Recognize the judgmental effects of others

Beware of our biases

It's no surprise that we're constantly judging the people around us. Whether it's at school or in the workplace, we can all be judgmental for any number of reasons. However, our judgment is far from perfect. It is parasitized by cognitive biases, well known to specialists.

In this capsule, this specialist looks at two related phenomena: the halo effect and confirmation bias.

The first is explained by the fact that we tend to extrapolate an impression of a person in order to judge them in their entirety. For example, a colleague or student who delivers a splendid speech in front of others will give a feeling of competence in everything he or she does, whereas his or her strength is likely to lie solely in communication. Conversely, a latecomer will leave a taste of laziness leading to the idea that he's good at nothing when, perhaps, he only has time management problems.
As a result, confirmation bias often comes into play later on. In other words, managers or teachers will ignore the negative aspects of those they see as very positive. The reverse is also true: positive characteristics may be overlooked in favor of flaws.

To avoid falling into these traps, we first need to examine the soil in which we make our judgments about each individual. It's also better to stick to concrete facts rather than feelings.

Finally, to identify teammate or learner profiles, it's best to analyze skills individually, to get a more accurate picture of others.

Duration: 6 minutes

Image : Tung Lam on Pixabay

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