What biases are hindering your emotional intelligence?

Experiences, past memory vs your current assumptions ! This is a challenge but manageable by being aware where your own mind is going.

Acknowledging that everyone is not immune from confirmation bias is the first step. When there is an awareness that we will succumb to this, we can start to pay attention and notice when we allow ourselves to confirm our existing beliefs and opinions prematurely. For example, you might believe that left handers are more creative. Consequently, when you meet left handers, you will start to lookout for their creativity unconsciously in order to confirm what you believe. When you are aware and have acknowledged this, you are more likely to suspend yourself from making the judgement and jumping to the conclusion. This effort is intentional and counter-intuitive. Consequently, you need to first acknowledge that tendency in yourself.

LinkedIn is a great place to attack our confirmation bias. When we create content, and we attract comments, we will find a wonderful diversity in the opinions expressed. Not everyone is going to agree with you totally!

It is easy to slip into fundamental attribution of error when we are interacting with new people. Unfair judgment arises when we attribute the error to their character and not the situation. Here's an example to illustrate this point. You meet someone who is rather quiet and responded to you in monosyllabic. It is more likely than not that you might think that this person is unfriendly and aloof, rather than considering that he/she is having a stomachache or had experienced a bad day. Make it a habit to challenge yourself when you are tempted with this fundamental attribution error by being open and curious to other possibilities that are situational, and not characterological.

Good behavior may not always reflect on good character.. and the other way too. Empathy, compassion and understanding motives and intention are crucial

I act based on what I believe to be true, and out of pure motives. Everyone around me acts out of bad intentions! Ha! NOT true; never was.

Halo effect happens to everyone. We tend to assume that the individuals that we admire are perfect and without character defect. One way to overcome is to read and watch autobiography of people and you will come to see that everyone has flaws and imperfection, big or small. Halo effect can impact people negatively especially when you realise that the individual that you've idolised have made poor decisions. It should not come as a surprise because no one is perfect no matter how much you want to believe in it. As such, we need to apply our emotional intelligence to manage this possible dissonance within ourselves. Express self-compassion when you feel a huge let down in finding out that you have put a halo effect on someone you respect.

To have an Ariel view and part understanding is an ability that should operate simultaneously. Halo effect can lead you to unexpected challenges.

We need to understand that evolutionary in-group bias is protective as it keeps us safe from danger from out-group (who potentially can be a threat). Having said that, we want to be mindful not to judge others prematurely. One way to do this is to find opportunity to have conversations with people who are different from you either in terms of culture, race, or sexual orientation. When you are open and curious about others who are different from you, it is more likely for you to discover the commonality that you'll share; for instance you want to be a good parent and wants what's good for your children; you might have experienced being bullied before, or you love the same sports. Openness and curiosity can help to manage in-group bias.

We cannot have a cult mentality and it is important to make others inclusive. The group bias may happen un consciously as in a familiar group one is more trusting and comfortable.

We see others as we are and this is a growth process to wear the other person's shoes and analyse situations differently from different perspectives.

Overcoming self-serving bias requires us to be humble and acknowledge the painful experience of being wrong. We need to have high emotional intelligence to be able to regulate our own feelings and stop ourselves from the knee-jerk reaction of assigning blame to external factors when we fail. The ability to be objective and truthful with oneself is critical in overcoming self-serving bias. The underlying issue in self-serving bias is low self-esteem, which is why there's the need to attribute our success to our abilities and failure to external factors. With higher emotional intelligence, it is apparent that this can't be true all the time.

Our brains employ multiple energy-conservation methods, many of which have the unfortunate side effect of limiting our ability to access our Emotional Intelligence (EQ) see the big picture clearly. U.S. Example: If you are unaware of your learned racial bias, you might allow your "gut instinct" to persuade you to choose a white candidate over an equally qualified candidate from a historically-oppressed racial group. Awareness of your learned racial bias (before you get mad, we *all* have this) better positions you to pause, reflect, and consider whether the values-aligned decision would be to award the opportunity to the person who - given equitable qualifications and other fit-factors - dedicated (and overcame) the most to get there.

Emotional intelligence is crucial in business, affecting team cohesion, decision-making, and productivity. Here are key hindrances: Lack of Self-Regulation: Causes impulsivity that can derail negotiations and strategic planning. Low Empathy: Erodes client relationships and team morale, reducing productivity. Limited Emotional Vocabulary: Creates misunderstandings and inefficiencies, impacting role clarity and task execution. Emotional Trauma: Leads to defensive behavior, affecting team trust and hindering creativity. Impulse Control Issues: Introduces unpredictability, risking organizational stability.