In these situations, they are more likely to cling to their expertise – offering directions and decisions based on their own frame of reference – rather than exploring different perspectives. In a world in which technology is forcing businesses to adapt to remain relevant, the pressure on CEOs is high, increasing the complexity of the problems they face and shortening the perceived time available to make decisions. This encourages us to want to reach an outcome quickly, rather than set aside the necessary space to engage in thinking at the right level. Our vulnerability to these shortcuts, often referred to as heuristics, is exacerbated when we perceive time is short and pressure is increased.

It is one of several biases – mental shortcuts we unwittingly deploy to solve complex problems – that can lead to poor decision making.

As human beings we are all subject to confirmation bias – which is seeking, recalling or interpreting evidence that only conforms with pre-existing beliefs. The polarisation of politics in the UK around Brexit has been driven by the reality that we can all find the information we want to see, rather than what we need to hear. It’s not only special interest groups that have been affected. The situation is exacerbated by algorithms, employed by social media platforms, which push content to match what we have already engaged with, effectively confining us to an echo chamber. Their attitude to other information is to dismiss it as a hoax, a conspiracy, or to assimilate parts of it into their own way of thinking. So, it seems Flat Earthers have only sought out information that confirms their own beliefs. Indeed, having taken 50 years to reach 3,500 members, the modern Flat Earth Society can today boast more than 300,000 visits to its website every day. But whilst some people have clung to a literal view of what is written in the Old Testament, the rise of the Flat Earth society has largely been attributed to the internet and the access it gives people to information, and each other. Given all the evidence published since 1543, you might say it is remarkable that anyone still believes the earth might be flat.

So, what does that tell us about human behaviour and what alarm bells should it set off for modern business leaders as they try to make good decisions? Tom Blower, Managing Director and Executive Coach, EMEA at Black Isle Group, explains for CEO Today.

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