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You Like Me, You Really, Really Like Me: The Liking Bias in Project Management
Kevin has just bought two boxes of fine Margaux. He rarely drinks wine – not even Bordeaux – but the sales assistant was so nice, not fake or pushy, just really likable. So he bought them.
Joe Girard is considered the most successful car salesman in the world. His tip is success: “There’s nothing more effective in selling anything then getting the customer to believe, really believe that you like him and care about him. “Girard doesn’t just talk the talk: His secret weapon is sending a card to his customers each month. Just one sentence salutes them: “I like you.”
The above two examples are nothing but the Liking Bias from the book “The Art of Thinking Clearly” authored by Rolf Dobelli
Similarly in project management, building and maintaining relationships is crucial for success. However, these relationships are not immune to biases that can affect decision-making, communication, and overall project outcomes.
One such bias, known as the “Liking Bias,” can have a significant impact on how projects are managed, particularly in team dynamics, leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
Understanding the Liking Bias
The Liking Bias refers to the tendency of people to prefer, agree with, and be more influenced by individuals they like. This bias is rooted in human psychology, where likability can often overshadow objective assessments of competence, ideas, or contributions. In project management, this bias can manifest in various ways, influencing decisions, evaluations, and interactions, sometimes to the detriment of the project’s goals.
The Impact of Liking Bias in Project Management
Team Dynamics and Collaboration
- Favoritism: Managers may unconsciously favor team members they like, giving them more opportunities, responsibilities, or praise. This can lead to resentment and decreased morale among other team members, ultimately affecting team cohesion.
- Groupthink: When a well-liked team member proposes an idea, others might be more inclined to agree without critical analysis. This can stifle innovation and lead to suboptimal decisions.
Leadership and Decision-Making
- Subjective Assessments: A project manager may rate the performance of a favored team member higher than that of others, regardless of actual performance. This can skew the perception of who is contributing effectively to the project.
- Influence on Stakeholders: A project manager’s personal liking for certain stakeholders can affect how they prioritize requests, allocate resources, or handle conflicts, potentially leading to biased project outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Inequitable Attention: Project managers might give more attention to stakeholders they personally like, neglecting others whose input might be just as important or even more critical to the project’s success.
- Biased Communication: The tone, frequency, and openness of communication might vary depending on the manager’s liking for different stakeholders, which can lead to misunderstandings or misaligned expectations.
Strategies to Mitigate Liking Bias
Promote Objective Criteria
- Establish clear, objective criteria for decision-making, performance evaluations, and role assignments.
- Ensure these criteria are communicated and applied consistently across the team.
Encourage Diverse Perspectives
- Foster an environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.
- Encourage critical thinking and challenge the group to consider different viewpoints, particularly when a popular idea is proposed.
Implement Blind Reviews
- In situations where subjective bias could impact decisions, such as evaluating proposals or performance, consider using blind reviews where the identity of the individual is unknown during the assessment.
Seek External Input
- Involve neutral third parties, such as external advisors or consultants, in critical decisions to provide an unbiased perspective. This can help counteract any internal biases that might be influencing the decision-making process.
Reflect on Personal Biases
- Project managers should regularly reflect on their own biases and seek feedback from others. Understanding one’s biases is the first step toward mitigating their impact on project outcomes.
Conclusion
The Liking Bias is a natural human tendency, but in project management, it can lead to decisions that are not in the best interest of the project or the team.
By recognizing and addressing this bias, project managers can foster a more equitable, objective, and effective working environment. This not only enhances project outcomes but also ensures that all team members and stakeholders are treated fairly, ultimately contributing to the long-term success of the project and the organization.
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