Belief Bias

Impact on LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS

Treasure:

In leadership and business, the “treasure” of belief bias is the consistency and predictability it produces in decision-making because leaders are likely to rely on their established beliefs and attitudes to guide the decisions they make and the actions they take. When leaders are consistent and stable in their approach, they can provide stability and direction for their team while inspiring trust and confidence.

This bias can help in making quick decisions when time is limited, especially if beliefs are based on experience and expertise.

Risk:

However, the “risk” of belief bias is that if one’s beliefs are not evidence based or if relevant facts and logical reasoning is disregarded, this bias can lead to poor decision-making and suboptimal solutions. Then leaders are unable to consider new information and challenge their existing beliefs, they are likely to miss out on important opportunities and advancements, and they may be unable to identify and address important problems or challenges.

These “believing” leaders can completely misjudge a situation because their belief causes them to perceive it incorrectly.

Belief bias can also lead to a resistance to change and a lack of flexibility in decision-making due to an unwillingness to adapt their beliefs in light of new information or changing circumstances – limiting their effectiveness and success.

The strength of “feeling” that drives belief bias, is both a blessing and a curse for individuals with a prominent belief bias.

KNOW YOUR KNOTS - Learn to recognize when Belief Bias is taking the lead.

Ask yourself:

Do I find myself dismissing or ignoring evidence that contradicts my existing beliefs?

Do I tend to accept arguments or conclusions as valid if they align with my beliefs, regardless of their logical soundness?

Do I struggle to remain objective when discussing topics I have strong feelings about?

Do I often justify my decisions or actions by aligning them with my beliefs, even when there might be better alternatives?


STRATEGIES to manage this bias: Pause – Perspective – Practice – Progress

Pause:
Slow down decision-making. Understand and appreciate the emotional lure that powers belief bias.

Think about whether you tend to disregard information or arguments that conflict with your preconceptions.

Consider if your agreement with the conclusion of an argument depends more on its compatibility with your beliefs than on its logical structure.

Think about whether your emotions connected to certain beliefs hinder your ability to engage objectively in discussions or decision-making.

Reflect on whether your personal beliefs are a major driving force behind your decisions, sometimes at the expense of other important considerations.


Perspective:
Proactively seek perspectives from non-emotional, or logic driven colleagues to broaden the narrow view of a belief lens with a wide angle logic lens when presented with an argument in support of an idea.


Practice:
Before committing to a decision, challenge whether the premise leading to the “believed” outcome makes sense.

Regularly review and question the underlying beliefs that inform your decision-making.


Progress:
Be aware of belief bias and mitigate it by encouraging critical thinking and an openness to new ideas and perspectives. By doing so, you can reduce the risk of poor decision-making and ensure that they are considering a range of perspectives and evidence, which can lead to better outcomes and improved performance.

Provide training and awareness programs on cognitive biases including belief bias to help individuals recognize and learn how to manage belief bias and its emotionally driven decisions.

Improving emotional intelligence can greatly improve a leader’s ability to manage their emotions. Understanding the science of emotion and its driving force behind beliefs, can mean the difference between good and bad outcomes.