Taming Bias: Using Wicked Problem Solving to Make Better Decisions and Align Teams

Cognitive bias profoundly shapes the ways we perceive, think, and make decisions. They are mental shortcuts which have evolved through countless generations and provide dramatic benefits and substantial drawbacks. Bias is active in all parts of life – personal, professional, and social. And they are particularly insidious in Wicked Problems.

Taming bias is a vital skill in today's knowledge work. But it's hard and requires a process, self-awareness, and a willingness to examine how we work as teams and individuals. If we don’t have tools to address bias, we dramatically increase our vulnerability to risk. But if we learn the language of bias and apply the principles of ‘plays’ in addressing them, we become more effective in our work.
 
In this eLearning module, hosts Tom Wujec and Mario Arlt will be:

• Demonstrating how a vast range of biases affect life and work

• Illustrating the mechanisms of key biases and their impact on perception and decision-making

• Presenting a simple three-step approach to identify, untangle, and tame bias

• Equipping participants with downloadable tools to deal with bias in practical ways

• Having fun showing the insidiousness of bias and ways to elevate collective thinking.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Discuss how bias is active in our personal, professional and social lives and how it impacts decision making; and

• Utilize tools to deal with bias in practical ways.