In this article for Facility Maintenance Decisions, “Overcoming Biases for Facilities Success,” Laurie Gilmer discusses the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making within facilities management. Facility managers often struggle to communicate their needs effectively to executives, primarily due to misunderstandings related to financial decisions. Gilmer emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing cognitive biases, such as framing, anchoring, focusing, and loss aversion, to bridge this communication gap.
Excerpted from the article;
We all have cognitive biases. It is the way our brains are wired. Understanding these biases can help us focus our message and connect with our decision-making leadership. When we put ourselves in the shoes of others, when we understand the way they think, and when we understand the biases we carry, we build a bridge for effective communication that ultimately enables good decisions to be made that will ensure facilities meet their mission.
Framing refers to presenting information in a way that resonates with the audience’s experiences and values, which can significantly influence decision-making. By aligning their message with what is important to executives, facility managers can make a more compelling case for their needs. Similarly, anchoring, or relying on initial estimates, can be problematic in financial decisions. Managers need to present information in a way that avoids these biases, considering more comprehensive methods like life cycle analysis instead of simple payback periods.
The focusing effect, which leads to overemphasizing one aspect while ignoring others, and loss aversion, the tendency to fear losses more than valuing gains, are other critical biases to address. By illustrating the broader context and potential long-term consequences of decisions, facility managers can help executives see the bigger picture. Understanding these biases and effectively communicating with decision-makers ensures that facilities management teams can secure the necessary support and resources to fulfill their mission
Read the full article here.
