With title inspiration from one of my favorite TED Talks, “Are you biased? I am” by Kristen Pressner, I find the topic of bias fascinating. Some is conscious; much is not.
How the mind works is intriguing. Neuroscience proves that in order to make the millions of decisions we do each day our brain relies on learned pattern recognition. (See Pressner’s talk to learn more.) At times, mental patterns can spur bias. Instead of setting out to eradicate something that is inherent in our mind’s makeup, let’s acknowledge that bias exists and turn to active mindfulness to address it.
We often talk about gender bias; halo and horn bias are also gaining name recognition. What other types of bias exist? Below is a sampling of the many that we must actively turn from unconscious to conscious. Once conscious, we can take steps to challenge our assumptions and act more thoughtfully. As Pressner recommends, “flip it to test it,” with “it” being your potential bias. For instance, weak handshakes are given by inferior interview candidates. Well…maybe the person simply was not taught handshake etiquette or is concerned about giving an overly firm handshake and self-adjusts too far.
Download a handy version of this bias chart here.
To the Point
Bias is natural. How we choose to act is critical. What biases might you have? How will you work to combat them and make more thoughtful decisions?
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