Cognitive Biases

Strategies to Manage Cognitive Biases

proactive steps to manage the mental short-cuts that impact our thinking

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Cognitive scientists have identified over 150 different cognitive biases that can impact:

• Decision making
• Problem-solving
• Strategy Development
• Working in environments where there is ambiguity and complexity
• Working in diverse teams

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Cognitive Biases in the Workplace

Presentation

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David Rock, Managing Director of the Neuro Leadership Institute, has condensed these 150 Cognitive Biases into 5 categories, to help make them easier to identify and proactively manage. These are reflected in the SEEDS Model.

Expedience

Experience

Safety

Distance

Similarity

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Cognitive Biases in the Workplace - SEEDS

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Tips to manage

• Seek out similarities you share with others, particularly when not immediately obvious.
• Ensure everyone has a clear opportunity to contribute - in async and sync forums
• Stick to the objective criteria and concrete examples when evaluating others.
• Probe into perspectives that run counter to the prevailing thought.

Defining features

• A feeling that people like me are better
• An inherent trust of those like us
• In-group & out-group biases

OverviewEvaluating people who are similar to us or who share similar goals more favorably; perceiving people who are different from us more negatively; common in decisions about people.

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Similarity Biases

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Tips to manage

• Seek out similarities you share with others, particularly when not immediately obvious.
• Ensure everyone has a clear opportunity to contribute - in async and sync forums
• Stick to the objective criteria and concrete examples when evaluating others.
• Probe into perspectives that run counter to the prevailing thought.

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Tips to manage

• Establish objective decision criteria from the start
• Stay true to the agreed process, even if it feels like you can make a quicker decision.
• Mentally stop, review all the inputs, including data points that don’t support the current thinking
• Don't rush - sleep on it

Defining features

• The urge to choose what is familiar and easy
• Making quick decisions to advance the task and keep things moving
• Confirmation bias

OverviewExpedience biases can manifest as going with your gut-feeling or the group majority in decision-making, or coming up with a solution that is convenient.

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Expedience Biases

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Tips to manage

• Establish objective decision criteria from the start
• Stay true to the agreed process, even if it feels like you can make a quicker decision.
• Mentally stop, review all the inputs, including data points that don’t support the current thinking
• Don't rush - sleep on it

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• Seek objective outside opinions from those not involved in the project or team
• Consider the situation from other people’s perspectives.
• Involve a diversity of end-users, stakeholders and/or customers for input and feedback.
• Ask yourself what you don't know related to the decision at hand

Tips to manage

Defining features

• My perceptions are accurate
• Over-reliance on the majority view
• Dismissing details and new information

OverviewThis category of biases focuses on over-reliance on past experiences, your trusted contacts, and/or the status quo.

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Experience Biases

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• Seek objective outside opinions from those not involved in the project or team
• Consider the situation from other people’s perspectives.
• Involve a diversity of end-users, stakeholders and/or customers for input and feedback.
• Ask yourself what you don't know related to the decision at hand

Tips to manage

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• Evaluate the outcomes or resources as if they were equally close to you in distance, time, or ownership
• Test whether you would come to the same decision if it was opposite to the current situation - e.g. sooner or later; closer or further

Tips to manage

Defining features

• Things that are closer are valued as better than those that are distant
• Short-term gain is viewed as more important than long-term pain

OverviewThis category of biases focus on the short-term rather than big picture or long-term investment.

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Distance Biases

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• Evaluate the outcomes or resources as if they were equally close to you in distance, time, or ownership
• Test whether you would come to the same decision if it was opposite to the current situation - e.g. sooner or later; closer or further

Tips to manage

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Tips to manage

• Ask yourself what the costs of the ‘safer option’ are for both the long-term and short-term.
• Imagine you are deciding for someone else.

Defining features

• The negative is stronger than the positive
• Loss aversion

OverviewThis category of biases places more weight on what can go wrong and avoiding risk.

Sources:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345 https://neuroleadership.com/workplace-bias

Safety Biases

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Tips to manage

• Ask yourself what the costs of the ‘safer option’ are for both the long-term and short-term.
• Imagine you are deciding for someone else.

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Tips to Manage Safety Bias

Tip to Manage

• Ask yourself what the costs of the ‘safer option’ are for both the long-term and short-term.
• Imagine you are deciding for someone else.

Descriptors

• The negative is stronger than the positive
• Loss aversion

OverviewThis category of biases places more weight on what can go wrong and avoiding risk.

Safety

Tips to Manage Experience Bias

• Seek objective outside opinions from those not involved in the project or team
• Consider the situation from other people’s perspectives.
• Involve a diversity of end-users, stakeholders and/or customers for input and feedback.
• Ask yourself what you don't know related to the decision at hand

Descriptors

• My perceptions are accurate
• Over-reliance on the majority view
• Dismissing details and new information

OverviewThis category of biases focuses on over-reliance on past experiences, your trusted contacts, and/or the status quo

Experience

Tips to Manage Distance Bias

• Evaluate the outcomes or resources as if they were equally close to you in distance, time, or ownership
• Test whether you would come to the same decision if it was opposite to the current situation - e.g. sooner or later; closer or further

Descriptors

• Things that are closer are valued as better than those that are distant
• Short-term gain more important than long-term pain

OverviewThis category of biases focus on the short-term rather than big picture or long-term investment.

Distance

Tips to Manage Expedience Bias

Descriptors

• The urge to choose what is familiar and easy
• Making quick decisions to advance the task
• Confirmation bias

• Establish objective decision criteria from the start

• Stay true to the agreed process, even if it feels like you can make a quicker decision.

• Mentally stop, review all the inputs, including data points that don’t support the current thinking

• Don't rush - sleep on it

OverviewExpedience biases can manifest as going with your gut-feeling or the group majority in decision-making that involves complex problems.

Expedience

Tips to Manage Similarity Bias

• Seek out similarities you share with others, particularly when not immediately obvious.

• Ensure everyone has a clear opportunity to contribute - in async and sync forums

• Stick to the objective criteria and concrete examples when evaluating others.

• Probe into perspectives that run counter to the prevailing thought.

Overview Evaluating people who are similar to us or who share similar goals more favorably; perceiving people who are different from us more negatively; common in decisions about people.

Similarity

Defining features

• A feeling that people like me are better
• An inherent trust of those like us
• In-group & out-group biases