However, upon closer examination, company management noticed a disturbing trend. Productivity shot up, most employees met their targets, and managers began using these positive results in the employees’ performance evaluations. Puzzled after a few unsuccessful attempts, they finally saw promising results when they introduced clear performance guidelines, sales targets, and monthly bonuses. As I wrote in my book Sidetracked, I once worked with a chain of retail stores that was trying to motivate their employees. Here’s how to combat the self-serving bias - and reach better, longer-lasting decisions: Consider the source of the information you’re relying on.ĭoing this will likely lead you to reexamine the data you rely on to make your decisions. This, in turn, can make it difficult to collaborate on solutions to complex problems. The self-serving bias can lead to suboptimal decision-making or even contribute to conflict, as we become more entrenched in our own positions and less willing to consider alternative perspectives. When presented with this data, some team members were defensive and reluctant to acknowledge the reality of the situation. In fact, in the above example, a look at the data revealed that the team’s conversion rate was much lower than the team expected. We selectively interpret information to support our own position, and overlook or dismiss information that contradicts our views. In situations that lack clarity, we often make assumptions that serve to bolster our egos and self-esteem. Self-serving bias is the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs and serves our own self-interest. This is just one of many examples I can think of from my experience working with leaders across organizations and industries that illustrates a common human bias. The team members would often attribute successful sales to their own skill and expertise, while blaming external factors like poor leads or bad timing for any failures. A few years ago, I advised a sales team whose job involved making cold calls.
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