Smart vs Easy
As a professional communicator and doctoral student in leadership, understanding how the human brain works is critical to success. After reading Thinking, Fast & Slow by Nobel Prize recipient, Daniel Kahneman, I have an entirely new appreciation for both the complexity of the human brain and the rather shocking (and often-biased) way that people make decisions and judgements. The premise of Kahnemen’s book is that the human mind is composed of two distinct modes of operation called System 1 and System 2.[1] System 1 is automatic, effortless and often based on emotion or intuition. System 2 requires effort and energy–it is the more logical and conscious work of the mind.[2]
Based on a lifetime of research, Kahneman concludes that humans frequently rely on the automatic and effortless working of System 1 rather than engaging the more thoughtful, purposeful processes of System 2. This default mode of thought can result in unrecognized errors of judgment. Reading through the various biases and heuristics described by Kahneman, I realized that those who know and recognize these System 1 tendencies have a clear advantage over those who do not. I see the following two principles as particularly important for people to know and keep top of mind, especially leaders.
The Halo Effect
The halo effect is a bias that occurs when we associate positive or negative characteristics about a person based on our initial impression of them.[3] This tendency is precisely why first impressions are so important. Meeting someone when they are having a bad day, can easily sour one’s perception about their skill, generosity and more. Likewise, just because a person is funny, generous, or beautiful does not automatically mean they have other positive characteristics like our System 1 mind wants us to believe. The implication for leaders is to be aware of this bias and continuously challenge ourselves to evaluate people based on deeper understanding than initial impressions and likewise, recognize that others are evaluating us based on factors that may not be based on fact or experience. Understanding this tendency and working to overcome it makes us more likely to have accurate perceptions of the people in our sphere of influence.
The Availability Heuristic
Another heuristic described by Kahneman is a tendency to judge the frequency or quantity of something based on how easily examples come to mind.[4] This has significant implications in light of the pervasiveness of media in today’s culture. If a particular news story is popular in the media, it can cause people to think that an issue is far more prevalent than it actually is based on how often they hear about it. The reverse is also true. As leaders, we must be aware that just because we hear about a particular issue frequently does not mean it is representative of the whole. More investigation is required to understand just how often a particular circumstance is actually occurring.
In a day and age comprised of people with short attention spans, over-busy schedules, and multi-tasking habits, it is more challenging than ever to be aware of the ways our mind wants to take the easy route and employ System 1 processing for decision-making. As leaders, we must be intentional about taking time and effort to evaluate our decisions (especially the most important ones) based on facts, evidence and data. Intuition is important, but overcoming the biases of our mind, requires a higher level of thinking that must be cultivated within us and those we lead.
[1] These terms are not the only terms utilized for these distinct modes of thought, however they are well-accepted in the field of psychology.
[2] Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc, 2013), 20.
[3] 82
[4] 129
About the Author
Laura Fleetwood
Laura Fleetwood is a Christian creative, certified Enneagram Coach, doctoral student at Portland Seminary and Creative Director at her home church, Messiah St. Charles. As a published author, national faith speaker, podcaster and self-described anxiety warrior, Laura uses storytelling to teach you how to seek the S T I L L in the midst of your chaotic life. Find Laura at www.seekingthestill.com12 responses to “Smart vs Easy”
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Great summary Laura!
How might the availability heuristic influence your work as a creative director? Making content for popular consumption might lead to reenforcing the status quo, while shying away from pushing the boundary for creative expression, in my experience. It is an all too easy trap to let limited feedback speak for the whole.
Chad – Your observation is spot on. On my team we try to be intentional to do a bit of both, Using trends and talking about relevant subjects works in favor with algorithms that drive how much people see your content on social media, so it’s definitely something we focus on. However, we are blessed to be in a creative environment where we challenge each other to innovate and try new ideas “just because.” A healthy balance of both is a great place to begin.
Hi Laura, thank you for a great summary of Kahneman. I think I have intuitively understood the halo effect. No matter how I might be feeling, I find that I make an effort to smile whenever I am looking at someone because I would do not want that person to think or feel like I am upset with them. I do not want to be a negative impact on their day. I try and give people the benefit of the doubt and not let one bad impression dictate my opinion of someone. This is not always easy and I do struggle at times, but these are my goals. How might you use your understanding of the halo effect? How does it change the way you interact with people or the way you view people?
Becca – I definitely think about the halo effect when it comes to public speaking or designing worship services. Starting off with a positive shared emotion, whether it be laughter or heart-felt tears is one way to get everyone in the room in the same emotional (system 1) place. We do this through music, video storytelling or even jokes. Especially when it comes to worship, people arrive with all different burdens and thoughts weighing them down. Utilizing the halo-effect can help group the room and give everyone the space to the receive what is to come. I hope that is a helpful example!
Hey Laura,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Kahneman’s work. Our first impressions of people can be helpful. However, we must not rely on them too much. For we ought to know that first impressions are system 1 thinking, and this has its flaws. About a year ago, we had a new staff member join our team at our church. My first interaction with her was not encouraging according to my system 1. But since then, she has been a delight to work with and a critical part of our team. I wonder if I listened to system 1 and didn’t give her the benefit of a doubt. She would have felt that my defences were up, and I would not have been enjoyable to work with. What are ways you personally keep your system 1 thinking in check in order to avoid making faulty decisions?
Ah, great question, David. First off, I’m glad you allowed room for your co-worker to show her true colors without holding bias or resentment from your initial encounter. I think part of the answer to your questions has to do with personality. My personality, in general, is very accepting of others and their differences. It comes naturally to me, where I know it does not for other people. The other things I do is try to remember something that author Brene Brown said at one time: “Everyone is doing the best they can at any given point in time.” I choose to believe that people are generally doing the best that they can and that we deserve second chances. I will say, however, that this can prove challenging as a leader when it is time to discipline or let someone go. I always want to believe that they can do better, when sometimes it’s just time to part ways. Thanks for the opportunity to reflect on that!
Hi Laura,
What a great summary of Kahneman’s main ideas. Thanks for sharing your specific thoughts regarding the halo effect and the availability heuristic. I found the heuristic effect especially interesting and concerning, in light of our current social media-dominated culture and I wondered how this phenomenon might affect our upcoming national decisions being made in November.
As you mentioned, “In a day and age comprised of people with short attention spans, over-busy schedules, and multi-tasking habits, it is more challenging than ever to be aware of the ways our mind wants to take the easy route and employ System 1 processing for decision-making.” I am curious if you see a need for change in our “over-busy” schedules, in addition to our need to be aware of our decision-making processes. And, I wondered if Kahneman’s ideas bring any helpful insights to your NPO research?
Thanks, Laura!
Yes, Jenny. I had those same thoughts regarding social media and the elections. There are so many voices to listen to, but it seems that only a select few get all the air time. As for busy schedules, that is at the heart of my personal ministry, Seeking The Still. Jesus was intentional about time and rest. Practices such as Sabbath, quiet time, prayer and reflection are so important to freeing our minds and giving us space to employ higher-level thinking. This is definitely part of my research project!
Laura, I appreciate you making the connection to the fact that the less margin we have, the more we rely on our system 1 thoughts. I had a conversation with my lead pastor recently about the differences between reacting and responding. It’s obvious that the more I feel squeezed for time, energy, and general bandwidth, the less depth my interactions and engagements have.
Yes, that is so true, Caleb. Your comment made me think about the HALT acronym that they share in AA meetings. If you are hungry, angry, tired or lonely, you’re at greater risk of relapse. Kahneman proves the same is true for anyone in terms of whether they are more likely to react based on System 1 or respond via System 2. It’s something we all should have on our radar!
Laura, this is incredible information! I really value to the connection that you brought here. I had never heard the acronym HALT, but know that could be utilized with psychology across many situations. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Lara,
This response is coming way after this post was first completed and I’m not expecting a reply. But I did want to say that it would be interesting to compare and contrast the halo effect to Malcolm Gladwell’s “thin-slicing” that is explained in his book Blink.