In Cognitive Cheat Sheets we looked at what we can do, by ourselves, to address cognitive biases and heuristics.
Then, in “4 Heads Are Better Than 1” we demonstrated that signal detection, at least in deductive reasoning, works exponentially better when we work together.
Below I have outlined 8 points for consideration when working in partnership with someone. The aim is to help each other overcome each others biases as best you can.
Awareness
Make sure you are both aware of the fact many types of cognitive biases and heuristics that exist, and if possible acknowledge what you are prone to.
Overconfidence
It is easy to be overconfident or ignore certain information, particularly if you are looking for confirmation of what you already believe. Question each other’s confidence in what you know.
Past mistakes
If you are able to identify where past mistakes were made, you may find patterns that you can address. It may take some time working together before you can see your partners patterns. Returning to data as a basic principles is a good way to address this repeated mistakes.
Curiosity
Being curious about how your partner arrives at conclusions, pausing to ask questions, can help them override their assumptions.
Humility and growth
Cognitive ability can be developed and learning from criticism is key. Framing criticism constructively helps the dialogos work. Being open to your partners criticism is of fundamental importance. Humility is the groundwork for growth.
Irritation
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to understanding ourselves” — Carl Jung. This timeless truth is a great guide to weeding out biases. The self reflection is not easy, but asking your partner for their opinion on the same information may help to root out any active bias. If you partner is the source of your irritation then there is a chance to explore different perspectives and how you can work together more effectively.
Devil’s advocate
Trying to understand an issue from both sides can make you a stronger critical thinker. Playing the devil’s advocate for each other is a simple way to explore your initial assessments.
Falsifiability
Whenever you want something to be true you are primed toward bias. The scientific method relies on a proposition being falsifiable. Take time to try and find information that counters what you believe. Work together to check the viability of opposing information.
An effective mindset
Cognitive partnerships are challenging, in particular, to have our assumptions and beliefs questioned challenges our worldview, our very identity. A typical neurological response to this is the threat response.
Threat shuts down our inhibition, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. We literally stop reasoning as the hippocampus reorganises memories to feed the amygdala's defensive position. Separating signal from noise under these conditions is close to impossible.
It is important to be aware of this, both within ourselves and those that we seek cognitive partnership with. We need to develop an effective mindset to be able to remain open to feedback, and to provide feedback in a useful fashion. This is a challenge!
Here I refer back to Sensing Signal and Sine Identitatis as self development methods that you can do alone to develop an effective mindset.
This is by far the best method I have come across for partnerships or groups to develop meaningful and constructive dialogue.
It is a structured dialogue process that can be learned in about 15 minutes, and dramatically deepens listening skills, neutralising defensive positioning, whilst affording clarity of shared understanding.
This practice will help any group of people that have a genuine intention to work together develop the skills to do so more effectively.
Rather than me trying to reinvent the wheel here is a link to The Empathy Circle website as well as a video below where you can see it in practice.
I believe this is the groundwork on which signal detection can be built.
Previous article in this series “4 Heads Are Better Than 1”
Next article in this series “TL;DR Principles of Action”
