How cognitive bias is tripping you up

So I have this career coaching client. Let's call him Jake.

(One of these days I'm going to ramp up my pseudonym game. I rather like the idea of clients called Vin or Calypso or perhaps Xavion ...)?

Anyway, Jake. Great client. Committed, self-aware, curious.

A couple of sessions in, we're discussing his list of possible job ideas.

"So Jake ..." (now I want to call him Kylian, but I've left it too late, damn it).

"You've listed these ideas from 1 to 8. Does that mean number one is your favourite?"?

Jake thought for a moment.?

"No ... if I'm honest I think it's just the one I've been thinking and talking about most this week ... so I suspect it's just recency bias".?

Recency bias -?"the tendency to place too much emphasis on experiences that are freshest in your memory—even if they are not the most relevant or reliable."

We?may think we're fully rational in our career decisions.

But here's the sucker punch that Jake knew all about.

Our brains are hardwired to?save time and energy when making decisions. So they've come to rely on mental shortcuts known as "heuristics".

Which are often brilliant.?

(I mean, imagine you had to assess every possible option?when making your daily decisions. You'd keel over by lunchtime and certainly every time you went to Starbucks.)

But these mental shortcuts can also lead to errors in our thinking known as 'cognitive biases'.?

Incredibly there are over?150 cognitive biases lurking to trip you up.

So sit back and let me outline them all to you now, counting backwards from number 150 ...

Just kidding.?

Here are just FIVE that can mess with your career shifter's mind ...?

1???Negativity Bias???

An?oldie, but a goldie.?

It's the bias that means you're hardwired to pay more attention to negative than positive information and it's the bias that will amplify any fears or doubts around your career shift whilst dampening your excitement about growth and fulfilment.

This is the bias that thwarts your graphic design ambitions by remembering the art teacher who insisted you "weren't creative", instead of the two friends thanking you for rescuing their uber-dull websites.?

2???Confirmation Bias???

Let's say you dream of running your own business, but you stumble upon a negative article about the challenges of entrepreneurship.

If you fall victim to confirmation bias, you'll keep focusing on just that side of the story.

As you lean into the worries and risks, your brain will keep looking for information to support that view whilst overlooking the success stories and alternative realities that challenge your position.?

3???Sunk Cost Fallacy???

The dreaded sunk cost fallacy insists?we?stay in a job because we've already invested time or effort into it.

Imagine you've spent years studying law and aiming for partner, but deep down, you're itching to switch to a creative field like writing. The sunk cost fallacy might whisper, "You can't abandon all those years of hard work!"?

But SCF can lead?us to stick with something we loathe for all the wrong reasons, putting too much weight on a?past we can't change and ignoring the potential of a?future we can.?

?4???Authority Bias???

There's?a certain level of confidence that comes with hearing an authority figure offer an opinion on your next move.

?

So if your boss, your high-flying friend or even a parent expresses doubt over your new career idea, you can wrongly favour their view,?despite there being information and opinions that are more sound and relevant to your situation.

5???Conformity?Bias???

So all your friends are climbing the corporate ladder, or going freelance or agreeing that work will always be boring ... they must be right, right?

Conformity bias has us changing our?beliefs or behaviour to fit in with others. We take cues from the group we belong to about what's?right for us.

But are you actually ignoring your own judgement, your own values and your own definition of success??

?? ?? ?? ?? ??

So do you recognise any of these messed-up thinking patterns, Skyler? (Sorry, just trying out some new pseudonyms ... how about Cedar? Everest? perhaps Guadalupe?)

If you suspect your brain is playing tricks on you, it's time to fight back.?

Here's a quick rule of thumb to find and treat your career shift blind spots:?

Be aware:?look out for factors (particular people, past experiences, fear, old or incomplete information) that tend to cloud?your judgment or exert undue influence on your decision-making.

Be contrary: push yourself to find information that runs counter to your initial belief, seek multiple perspectives, and see how it feels to believe the opposite of what you're assuming.??

Be open: embrace some intellectual humility and regularly pause to ask yourself "what am I missing here??could I be wrong?"

Don't let your own brain?sabotage?your next career chapter.?

Stay curious,?

Rachel

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Have you taken a look at my book? If you find my newsletter full of useful nuggets, you really need to check out the full monty.

"The Career Change Guide: Five Steps to Finding Your Dream Career" ?is a steal at ￡14.85 on Amazon and is packed full of exercises, tools, strategies and case studies to help you figure out the work you want and how to get there.?

Here's what?Stylist?magazine had to say:?

"Rachel Schofield's book is?hitting the zeitgeist perfectly,?offering?a doable plan to make changes that'll stick.?From retraining your brain and making a move from your current safe space to actively detailing how you'd like your new job to look,?this is the only book you need to take the leap."?

#careerchange ?#careercoaching ?#careerdesign ?#careerdevelopment