Bias for action can mask a bias against thinking

Conventional wisdom reminds us that “You can’t steer a parked car” and encourages us to “Move fast and break things.” While this bias for action can be helpful to overcome “analysis paralysis” and institutionalized lethargy, it creates considerable risk that is proportionate to the scope and cost of the project to be undertaken.

When this bias for action is generalized into the culture of an organization, the reversibility caveat is usually lost. What’s left is a slogan—“Just do it!”—that is seemingly applicable in all situations. … To put that in more general behavioral terms, people in power, which includes executives deciding about big projects, prefer to go with the quick flow of availability bias, as opposed to the slow effort of planning.^[1]

This should not be misunderstood as a bias against progress or a delay in working on the project. “Planning is working on the project. Progress in planning is progress on the project, often the most cost-effective progress you can achieve. We lose sight of these facts at our peril.”^[2]

#bias #management #cognition

See also:

• Availability Heuristic overestimates likelihood of events
• Think slow, act fast is the secret of success