Using your brain: cognitive bias at work
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Old and new brain
The human brain is highly complex and evolved over millions of years, but we can think of it in
simple terms as two distinct functions: an ‘old’ brain, and a ‘new’ one.
The old brain is fast, effortless, and instinctive, but can be inaccurate. It looks after senses,
intuition, and emotion. This is also called the ‘automatic system’ or ‘system 1’.
The new brain is capable and precise, but requires concentration and effort. It handles
reason, thought, and planning. This is also called the ‘reflective system’ or ‘system 2’.
Both are crucial parts of human intelligence but we prefer to take shortcuts and use our old
brain because it’s faster and easier. This can create biases and cause errors.
Some important examples are given below along with tips for avoiding them.
Decision making
Conformity
We conform to group opinion.
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Anchoring
We rely on the first information we receive.
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Availability
Seek opinions from outside your usual team and contacts.
Allow yourself time to consider options and ideas.
We instinctively prefer the status quo.
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Awareness
Consciously look for anchors, e.g. price ranges.
‘Plan by analogy’: base estimates on actual events in the past
(e.g. time and costs of a similar task you did last year).
Things seem more important if they come easily to mind.
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Commitment
Seek individual responses to important questions and decisions
to avoid group dynamics.
Try a ‘pre-mortem’: before a new project, ask people to imagine a
future in which the project fails, and to list the reasons why.
If you feel resistant to a change, ask yourself why.
Be aware that losses are more powerful motivators than gains.
Be prepared to quit sometimes: you can’t recover wasted time
and money (‘sunk costs’), but you can avoid wasting more.
We make decisions based only on available evidence.
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Reflect on limits to your knowledge and seek more information.
Remember: you can’t prevent these biases, but being aware of them is a strong antidote.
Persuasion
Consistency
We are more likely to do things we have previously committed to.
 Ask people to commit to tasks they have agreed to do. Public and
voluntary commitments are strongest (e.g. in a team meeting).
 Make commitments to yourself: ‘if X happens, then I will do Y’ –
this can be a useful method for reminders and self-control.
Liking
We are more likely to say yes to people we know and like.
Social proof
 Build collaborative working relationships with colleagues.
 Choose an appropriate messenger for your message.
We prefer to do the socially normal thing.
Reciprocity
 Let people know (selectively) if they are in a minority/majority.
We instinctively return favours.
Authority
 Identify reciprocal benefits to offer people whose help you need.
 Practise ‘random acts of kindness’.
 Be willing to say, “I need your help”. This is difficult to refuse.
We believe sources of perceived authority.
 Explain your credentials and expertise, when appropriate.
 Choose an appropriate messenger for your message.
Scarcity
We value scarce things more than abundant things.
 Provide benefits to early responders (‘first come first served’).
 Emphasise limits to a resource’s availability (time or quantity).
Personal
relevance
We respond to personal incentives.
Ease
Information that is easy to process is more persuasive.
 Identify the personal relevance of a message to its audience.
 Spell out potential losses to motivate people to positive action.
 Strive to be clear and concise.
 Put effort into the presentation of your work.
 Don’t send long, dense emails. Put the details into a document
and attach it to a short summary email.
Remember: be ethical and use persuasion only in the service of fair and worthwhile aims.
Productivity
To-do lists
Keep a to-do list. It’s useful anyway, but you will soon feel less
stressed when your brain stops randomly reminding you to do things.
One at a time
Try to focus on one task at a time. Switching between tasks is costly
and can lengthen overall effort by over 30% (vs. sequential activity).
Guilty tasks
Take notice if a task is making you feel guilty. Your brain identifies
important tasks by making you feel bad. Respond and feel better!
Zone out
For creative work, take time out between tasks. This also helps to
preserve concentration during routine and boring tasks.
Energy levels
Match tasks to your energy level. We are usually most alert in the
mornings and early evenings, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Distractions
Limit unnecessary distractions (email alerts, social networks, noisy
workspaces) – these all impose ‘multitasking’ costs on you.
Defaults
Watch out for default habits: think about communication methods (in
person/phone/email), and book shorter meetings to save time.
Keep your brain engaged: take a different route to work, or try a
different sandwich at lunch – even minor novelty is stimulating!
Further reading? Try ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman (for cognitive bias),
anything by Robert Cialdini on persuasion, and ‘Nudge’ by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.