Here's how you can navigate cognitive biases in your strategic thinking process.

Follow these 3 rules(to recognise bias) 1. Every statement is biased. (including this one.) So, it's OK, you add some more to the world as a gift. No self-blaming. Just recognize them and apply self-compassion 2. Get familiar with the Socratic Questioning Method. Try to make it a micro-habit for you; to start with. Don't accept the initial, "good-looking" answer. Deep dive. Keep asking "why" and "what else". 3. Take a voice record of your communication with your team member or client. (Ask for permission first). A few minutes is more than enough. Listen to it. Put your words on paper. Separate them into chunks. Re-consider them whether they include any bias or not. Do that 5 more times. Train your brain, as if you train AI about biases.

Remember that children's tale about how a motley crew of outcast animals: a cow, dog, rooster, goat find themselves a home in an abandoned barn? They set aside their differences, pool their combined talent and frighten away a group of hoodlums intent on claiming their home. Well that's the power of working with diverse teams. It's incredible how it opens one's mind to possibilities and in finding new solutions. Remember none of us is ever as good as all of us!

We all have biases that can cloud our judgment, but the key is to recognize them and push back. When you're knee-deep in strategic planning, take a step back and ask yourself, "Hey, am I making any assumptions here that might be steering me wrong?" 🤔 Poke holes in your own logic, play devil's advocate, and consider alternative perspectives. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but trust me, it's like a mental workout that'll keep your thinking skills sharp! 💪 So, next time you catch yourself making an assumption, give it a good challenge and see where it leads you. Who knows, you might just uncover a brilliant new approach that takes your strategy to the next level! 🚀

It seems essential to start by identifying and listing all underlying assumptions. Engage stakeholders with diverse viewpoints to challenge your biases. Assign someone to play the devil's advocate, deliberately questioning and challenging assumptions and decisions. Base your decisions on empirical data, verifying assumptions through research. Develop multiple scenarios, including best-case, worst-case, and likely outcomes, to test the robustness of your assumptions. Regularly reflect on your thought processes to identify and mitigate biases. Establish continuous feedback loops and review decisions to learn from any mistakes. This structured approach enhances strategic thinking by systematically challenging assumptions.

Use frameworks like SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, and Porter's Five Forces to systematically evaluate internal and external factors, ensuring comprehensive consideration of all aspects. Decision trees can help outline possible outcomes and their probabilities, reducing reliance on intuition. The Six Thinking Hats method encourages viewing decisions from multiple perspectives, while the RACI matrix clarifies roles and responsibilities, preventing bias from affecting accountability. By structuring your decision-making process with these frameworks, you can minimize biases and enhance strategic thinking.

Regularly reflecting on your thought processes and decision-making patterns will help to see the big picture and challenge your initial ideas or assumptions. Such reflective sessions help identify and mitigate biases. For instance, you can schedule periodic team offsites and brainstorming sessions to encourage diverse perspectives and collective reflection. These gatherings foster an environment where assumptions can be openly challenged, new ideas are generated, and different viewpoints are considered. These regular reflection and collaborative sessions ensure that strategic decisions are well-rounded, thoroughly vetted, and less influenced by individual cognitive biases.