Are you aware of your judgments or does the unconscious influence you too?

1. BIAS OR NOT?
Are you aware of your judgments or does the unconscious influence you too?

2. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF
In the next pages you will find different situations and examples.
Follow your intuition... The first impression counts!

3. WHO IS THE FASTER RUNNER?
Florence Griffith-Joyner
or
Michael C. Hall

4. Florence Griffith-Joyner is actually one of the fastest runners of the USA

5. WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?
(Assume all are equally qualified)

6. Position: Marketing Director
or

7. Position: Trainee
or

8. Position: Bank Director
or

9. Position: PR Representative
or

10. Position: Construction Manager
or

11. Position: Nurse
or

12. Want to give it another shot?

13. What is the safer method of transport?
or

14. What are you most afraid of?
or
or

15. The chances of dying in a vehicle accident is 1 in 84, as
opposed to a 1 in 5,000 chance of dying in a airplane
crash…
Are you more afraid of the shark or the lion?
The World Health Organization estimates that more
than 1 million people die yearly due to mosquito
bites.
Statistics show that falling coconuts are a much more
likely to hit us than to be attacked by a shark.

16. Who is more competent?
or

17. The smoker was Germany´s Chancellor
for 8 years – Helmut Schmidt
The nicely dressed doctor on the left is on German TV daily to give his
expertise for advertisement purposes only. He has nothing to do with
health concerns nor is he a doctor.

18. You are managing a new software development that your company has
developed. Already $ 50,000 and a lot of time has been invested to date.
Unfortunately, the software program was unsuccessful in the initial launch and it
may not have the initial ROI that was projected. The software was already
updated twice to make it more customer friendly. One of your team members
has another idea, and asks for $ 5,000 to give it another shot.
What will you do?
Support his idea and
increase the investment
to a total of $ 55,000
Deny the request and end
the project

19. Support his idea could turn the
projects around. But also:
Denying the request and ending the project enables
you to:
Let’s look at the facts:
- You already invested $ 50,000
- $ 5,000 = 10% of $ 50,000
- You invested lots of time
- The product launch was initially unsuccessful in the market
- It was already updated TWO times before, but to no avail
One of the big problems in project management is not to know when to stop. This can ruin an entire
businesses. The bias is that once one has reached a certain degree of engagement (investment of time,
money, interest, public confirmation etc.) the value of the subject increases and one will have a harder time
of letting it go.
 Focus on new projects
 Use your resources for other opportunities
 Use the money to invest in something else
 Learn from your mistakes
 Avoid further frustration
• Limits new projects
• Limits resources
• Increases further
investment
• Increases frustration
• Can lead to demotivation

20. To summarize…
We have preferences towards:
• People who sound like us
• People who look/dress similar
• People who have similar hobbies to us
• People who appear physically fit and well prepared
• People from the same college, university or city of birth
• People of the same sex, race, religious conviction, nationality
We tend to be bias against:
• People who seem weak or unhealthy
• People who look or sound different to us
• People with different values or principles
• People with very different backgrounds than our own
• People who we may find it hard to relate to, because of a lack of similar interests or
hobbies

21. Join our half-day open
course on Unconscious Bias
in December. Pick the best
date* for you here.
Venue Details:
Kwintessential
Penhurst House,
352-356 Battersea Park Rd,
London, SW11 3BY
So you got the idea. But don’t
worry, it is normal to have
prejudices and they often
even help. However it is even
more helpful when you are
aware of them.
Let us show you examples
and strategies on how to
realise unconscious
decisions and to take
advantage of them in the
context of the workplace.
* Course will run provided a minimum number of attendees
sign up for the same date.