Tool Time #4: DIVE

Slow down your thinking. Strengthen your communication.

In leadership, and in life, we are constantly making meaning.  We walk into a meeting, read an email, notice someone’s tone, see a reaction… and almost instantly, we decide what it means.

The challenge?

We don’t always realize how quickly we move from what we see to what we believe about it.

That’s where this tool comes in.

The DIVE Tool

DIVE stands for:

• Describe
• Interpret
• Verify
• Evaluate

It’s a simple framework—but it asks us to do something that’s not always easy:  slow down our thinking long enough to get more accurate.

Why this matters

Most of us have been in situations where something small escalates quickly:  A comment feels off. A colleague seems disengaged. A decision doesn’t land the way we expected.

And before we know it, we’ve already decided:

• what happened
• why it happened
• what it means
• and how we feel about it

All without checking if our interpretation is actually true.

DIVE helps interrupt that pattern.

D — Describe

What do you actually observe?

This is the most grounded, and often the most skipped, step. Description is about sticking to observable facts:

• What was said?
• What happened?
• What can be seen or heard—without adding meaning?

Think: just the facts.

In practice, this might sound like:

• “They didn’t respond to my email.”
• “They interrupted me twice in the meeting.”
• “They left right after the agenda ended.”

No assumptions. No story. Just what’s observable.

I — Interpret

What do you think is going on?

This is where meaning-making begins. Interpretations are shaped by:

• past experiences
• cultural lenses
• expectations
• current stress levels

And they can feel very real.

Examples:

• “They’re ignoring me.”
• “They don’t respect my input.”
• “They’re not invested in this work.”

Interpretations aren’t necessarily wrong—but they are not the same as facts.

V — Verify

How accurate is your interpretation?

This added step makes a meaningful difference. Verification is where we pause and ask:

• What else could be true?
• What might I be missing?
• Have I checked this with the person?

It might look like:

• asking a clarifying question
• naming your observation and inviting perspective
• checking assumptions before acting on them

For example:

“I noticed you had to leave right after the meeting—was everything okay, or is there something I should know about timing moving forward?”

Verification doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It means you’re open to being more accurate.

E — Evaluate

What do you think about it?

This is where judgment comes in.  It’s where we decide:

• Is this okay?
• Is it a problem?
• Does something need to change?

Evaluation is necessary—especially in leadership. But when we evaluate without verifying, we risk:

• misreading situations
• damaging relationships
• making decisions based on incomplete information

Where this shows up in real life

DIVE shows up in everyday moments like:

• responding to an email that feels abrupt
• navigating tension in a meeting
• giving feedback
• making decisions about people or priorities

The difference is simple—but powerful:

Are you reacting to what actually happened…
or to the story you’ve already told yourself about it?

A simple way to practice

Next time something feels off, try this:

1. Describe: What did I actually observe?
2. Interpret: What story am I telling myself?
3. Verify: What else could be true? Have I checked?
4. Evaluate: Now, what do I think—and what do I want to do?

You don’t have to do it perfectly.  But even pausing between Interpret and Evaluate can shift everything.

Why this tool matters for inclusive leadership

When we skip steps, especially verification, we often default to our own lens. And our lens is shaped by our identities, experiences, and cultural conditioning.

DIVE helps us:

• reduce misinterpretation
• stay curious longer
• make more informed decisions
• build stronger, more trusting relationships

It doesn’t remove bias completely.  But it gives us a way to work with it – more consciously.

Final thought

This tool isn’t about slowing you down for the sake of it. It’s about helping you move with more clarity, more care, and more accuracy—especially when things feel uncertain or charged.

Because the story we tell ourselves matters.

And so does taking the time to make sure it’s true.