EP 30 Unmasking Bias: How It Controls Your Life

This episode discusses what the most common biases are and what they might look like in your daily life as well as solutions for working on them. Biases exist in all of us and we need them to handle all of the information coming at us. However, when they run your life it leads to limiting beliefs, walled off communities and less effective leadership and work environments.  

Types of biases: 

Confirmation Bias Affinity/Similarity Bias, Halo Effect, Horns Effect, Gender Bias, Beauty Bias, Authority Bias, Conformity Bias, Attribution Bias, Availability Bias, Availability Bias

Impact of Biases:  

Unequal Treatment, Poor Decision Making, Misinterpretations, Social Division, Reduced Creativity and Innovation, Hindered Progress

Strategies for Overcoming Bias: Self Awareness, Slow Down Thinking and Decision Making, Seek out Differing or Diverse Opinions, Practice Perspective taking from others viewpoint, Establish Criteria for decisions, Hold Yourself Accountable to your bias, use data and evidence to challenge your bias

Remember that overcoming bias is an ongoing practice, not a one-time achievement. We never eliminate biases completely, but with consistent effort, we can reduce their impact on our thoughts and actions. 

Resources:

"Think Again" by Adam Grant

"Unconscious Bias" by Pamela Fuller, Mark Murphy and Anne Chow

Ep 20 Habits, EP 21 Critical Thinking, EP 22 Self Perception and others Perspectives