Whether you are aware of it or not, biases affect the way we interpret, cope and deal with information or challenges. Based on our background, personal experiences, society or culture, our thoughts and experiences colour our view of the world and the challenges we face. How many of us are aware that biases do not always help us make the right decisions?

1. How To Eliminate Bias From Thinking
Whether you are aware of it or not, biases affect the way we interpret, cope and deal with information or
challenges. Based on our background, personal experiences, society or culture, our thoughts and
experiences colour our view of the world and the challenges we face.
How many of us are aware that biases do not always help us make the right decisions?
Biases at Work
Unconscious biases may have a harmful effect on businesses. In the past, all that was required was
having employees at the level of a socialized state, conforming to the norms and cultures of the working
environment. People relied on their own instincts to function and made decisions but could rarely find the
time to introspect.
Traditional concepts no longer not apply to management and leadership even though they still dominate
our thinking and business practice. Biases can be triggered automatically while making quick judgements
about people and situations and ignore certain rational and beneficial thoughts. In a recruitment scenario,
it is often heard that recruitment decisions are made in the first few minutes of communication. This
applies to intuition as well, where managers trust their gut feeling based on incomplete information.
Unconsciously, our decisions are based upon past experiences, but have we ever thought about whether
they are still relevant? For example, when the person is obese, we prescribe the diet control and exercise
management without verifying the facts, but have we ever considered the connection between obesity
and loneliness? As studies like this show, loneliness has long been associated with obesity. On the other
hand, highly sociable people hate to hurt others’ feelings by refusing when offered food.
In this very simple example, how relevant is the solution when we prescribe diet management and
exercise, without getting complete information? There have been instances where the obese person after
losing weight again gains weight. Hence, the example highlights the fact that much of the problem in our
society is not merely a technical challenge but rather a behavioral challenge which calls for a different
perspective of the solution i.e. removing the hidden biases.
Misdirected Immune Systems
As an analogy, our immune system can sometimes misinterpret a new material, internal or external, as a
threat and negatively impact our bodies. It does not mean that our immune system is less focused on
protecting us. It is just mistaken in knowing what it is protecting us from. Employees listen to feedback
and sincerely commit to making changes. Despite the higher level of emotional energy in the
commitment, they show very little change after a year has passed.
In the boardroom, several functional heads commit to plans but in most cases, there is an excuse for not
completing the goal. Despite being committed in the presence of others, they lose focus as seem to have
equally opposite commitments/forces (biases) which hinder the achievement of the goal. It must be noted
that all hidden biases are based on certain assumptions. One can structurally question those
assumptions and realize that these assumptions are no longer valid. Thus, training your internal system
can work wonders.
At a personal level, how many of us might realise that a patient in their 20s needs to take medications for
Hypertension? Even though we realize that these medications are vital, the biases pertaining to
hypertension are associated with a higher age bracket in which hypertension is more common, leading us
to reject the solution.
Conclusion

2. Organizations are spending enormous sums of money and time to evaluate how they can improve
processes by growing the capabilities of their staff and employees. Stay focused on your job and what
makes you successful at it and try to filter out information that could influence your decision.
Until we understand correctly understand the problem, we cannot decide upon commitments that make
obstructive behaviors thrive. We need to uncover and address the problem as an immunity to change and
the way the mind protects itself from accomplishing our goals. Whether it is for yourself or others,
admitting to the existence of bias at the workplace and encouraging others to do so as well makes it
easier to identify and deal with it in a timely manner.