When board members are not conscious of their biases they can stifle or inhibit the board’s ability to make effective decisions. Some of the more common biases include:
He irritates me: Board members demonstrate this bias when they become impatient with other members who are not as knowledgeable as they think they are at this point in time. They project their irritation toward those other board members and are not the least bit apologetic for their reaction.
Hearing is believing: This occurs when a board member hears a story so many times that he comes to believe it is true. He is willing to discredit any other view and bases his decisions on that story without opening his mind to new information.
Focusing on small details: These board members focus on the smallest details and let large elements ride. This is often seen in the area of financial governance when they focus on the small envelopes and rarely question the larger ones.
I just knew it: These board members will let the others know that they had a hunch that things would not go well. Their hindsight is better than their foresight. They focus on the negative.
Selecting Details: This bias appears when a board member or CEO looks for or presents evidence which supports his request or conclusion.
In the past we: This occurs when a board member recalls one or more past events and associates a current situation with that situation. He is unable to attend to the new situation the information at hand to make a decision.
Information missing: This bias occurs when a board member thinks that there is information missing or withheld and he fears the unknown. He will unconsciously use this bias to slow the decision-making process.
Just listen to that story: A board members becomes when his need to attend to the ‘story’ is stronger than his desire to attend to the data and evidence before the board.
Remembering the good old days: This tendency is evident when board members focus on the past. They remember situations as being much more productive or progressive than they are currently.
The recommendation seems correct: This bias presents itself when a recommendation seems plausible even though the evidence does support it. This bias becomes evident after the decision is made because board members say, “If I had known that at the time, I never would have voted for that motion.” Or you will hear, “Why weren’t we given those facts at the time, now it is too late.”
There’s no need to waste time: Board members who engage in this bias think that certain conditions exist and they can use their assumptions to make a decision.
They say it is so: Board members demonstrate this bias when they think that something is best simply because a powerful person or a person they trust says it is so.
This is big: This bias appears when a board member sees something as being riskier or more important than it is in reality. He is unable to gain a realistic perspective on the situation.
We need to pay more attention to this: These members focus on one point and refuse to hear all of the other evidence presented. One miniscule point can claim their focus and influence how they make a decision.
One of the best things a board member can do is to become aware of his biases and keep them in check when he is participating in discussions and making decisions at the board table.
