There exist approximately 180 biases, the majority of which we are not aware.
Every day at work, when we make decisions, when we collaborate with others, we are at the mercy of many of these biases.
We believe we make decisions objectively, but, for the most part, we do not. We are constantly under the influence of these biases.
One of the most powerful of these is the in-out group bias.
We love to identify with a group. We can do it very quickly, and for reasons that can seem arbitrary. A group is your company, your team, your tribe, your guild. It can also be anyone who, like you, wears black turtlenecks or eats gluten-free.
There are very good evolutionary reasons for this. It made sense to belong to a group. Our survival depended on it.
However, studies have shown that belonging to a group reduces our empathy for other groups. Our evaluation of these others groups, and the beliefs we hold towards them, become biased and are no longer objective.
So the question is: how can you get the benefits of groups without losing your empathy towards the others and your ability to truly collaborate with them?
Agility demands a new mindset that goes beyond the ‘one-team’ mindset.
