Your brain takes shortcuts.
Biases aren't character flaws. They're mental shortcuts that misfire. Four of them show up in almost every team.
Confirmation
Seeing What You Expect
Counter: look for disconfirming evidence.
- “See, the data backs me up.”
Anchoring
Stuck On The First Number
Counter: estimate independently first.
- “Two weeks, like the PM said?”
Sunk cost
Past Spend Drives The Future
Counter: decide as if starting today.
- “We've put too much in to stop.”
Availability
Recent = Likely
Counter: check the base rate.
- “Last outage was the DB, so it's the DB.”
Source: Trends in Cognitive Sciences ↗
Build checks in. Don't rely on willpower.