During a mediation, one or more parties will often bring up the topic of managing expectations- usually in reference to the other party. The discussion will be to the effect that I, as the mediator, should go into the other conference room and have a “candid” conversation with that party [Read More]
It seems that everywhere one looks, there is an implicit bias lurking behind the scenes. While recently, it was the birthday paradox, this week it is the implicit bias we have regarding status. In an article in the Science and Technology section of The Economist (September 14, 2022) entitled, An [Read More]
Whenever I see an article on implicit bias, I must read and write about it. This time, the article is entitled, “Embedded bias: How medical records sow discrimination” by Darius Tahir of Kaiser Health News. The theme of the article is that doctors unconsciously (or perhaps even consciously) write notes [Read More]
Recently, my husband and I met a friend for dinner. During dinner, she noted that she had discovered a book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, asking me if I had ever read it. I mentioned I had heard of it but had not read it. [Read More]
On June 29, 2021, Harvard's PONS posted a blog written by staff entitled, "Negotiators: Resist Vividness Bias in Negotiations." It defined vividness bias as "…the tendency to overweight the vivid and prestigious attributes of a decision, such as a salary or an employer's status, and underweight less impressive issues, such [Read More]
In a recent post, I discussed the distinction between "noise" and "bias" as noted in the new book, Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (Hachette Book Group, New York 2021) by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein. Although somewhat intense reading, I managed to finish it and realized [Read More]
Two recent studies discussed in Katie Shonk's Harvard PONS blog Challenges Facing Women Negotiators (June 1, 2021) confirm what I have long suspected: it is tough being a woman negotiator. Or more bluntly, any given negotiation scenario is biased against women when men are involved. ("Blog") The first study by [Read More]
I learned a new term recently: noise. Not “noise” as in a room full of people talking loudly, but “noise” as opposed to “bias”. Whereas “bias” is defined as errors in judgement, “noise” is defined as “the random errors that create decision risk and uncertainty.” ( Noise Versus Bias- We [Read More]
