What are some common biases that can hinder problem solving?

Working on digital solutions in the healthcare industry to improve the management and treatment of chronic diseases. However, these diseases are often complicated by biases hindering effective decision-making and treatment outcomes. One such bias is confirmation bias, but we could use several tools and practices to counteract it. These include reviewing a broad range of evidence, engaging with opposing views, developing critical thinking skills, seeking peer collaboration, using decision aids and algorithms, and reflecting on decision-making processes. These practices can help ensure more balanced and effective decision-making.

Picking Favorites: We tend to only pay attention to information that agrees with what we already think. First Impressions Stick: We often rely too much on the first information we get, even if it's not very helpful. Following the crowd: We might think something is important just because other people are talking about it, even if it's not really that big of a deal. Feeling Too Confident: Sometimes we think we're better at something than we actually are, which can lead us to make mistakes. Thinking We Knew It All Along: After something happens, we act like we knew it was going to happen, even if we didn't really. Going with the flow: In groups, we sometimes just agree with what everyone else is saying, even if we don't really believe it.

Some common biases that can hinder problem solving include confirmation bias, where one seeks information confirming preconceptions, and anchoring bias, where one relies heavily on initial information or ideas.

Acknowledging our biases can be tough. We want to be perceived as open minded and unhinged in our thinking. Biases are anchors we embrace to help us maintain equilibrium and balance in our thoughts. We view things through lenses that we have developed over time. We need to be honest with ourselves, we all have biases. This becomes bad only when we fail to be honest with ourselves. This step of acknowledgment is what we need to grow beyond our biases. Working with a diverse team is one of the ways we can challenge our biases and ensure our problem solving is not limited by within the box thinking. Choose to work with people that are different from you, it might just be what you need to revolutionize your thinking and problem solving.

In Veterinary practice, confirmation biases may occur based on frequent exposure to a particular case or symptoms of diseases, spurring you to diagnose tentatively based on assumptions and implement the usual treatment plan. While this maybe b effective in some cases, in some cases it's not and it may lead to patient disease deteriorating with you getting confused and doubting your approach. To avoid this, it's essential you open yourself to seeking suggestions from people and trying out different means of arriving at accurate diagnosis. Don't always approach a problem based on assumptions, ask questions from colleagues and welcome other people's opinion calmly.

Tools and Practices to Counteract Anchoring Bias: Encourage gathering information from diverse sources to avoid relying on a single piece of information. Regularly review and adjust treatment plan based on patient's condition and latest research findings. Encourage seeking second opinions for significant or complex decisions to introduce new perspectives and reduce the influence of initial bias. To mitigate this bias, healthcare professionals can benefit from critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making training. Use of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) tools provide evidence-based recommendations and comprehensive patient analysis, reducing reliance on initial impressions or outdated information.

Anchoring biases can be misleading, causing you to make wrong assumptions and arrive at an inaccurate result. You should be aware of a particular topic or the actual price of a thing before establishing your points on the first information you hear about the topic which might be untrue. Rather than accepting the anchor, actively adjust the first information you get about the topic by evaluating and reconstructing it based on the facts and myriads of information you've gathered on it. This will help you to overcome anchor biases and make better future decisions and negotiations.

I completely agree that anchoring bias is certainly to be avoided, however it is a very small and less case, I feel people adapt this bias. As a present business scenario, there is hardly one indulging to follow or influence with a single information and taking action on those situations. In my opinion Anchoring bias exists but not on a large scale basis.

La reflexión gira en torno a los inicios de mi trayectoria, marcados por la admiración hacia un referente dentro de la compa?ía en la que trabajaba. Este líder era tan respetado que nadie se atrevía a cuestionar sus opiniones. Sin embargo, un día, sorprendentemente, propuso alejarse de las reuniones de investigación, permitiendo que la empresa explorara nuevas alternativas. En ese momento, compartió conmigo sus revelaciones personales: se dio cuenta de que estaba equivocado en muchas cosas. Al observar desde fuera, pudo ver cómo el equipo confiaba ciegamente en su autoridad, simbolizada por su túnica blanca y barba cana.

O viés de confirma??o pode influenciar a forma como interpretamos informa??es de acordo com nossas opini?es preexistentes, levando-nos a dar mais peso a dados que confirmam nossas vis?es e a ignorar ou minimizar aqueles que as contradizem. Ficar atento a esse viés ajuda a promover uma avalia??o mais equilibrada e crítica das informa??es.

In veterinary practice, framing biases can mislead the Veterinarian in charge of the case, causing him to arrive at an inaccurate diagnosis based on the way the records or information is presented or expressed. To detect and avoid framing biases, it's best you study the client's reaction and gestures when you respond to your information, and try other alternatives for getting accurate information. You can also implement other diagnostic tools to arrive at a more precise diagnosis.

Framing bias can affect how financial information is interpreted and presented. In one instance, I observed a financial report framed in such a way that emphasized positive results while minimizing attention to underperforming areas. This selective presentation influenced stakeholders' perceptions and decision-making. It underscored for me the ethical responsibility in accounting to present financial information in a balanced and comprehensive manner, allowing for informed decisions based on all relevant facts.

In Healthcare, we can use tools and protocols to counteract Framing Bias: Train healthcare professionals and patients to assess how information is presented critically. Present treatment options in a balanced way. Consider risks and benefits, gains and losses, and positive and negative aspects. This helps patients make informed decisions. Use neutral, standardized decision aids to compare treatment options based on facts and outcomes, not emotions. Encourage discussion between healthcare providers and patients for comprehensive and balanced decision-making. Educate on framing bias to improve decision-making. Present risks and benefits in absolute terms to help individuals understand the real impact of treatment on their health.

In Healthcare, we can use tools and practices to Counteract Availability Bias: Rely on peer-reviewed scientific studies for evidence-based decision-making. Healthcare professionals should review diverse case outcomes from various sources to understand treatment effects and risks better. Improving statistical literacy can help healthcare professionals and patients interpret treatment outcomes and side effects more accurately. Encourage regular reflection and discussion among healthcare teams to identify instances of availability bias in decision-making processes and promote more objective approaches in the future. Educate patients about availability bias and its impact on treatment decisions.

There are a few more bias's I believe you guys missed, but.. By being aware of these biases, individuals and teams can take steps to mitigate their impact on problem-solving, such as seeking diverse perspectives, challenging assumptions, and using structured decision-making processes.

O viés de disponibilidade refere-se à tendência de dar mais importancia a informa??es facilmente disponíveis em nossa mente, muitas vezes devido a experiências recentes ou notícias marcantes. Esse viés pode impactar nossas opini?es, fazendo-nos focar em eventos mais salientes, mesmo que n?o sejam representativos de uma situa??o geral. é útil considerar uma variedade de fontes e perspectivas para minimizar esse viés.

Availability bias is a common pitfall when assessing financial risks. After a client experienced a significant fraud loss, I noticed a tendency within their organization to overestimate the likelihood of similar frauds occurring again, diverting resources disproportionately to mitigate this specific risk. This bias toward recent, memorable events overshadowed a holistic risk assessment. This situation highlighted the necessity of basing risk management strategies on a broad spectrum of data, rather than recent incidents alone.

In healthcare, we can use tools and practices to Counteract Hindsight Bias: Consider keeping a decision journal to avoid hindsight bias and clarify your thought process during the decision-making process. Use structured reflection sessions to discuss treatment decisions and identify learning opportunities in managing chronic diseases. Consider scenario planning to prepare for unexpected outcomes of a treatment decision and embrace uncertainty in medical decision-making. Educational programs should include cognitive bias training, specifically hindsight bias, in medical training and patient education. Encourage peer review and consultation to reduce hindsight bias and gain alternative perspectives.

Unbelievably, it's like praying for something very important to GOD yet you go back to find solutions to the same problem.lt is very good you evaluate your decisions, acknowledge your unbelief,go after feedback and improve on them.

Hindsight bias in accounting can lead to misplaced confidence in financial predictions and evaluations. Reflecting on an occasion where I accurately predicted a financial outcome for a project, I found myself overly confident in my ability to forecast future financial results. However, subsequent projects proved less predictable, reminding me that financial environments are dynamic and complex. Acknowledging the unpredictability and learning from each outcome without overestimating our forecasting abilities is crucial in the accounting profession.

Our brains are set up to categorize and separate things into familiar (safe) and unfamiliar (dangerous). Instead of pretending you don’t have any bias, be honest with yourself and sit with the discomfort. You may then realize you can’t find a solution because the people finding the solution may mostly come from the same life experience (safe). Invite diverse minds into the conversation, people from other silos, or teams, different levels in the hierarchy. Are there women, people of color, neurodivergents, people with disabilities, other nationalities trying to solve the problem? You’ll find that different life experiences, yields different viewpoints, yields innovation and a way more fun work environment.

When it comes to biases, many of us generally do not admit our biases, and this prevents us from growing and solving problems. It is very important to make an active effort on these issues and to check our biases at regular intervals because we may not be able to get rid of them all at once. Or we may act with bias when solving problems in ways similar to someone else reflecting their bias onto us in the work environment.

Biases that can mess up problem-solving are as follows: 1)Confirmation bias: Only seeing what confirms your beliefs. 2)Anchoring bias: Sticking too much to the first idea you hear. 3)Availability bias: Thinking what's easiest to remember is most important. 4)Overconfidence bias: Being too sure of yourself. 5)Hindsight bias: Thinking you knew it all along after the fact. 6)Status quo bias: Preferring things stay the same. 7)Sunk cost fallacy: Thinking you should keep going just because you've already put in effort.

The very people who created the problem should be nowhere near the group tasked with working to understand and strategize the solution.

Recuerdo un gran lider que tuve, donde organizaba las sesiones de troubleshooting disponiendo un orden jerárquico para responder: 1. Practicantes 2. Operadores de areas indirectas 3. Operadores de areas involucradas desde Junior a Senior 4. Supervisores 5. Jefaturas De esta manera propiciaba salir del bosque para ver los arboles. Los practicantes si bien no propiciaban la mejor respuesta, si permitian ver puntos ciegos y eran catalizadores en los demás para lograr soluciones.