Avoid replicas, get originals

Our behavior is chock-full of biases. Often, our biases are instilled by a millennia of evolutionary changes to our physiology, psychology, and group social structures. Today, bias can influence our thinking in less-than-helpful ways. One bias that surfaces regularly is the "similar to me" or "like me" bias which suggests that people tend to opt for or include those that are similar to them. This could by specific to physical similarity, but, more often in a work environment, it relates to similarity of thought. Have you ever had a conversation where you and the other person had naturally similar opinions or humor from the start? This is a good example.

It would be fair to challenge that this isn't necessarily bad. I would agree. The bias tends to become problematic when the comfort that arises from that similarity extends to other facets of decision-making. Are people hired because they think and talk like others in the team, even though they have fewer qualifications than other candidates? Is someone who thinks through problems differently, excluded from strategy conversations more frequently than they should be based when considering their merits? Might someone be evaluated unfavorably for the quality of their work solely because of personality differences from leadership? It can happen. It does happen, and in ways both big and small.

Balance of opinion and diversity of thought bring significant value to teams. Remember to focus on what someone can provide not just on how they provide it.