Critical Thinking - Minimize Your Own Biases

We all lean towards ideas, research or opinions that favor our viewpoints. Unconscious biases and prejudices block our capacity to pick up important facts and recommendations, thereby impacting our critical thinking and the quality of our decisions. Biases can be minimized by making an effort to read and listen to information and opinions that are different to yours; avoiding groupthink (mindless conformity to what a group says); encouraging all people to have their say; and evaluating opinions' merit by continuing to sift, assess and research.

• Recognize that we all have unconscious biases influenced by
gender, age, race and other factors, irrespective of the quality of what's said.
• Learn that biases block our capacity to make good decisions.
• Anticipate these biases by not resorting to groupthink.
• Ensure the team has a variety of views  encourage diversity and participation.