From Harvard Business School:

The fundamental attribution error refers to an individual's tendency to attribute another's actions to their character or personality while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control. In other words, you tend to cut yourself a break while holding others 100 percent accountable for their actions.

So the guy who crept up alongside the long line at the freeway exit and cut in is a jerk, but that time you did, it couldn't be helped because you were late to a meeting. You know you usually don't cut the line but assume they always do. You attribute their misdeed to a character flaw (they're a jerk), while you attribute yours to the situation.

The employee who arrived late is lazy and doesn't care about their job, but when you were late, it was a one-off because there was a backup on the bridge.

Empathy is the solution. Empathy is the ability to have another's experience vicariously. 

What this means to me is to ask questions when I can and have grace when I can't. Rather than honking and gesticulating at the jerk who cut me off in his Range Rover, who is obviously some rich-ass POS who doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself and feels entitled to cut ahead because he is "oh so important." I can create a different story about an elderly parent who needs help, and the Range Rover guy is her only child, rushing to her aid and choosing to miss the big meeting (costing him thousands) so he can take care of his Mom.

I don't know the real story anyway, so why not makeup one that feels better?

When we can ask questions, like when an employee comes in late, we can ask without prejudice. We can choose to believe that they must have had something go wrong and put on the proper face and ask.

Is there any downside to this? I don’t see one. Will my honking, yelling, or lack thereof change the guy in the Range? What if the employee is lazy and doesn't care about their job? Can't I still uncover that with questions and take appropriate action?

I have made the mistake of writing bad fiction about folks without real knowledge. The fundamental attribution error has kicked me in the butt more than a few times.

Today, I make better choices; so can you.

Own Your Sales Gene…