How to Overcome your Status Quo Bias

There is a bias that we all have in our thinking - I have it - you have it, your colleagues have it.?

It’s called the status quo bias.?

It’s the bias that means we will often prefer to stick with the status quo -? with the familiar -? rather than choosing an unknown or unfamiliar option. Over the past few years, neuroscience has been showing us the basics of how this bias works and have even revealed how it manifests itself in the brain and what regions “light up” when people experience it.?

It’s a common bias that you’ve probably spotted in yourself at some point, perhaps as you’ve gone through a period of change or when you’ve had to make a tricky decision about something (have a think for a moment?). And although it’s a bias that’s there as one of those keep-you-safe stop signs, preventing you from stepping into some potential danger of the unknown, it’s also one that can really get in the way of you achieving your full potential at work.?

And although (like many things when it comes to the diversity of the brain!), it's a bias that affects people to differing degrees, it's also one that we can all overcome if we become more aware of why it exists and how it’s affecting our thoughts and behaviour.?

So why does it exist? Well the status quo bias exists because the brain is often looking for ways to remove uncertainty and the unknown - it prefers to have a good idea of what might happen next. It also prefers to conserve energy and sticking with the current is one way to do this. This causes people to hold onto old habits and ways of working and thinking, rather than changing with the times or upgrading their behaviours or mindsets.??

But change isn’t always easy to deal with, and in this new era of working, where change and uncertainty seems to be around every corner(!), it’s more important than ever that we are able to resist this inbuilt bias that can stop us from being the adaptable, change-ready people that we are all also capable of being.?

Because the other side of human nature (if we can get over this bias) is that, in general, we have an amazing ability to adapt ourselves and thrive in different situations and environments.? It’s this adaptability that has made us so successful as a species on this planet. And it’s this adaptability that will enable you to thrive in the face of change if you can overcome these in-built barriers.?

So here are 3 things you can do to proactively manage this bias so you can better adapt to change and cope with flux, based on what we know from neuroscience about how the brain works best.?

1. Ask questions to reduce uncertainty. If you have the answers, then the unknown transforms into the known and the barriers to change are reduced.?
2. Narrow down your options to reduce choice overload. Too many choices requires too much energy to process. By narrowing down your options the brian doesn’t have to invest as much energy when it comes to deciding how to act, again reducing the barriers to stick with the status quo.? Similarly, break down big change goals into smaller ones so that the energy outlay seems like less for each one.?
3. Reframe the do nothing option so that it becomes less appealing. Often it’s the case that sticking with the status quo isn’t the best option and can stop you achieving your full potential at work. By reframing the do nothing option so it’s less appealing, you can start to drive your motivation towards the opportunities afforded by new situations and work setups.?

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Synaptic Potential offers science-based solutions and strategies that support, shape and align your people development initiatives, workspace design and organisational policies . If you would like to find out more about how we can help you unlock the Whole Brain Potential? of your leaders or managers and teams then please get in touch to start a conversation.

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