Post-It Note Lessons

What Post-It Notes Can Teach Us About Combatting Negative Bias

A few years ago, I tried an exercise that was shared by one of my most humble, wise and dear friends.  For a whole week, I wrote down on a post-it note 3 things that were either:

1)     Something that I was grateful for or,

2)     Something positive that had occurred to me that day

Most of my notes were seemingly mundane, like “I made it to the airport in time” or “I took a nap with my dogs”.  But all of them were things that were positive, or I was grateful for.

I stuck those post-it notes next to my mirror, where I was sure to see it every morning while getting ready.  Every day, without fail, I wrote down 3 things, and no one thing was a repeat of a previous day.  At the end of the week, I looked at all of my notes in their entirety and here is how I felt:  Happy, and grateful.  I’ve kept those post-it notes, and every once in a while, I will pull them out and look at them, and recall those events and smile.  The feeling that it evokes is one of gratitude and the perspective that I am truly blessed. 

So what exactly is the point of this?  Three words:  Combatting Negativity Bias.

What the post-it note exercise demonstrates is just one of many ways to combat your negative bias, and train your brain to think in a more positive manner.

What is negative bias and how can we manage it?

Our brains are wired to focus on negativity, and negative events tend to have more impact on our brains that positive events.  This is what psychologists have termed “negative bias”.  For instance, think back to one of your earliest, formative memories.  Chances are, it might very well be the time you got lost in the supermarket as a toddler, or a traumatic experience in school. 

This negative bias shows up in our interactions with our employees and team members as well.  Take for example performance reports and appraisals.  It’s important for leaders and supervisors to give people critical feedback for improvement, but too much negatively skewed feedback can set the member back as opposed to being helpful.  There is a technique in feedback that for every “negative” critique, that there are 2-3 positive ones.  That 2:1 or 3:1 ratio allows the member to still receive critical feedback, but not fixate on the negative aspects. 

Combatting negative bias in important to our overall well-being and how we show up as leaders, managers, and supervisors.  There is gravity to our actions when we are in any perceived position of authority.  The words we say and how we see our employees, subordinates and others have impact.  If we think negatively, it will show in how we interact with those around us.  If we are well adjusted and self-aware, it too will be reflected in how we interact with our teams. 

 Here is what I want to challenge all of you to do.  Try the post-it note exercise.  Get yourself some post-it notes of any color, or multiple bright colors.  Write down daily your 3 items of gratitude of positivity.  Things that may seem small or insignificant, like “My car started today” or “I heard my favorite song on the radio” absolutely count.  Stick that post-it note where you will see it every day, your mirror, your refrigerator, whatever works.  Do this every day for a week without repeat something that you’ve already written down.  At the end of the week, read through your collection of post-it notes and take notice of you now perceive your interactions with others and your outlook.  And of course, keep your notes of positivity to pull out and review periodically when you need to remind yourself of the things in life to be grateful for.