Positive bias

May be it’s a human tendency to like someone who has a trait that we also have or we like to have.  This is fine. The problem arises when we strongly believe that employees with such a trait would be good in all the other aspects too, like performance and we tend to rate their performance majorly based on that particular trait.  This is what I call it as a Positive Bias. 

To put it simply, Positive bias is one wherein you like a particular trait that you have and tend to think that employees with such traits have to be good and you take decisions primarily based on that trait rather than looking at him in a holistic manner.

Let us look at couple of examples for positive bias and see how it can lead to subjectivity and how it can affect the interest of the Organization. 

Communication as a positive bias-Scenario – 1 : 

You may like someone who is very good in communication because you are also a good communicators OR probably you’ve seen a good performer communicating well in the past.  However, the underlying truth is not all good communicators need to be good performers. Similarly, not all good performers need to be a good communicators.

A recruiter or recruitment panel with such a positive bias would tend to get carried away by one’s communication at the time of interview and could be selecting a wrong hire.  The worst is, a good performer who is not that expressive could lose a good opportunity and more than the Organization could be losing a good talent and all the advantages of having a good talent onboard. 

Remember, most of the Businesses are people-driven, especially the IT and ITes industries wherein the quality of talent would have a direct impact on the Customers’ satisfaction and eventually the Business.

Scenario – 2 :  While assessing the team members performance, a Boss with such positive bias (communication) could tend to get carried away by one’s communication and rate him higher than where he actually stands.

Punctuality as a positive Bias - Scenario – 1:  

Let us say you are a strong believer in punctuality and you think it’s a positive trait which is not debatable at all.  The problem arises when we let this particular trait overshadow all the other aspects that are to be looked at while we are making any decision- be it performance assessment or career path related decisions or a hiring decision. The reason is, not all those who are punctual need to be good performers. 

Moreover, in today’s context, especially in IT and ITes industries, wherein employees have to extend due to client calls, tight delivery timelines etc., and struggle to strike work-life balance, the concept of punctuality cannot be looked at in absolute terms.  Hence, taking any decision, just based on punctuality is not even outdated. Rather it’s an antique practice. 

To conclude, Positive Bias is as bad as negative bias and it certainly affects the objectivity of our actions. Having a bias, be it positive or negative, is like wearing colored spectacle. When you wear a colored spectacle and you see through it, you don’t see things as they are. 

Points to ponder : Do we any positive bias unknowingly? If we have to do self-introspection of our past actions, would it have affected any of our actions / decisions taken ? 

Have you come across people positive biases in your career and how did it affect you ?  Do share your experience. 

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