Connections

I have recently become addicted to a puzzle called “Connections.” The puzzle presents 16 words in a 4 x 4 grid, and you must select four words at a time that are “connected” in some way. The puzzle creators rank the four sets by difficulty and identify them by color once you have selected them correctly. Yellow (easy), green, blue, and purple (most difficult.) 

One might think the yellow or green set would be most often identified first and the blue or purple would be selected last. Not so, my friend. At least, not so for me. I often select the purple or blue set first. Sometimes the yellow is my last pic (when there are only 4 words to choose from, you can’t really get it wrong).

Why can I sometimes get the “harder” one before I get the “easier” one?  I have cognitive biases that influence the way I take in and process information. We all do. While the puzzle makers believed some sets to be harder to “connect”, for me (and I assume others), they weren’t, and the easy ones were sometimes harder. 

There are several cognitive biases that impact our decision making as leaders. We cannot completely rid ourselves of them, so we must be aware that we are likely to favor certain ideas, solutions, and data over others. We must also surround ourselves with talented people who will challenge our biases (and listen to them).

Possibly the most common and dangerous is Confirmation Bias where we believe what we want to believe by favoring information that confirms preexisting beliefs or preconceptions. This results in looking for creative solutions that confirm our beliefs rather than challenge them, making us closed to new possibilities.

Similarity Bias means we often prefer things that are like us over things that are different than us. This bias impacts decisions surrounding who to hire, who to promote, who to assign to projects and more. Rather than favoring like things, we should find common ground with people and ideas different from our own.

Expedience Bias is the tendency to act quickly instead of spending the time and effort it would require to get a better understanding and bring more clarity to the issue. Relying on a single source of information or a single data point can be offset by committing to prioritize gathering an appropriate amount of information before making a decision.

Experience Bias occurs when we believe our truth is the only option. If we value the people on our team, we will remember that by each person contributing their view and understanding, we reach better outcomes. We can facilitate this by asking people to share their perspective and how they would reframe the situation.

Finally, Safety Bias is the human tendency to avoid loss, often resulting in delayed decision making and the avoidance of risk. Robust risk analysis processes can separate the real risks from the perceived risks. Sometimes imagining a past self already having made a choice that feels risky can help weaken the perception of loss.

I’m sure the makers of “Connections” believe the purple set is harder. I just see the words differently than they do. I’m also sure the way I see the world and the challenges and opportunities it offers are as unique to me as those words I choose to connect first when working the puzzle. My challenge as a leader is to make sure I seek out and pay attention to the way other people see the world. Making that connection is what leadership means, and it is the Bison Way.