Becoming Aware of Bias Before Error

Pharaoh, (my name for the imperious ruler of the Board) determined that a particular person, (I’ll call C.G.) should be hired, on contract, to fulfil a particular vacancy.

As the Board was terrified of Pharaoh they rubber stamped his decision.

Scorn, a person whom the Board disliked for no particular reason, questioned the hiring of C.G. and presented a number of reasons against such action.

As the Board was afraid of Pharaoh and disliked Scorn, then slapped the questions aside and raced to hire C.G.

C.G. was slightly above a fraud.  He could not perform the contract and the members began to despise him and cease attending meetings.

In some kind of cabal the Board members realised they all hated Pharaoh, so got rid of him.  He was replaced by Hand Puppet, who wasn’t much better, but how had an intense dislike of Scorn.

As things got worse and worse, Hand Puppet was also chased away, and Blunder took the post of Chairman.

Although Blunder was different from Pharaoh and Hand Puppet, he disliked Scorn by osmosis.

When it was decided to get rid of C.G. no one spoke to Scorn and they paid him a hefty sum to go away, although they didn’t have to, and if they had listened to Scorn they would appreciate they didn’t have to.

But because everyone disliked Scorn, they would not hear a word.

Seeing a situation as clearly drafted as this, one can immediately recognise that these people let their dislike cloud their judgement, nay, it formed their judgement.   Their decision was based on; “Whatever Scorn suggests we do the opposite!”

In many organisations there is a Scorn.  This is someone people don’t like.  They don’t like Scorn, not based on a past history but on some kind of ‘instant’ reaction.

Maybe how s/he looks or talks or rumours that have been unproven, or attitude; nothing tangible.  No one can say; “Oh Scorn stole $10,”  or “Scorn is a drunkard”, or “Scorn did/said/was…”   it is just naked dislike.

I recall being on a Board and realising that I disliked a particular member.   Being alert to empty bias I did not let it effect my judgement.  But that was more experience than brilliance.

What one needs to do is explore why they reject everything out of Scorn’s mouth and deliberately act to the contrary.  If they can come up with no more than, “I don’t like Scorn…” then they must realise they have a bias and not allow it to destroy them.