“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.”
In what may be one of the most identifiable opening lines of an American Novel, Nick Carraway tells the readers of The Great Gatsby all about his efforts to reserve all judgement. Of course, the rest of the novel descends deep into all kinds of judgements and allegations toward every other character.
Is F. Scott Fitzgerald telling us something about self-deception? If a man has the intention to withhold any bias front and center in his mind ever since he was a child and fails, is it possible for anyone to be unbiased?
We are raised by a village of parents, teachers, friends, family and incessant media in the background, each with their own point of view. We have no choice but to at least partially take on some of these views for ourselves. Whether you are conforming to or rebelling against your upbringing, bias is present.
If there is a person that exists who is truly unbiased, he or she would have no opinions, no memories, nothing to add in conversation. Our biases help make us who we are.
Nonetheless, we put a premium on neutrality or an ability to approach a situation without bias. But it can’t be done. Instead, what can—and should—be done is to approach a situation recognizing that your reasoning is as unreliable as Nick Carraway’s narrative. In this way, you are better equipped to focus on the triggers behind your decision-making and can outwit your own biases.
Follow these four easy steps to help recognize a bias.
1: Take Away The Effect
A bias is a collision of cause and effect. What I mean is, you have a bias and that results in various effects. For example, if you were raised to avoid violence in any form, one effect of this could be to steer away from Quentin Tarantino films.
Or, if you are a hiring manager who attended an elite university, you may be more inclined to put the resumes of candidates who attended similar institutions on the top of the list. Giving these people the benefit of the doubt and skipping over the real substance of their qualifications is a workplace bias often called the halo effect.
2: Find The Cause
This step is not interested in what caused the partiality, such as your upbringing or the demographics of your neighborhood, but what exactly the partiality is - an avoidance of violence or seeing the world only through the eyes of privilege. This is a necessary step in order to get to the root of your bias. You are essentially working backward. By taking away the effect of the bias, you get to the cause.
3: Cause Of The Cause
In this step, you should try and get to the root of your bias. Did your mother scare you with the dangers of violence? Were you the victim of or witness to bullying or physical assault? This kind of self-reflection should raise potentially cringe-worthy questions about the subtext of your implicit biases.
4: Is There A Connection?
Trace back the three steps to make sure it logically follows. In this way, you can be sure what your biases are and their effects on your views and actions. If you grew up in a culture that values pedigree over matter, the fact that a name-brand degree catches your eye when looking at job candidates would be consistent.
By recognizing what your bias is and what the potential effects of this bias are, it will be easier for you to be able to look past your own point of view because you are taking a step back. In this way, you are more equipped to tackle conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships and many other important qualities every leader ought to possess.
It is almost like you are viewing every situation from a confident bird’s-eye-view and not as a passive bystander.