “The major
subjective. Loaded language is an example of one way your
judgments and interpretations are communicated. You are also barrier to
being subjective in your communications when you describe things interpersonal
that cannot be directly observed, such as someone else’s thoughts
or intentions. communication is
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our natural
NORMS of Objectivity

The NORMS of Objectivity is a tool to help you differentiate when

you and others are being objective or subjective. The NORMS tendency to
stand for:
judge.”
• Not an interpretation
• Observable —Carl Rogers,
• Reliable Psychologist
• Measurable
• Specific

 2002 CLG
PBL Participant Toolbook
OBJECTIVE
N
Not an interpretation
An unbiased statement about
an event or behavior
O
Observable
Based on specific behaviors or
events that are actually seen or
heard
R
Reliable
Two or more people
independently agree on what
they observed
M
Measurable
A number can be used to
describe important aspects of a
behavior or event
S
Specific
Based on a detailed description
of what happened—who was
involved, when and where it
happened, what the context
and sequence of events were
Examples
OBJECTIVE
“Gil interrupted the speaker
twice during the meeting.”
“Michael missed his deadline
earlier today.”
“It’s been nearly a week since
the last update.”
 2002 CLG
SUBJECTIVE
Interpretation
Based on personal
interpretations of why people
behave as they do.
Interpretations contain biases
or opinions. Loaded language
often contains a great deal of
interpretation
Non-observable
Events that cannot be observed
directly—like someone’s
thoughts and feelings
Unreliable
Two or more people disagree
about what they observed
Non-measurable
A number is not used to
describe a behavior or event—
terms like, “always,” “many,” or 17
“sometimes,” are used instead
NORMS of Objectivity
General
Based on non-detailed
descriptions of behavior and its
context
SUBJECTIVE
“Gil always dominates the
conversation.”
“Michael’s head is not in
the game.”
“We never get any
information about what’s
going on.”
 PBL Participant Toolbook

Guidelines and Best Practices

It’s best to be objective when:

• Providing positive or constructive feedback

• Providing direction or instructions about a task

• Dealing with an emotionally charged or potentially difficult

situation. For example, when someone repeats an emotionally
charged rumor, ask “How much of that is verified?”

It’s OK to be subjective when:

• Talking about your feelings or perceptions. Phrase your

statement, “In my opinion …” or “I feel that …”

It’s generally not a good idea to:

• Use loaded language to make a point, since it induces a strong

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emotional reaction in the listener and can derail the discussion.
NORMS of Objectivity

Examples of loaded language include the following:

■ “That is a ridiculous idea.”

■ “I don’t understand such incompetence.”

■ “Could you please stop that irritating behavior?”

 2002 CLG