If You Are Biased, Read This.

We can train to see it in ourselves. Then we see it everywhere. Like a pest leaving mounds in our manicured garden.

Bias. (<<< my new video)

I admit it, I'm biased. But you are too. It's in our DNA so we can quickly make sense of the world.

Unconsciously, bias enables us to make snap judgments to protect ourselves: That person over there. Are they good? Bad? Indifferent? Social media anyone??

It's a great survival tool. But for solving problems, it has to go.

Though bias comes in many forms:

Confirmation bias is probably the most pervasive and damaging bias of them all, it leads us to look for evidence that confirms what we already think. —Ben Yagoda, The Atlantic

But with intention we can change our behavior to account for bias. Design thinking emphasizes using the tool of empathy.?

Researcher and author Brene Brown has found that practicing empathy ensures specific outcomes:

• It drives connection with others
• It encourages perspective-taking
• It reserves judgment
• It recognizes emotion in others
• It reflects back to ensure understanding

In other words, empathy allows us to see others in a multi-faceted way. It helps us to see the REAL problem. I’ve defined the process into three steps:

1. LOOK — Observe. What details do we see? What is their body language? Are there visual clues that invite more inquiry?
2. LIVE — What is it like to live in the other person's shoes? Experience what they experience. Just do it.
3. LISTEN — Asking the right questions and then step out of the way. Listen to what the user is saying. Reflect back for understanding.

It’s in our nature to simplify and see things from our point of view. But, when we solve problems for others we need to snap to their perspective instead.

Being aware of our limited bias is a good first step. Using tools like empathy allow us to move beyond our limited perspective.

Check out the new How-to video right here.