Hi, everybody. I just finished this MOOC a few minutes ago. I started it maybe two weeks ago and got about halfway through before things interrupted, but I just skimmed back through the first half to refresh the concepts. I also just took a brief course on Unconscious Bias at work, so I got a double-dip, you might say. (UPDATE: I actually finished this MOOC a couple weeks ago, now. I’m sorry I’ve been slacking on posting. But I once again refreshed the information in my brain, which is good. Repetition over time–maybe not this much time, but still–is good for memory retention.)
What I really want to focus on for this MOOC are the habits they suggest we form to overcome our biases. I like these concepts and have already started trying to apply them to my own cognitive processes, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. So, without further fanfare/rambling, let’s go.
Habit One: SLOWWWW DOWWWWN.
- Resist the urge to give immediate answers/make snap judgments for important decisions, especially when you suspect that there’s a possibility of bias rearing its sinister little head in your thinking. Bottom line: if you can spare the time, do it. Most situations–not talking about the sudden, life-or-death-swerve-the-car-omg-I-just-crapped-my-pants!-type scenarios here–give you at least a few moments to reflect.
- FOCUS on the situation at hand. Don’t multitask–it’s been clearly documented that multitasking is ineffective, anyway.
Habit Two: Challenge Your Thinking.
- Create a list of challenging questions to help you get to the root causes or “instincts” you may have about a person/situation. This idea falls in line with the concept of the Ladder of Inference.
- Write down instances where you realize your evidence is weak and/or misleading. Note any gaps in your knowledge or understanding. (Are you just assuming that you understand something in the situation?)
- Ask yourself whether you’re using objective criteria for the decision. No? Then create objective criteria (preferably before you start evaluating candidates/options).
As I think I’ve mentioned previously, it can be hard to come up with the right questions to ask yourself in these situations. How do I know what I don’t know? I wrote down some ‘starter’ questions they gave in the MOOC; these seem like solid jumping-off points for developing your own list. (I’m only listing a few here. For the rest, go take the MOOC! I promise it’s worth the (pretty minimal) time investment.)
- What information do I need to make an objective decision? Do I have this information?
- What does this problem look like from the opposite viewpoint? If I assume a “yes,” then what would a “no” look like?
- Is this a “trust my gut” response? If so, why am I having it?
- Am I relying on gossip, second-hand sources, or old/dated information instead of what I have personally experienced recently?
- Are there gaps in my knowledge about this situation that I’m filling with assumptions or bias?
Habit Three: Get Input from Other People.
- Talk to people both inside and outside your usual circles/normal network; engaging with someone new might help you to overcome groupthink. Chew this over: if you’re talking with someone new or that you don’t know very well, you may not feel pressure to respond a certain way or maintain a certain mindset, as you might with other counterparts who already know you and how you typically think or behave (i.e. biases formed about you based on your previous behaviors/judgments).
- Have a conversation with the people actually impacted by the decision. Don’t assume that someone won’t want to take the extra hours because they’re already getting paid at a certain level, or that someone obviously wouldn’t turn down a work trip to Fiji because they’ve previously mentioned they love to travel. Even though someone may have expressed their previous interests or plans to you, you honestly have no way of knowing whether their situation or opinion has changed or how their views may relate to the situation at hand. Always ask.
So, there are also useful videos and pointers from other individuals about how they curb their own biases and work to make things more inclusive. I definitely suggest you give this course a go. We like to think of our brains as, sort of, I don’t know, infallible? We rely way too much on our memory and other concepts/reactions that have essentially been pre-programmed into our heads throughout our lives. The human brain is an amazing, AMAZING thing; however, nothing is perfect. The quicker we are to acknowledge that and try to account for it in our daily lives, the better off we (and those around us) will be. Now for some homework. Go read this article: ‘7 Assumptions Smart People Never Make.’
Thank you for coming by.
hxrg
Decalcify Your Brain 