Are your business decisions failing because they are biased?

Cognitive bias is something that all of us need to understand.

It affects our own decisions as well as those our leaders make in running the business.

It affects the setting of strategy as well as its execution.

It affects our and others assessment of what might happen (aka risk).

It affects our trust and belief in ourselves and those we rely on for information.

We need to understand how cognitive bias affects our and others decisions so we can fight it. It can lead us to making the wrong decisions and failing to optimize our and enterprise performance.

As I look back on my own career, I can think of many situations where I made what turned out to be a poor decision as a result of my own bias. For example:

• I trusted people that I liked for their outgoing personality (charm) when I should have challenged their knowledge of the subject more thoroughly.
• I hired individuals for their resume and certifications over others who probably had more imagination and curiosity.
• I had too much respect for those in authority, trusting that they would follow through on commitments.

As you look at the decisions you make yourself, the ‘risk assessments’ you make or…