The Neuroscience of Decision Making - The Importance of Pattern Recognition
The Brain Science of Decision Making The brain uses two processes that enable us to cope with complexities: o Pattern recognition o Emotional tagging Both help us make excellent decisions most of the time.
They have survived evolutionary selection precisely because they give us distinct advantages over lesser animals in the food chain.
But in certain conditions, these processes can mislead us, resulting in poor judgments and bad decisions.
Pattern-Recognition Flaws Most of the time, pattern recognition works remarkably well.
But when something looks familiar-yet truly is not-we can be fooled into thinking we understand it.
This problem is called a "misleading experience," and it's a major contributor to faulty reasoning.
Our brains house memories of past experiences that connect with inputs we are receiving.
But when the past experiences are not a good match with the current situation, we form wrong conclusions.
Another problem arises when our thinking has been primed before we receive the inputs.
For example, we may have made previous judgments or decisions that connect to the current situation, but they may, in fact, be inappropriate.
This causes us to misjudge the information we are receiving - faulty thinking known as a "misleading prejudgment.
" Pattern recognition is fallible, but we heavily rely on it because it saves us time in a complex world.
We are hardwired to gather information quickly, match it to previous experiences and knowledge, and make decisions.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help company leaders recognize patterns and improve their decision making capability.
You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.