Attribute This

HOT TOPICS  

You see a car speed by you on the highway - is your first thought that the driver must have an emergency? Or that they are a huge jerk who doesn't care about others?

What if you're speeding? Do you blame it on traffic or the school line instead of personal choice? Probably!

This is a great example of an Attribution Error, or the tendency to attribute others' actions solely to their character or personality while explaining our own behavior through external factors beyond our control.

In other words, it's giving oneself leeway while judging others harshly for their behavior. One of the reasons for this is that we're mostly aware of our own values and circumstances, but tend to jump to negative conclusions when we don't know these things about another person.

It's a main contributor to the ongoing negative narrative that many of us have running through our brains but the impact extends beyond that. Some examples in the workplace:

📋 Performance Mix-Up: Making this error can mess with your own and your team's performance evaluations by attributing successes and failures incorrectly. For example, biased thinking can result in failing to consider all factors, or not taking responsibility where needed. This mix-up could also impact career paths and advancement.

😖 Team Dynamics Twist: Attribution error plays games with how people see their teammates' efforts. That twist might mess with teamwork and how well the group performs together. It can also lead to increased refereeing and/or unnecessary HR involvement.

🗣 Communication Hiccups: We tend to make negative assumptions when we don't understand or lack clarity around something. Attribution errors make these assumptions more personal and lead to larger communication issues. For example, "she's not providing me with updates because she's incompetent vs. her child has been very ill."

So what can you do about it? Check your thinking, look for facts, and communicate, communicate, communicate! More tips are below.

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KINDLE THE FLAME  Mind Your P's

Mitigating the impact of attribution errors is similar to that of any cognitive distortion. First, you need to be aware that it's happening, then you need to challenge the thought with evidence.

Challenging the thought is actually the easier part - it's catching yourself in the act and stopping long enough to see it differently that's tough.

The first thing you really need to do stop your own errors? Talk to Amy, a.k.a your Amygdala and the one responsible for a lot of those quick reactions. Quick refresh - Amy asks two questions before she can start to see things differently: Is this urgent and Is this causing me pain?

When committing an attribution error we often see others' actions as causing us pain, activating the stress response and limiting our ability to think more rationally. Help this by:

👉 Understanding your triggers and how they present (i.e sweaty palms, cursing)

👉 Slowing down or stepping away to breathe and let your rational brain kick back in

👉 Asking "Can I see this differently?" and "What are the facts?"

Coaching your team through these steps can help them manage their attribution errors as well. In the meantime, make sure the two "Ps" are always available:

👉 Performance Processes (i.e. standardized reviews, growth plans, HR reporting)

👉Priority People (your humans that will challenge you or your team's unrecognized biases/errors)

And lastly? HOT Communication! A humble, open, and transparent conversation can typically dispel any thinking errors by allowing all parties to state their case and see things differently. If not, you'll have the information you need to move forward.

PANTS ON FIRE  Myth Busting

Myth: Attribution errors only apply to negative scenarios

Reality: Attribution errors occur in both positive and negative scenarios

A common misconception is that attribution errors come into play exclusively when things go awry. This implies that in successful situations, individuals always accurately attribute success to personal qualities and/or external factors as appropriate.

In reality, attribution errors can influence perceptions in both negative and positive circumstances - for both yourself and others. If you like someone and think highly of them, you are more likely to focus on their strengths.

Recognizing this myth encourages a more nuanced understanding of attributions across different situations in the workplace. And remaining aware of this and other biased thinking will keep your team happy and you on top of your leadership game!

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