We’ve all heard the saying “quick to judge”. Well, it turns out that our mind works out of your control to evaluate and judge. This is our way of making sense of things. Unfortunately, our judgments are often mistaken.

John Bargh at Yale is at the forefront of new studies into the automatic processes that occur in our brains. He says that our judge does not perceive on the basis of objective reality, but rather what it has been trained to see. It is therefore subjective. From the point of first judgment forward, the judge will make decisions based on data that confirm this subjective information.

Dr. Bargh’s findings have profound implications for leadership. It’s interesting and scarey that one of the most important things a leader does – make judgments – can also be a problem for. The trick is to become conscious of the noconscious judgments that are made.

I believe that this is where a coach or mentor can help. In receiving feedback on the judgments we make, we can become more conscious of them. Ongoing coaching can assist in helping a leader to set aside judgment and to see situations and individuals in a new light.