EP 483: Avoiding Acquiescence Bias

A problem, question, or challenge is often more than meets the eye. But we're biased to accept how an issue is initially framed. We acquiesce to the original terms. That's called acquiescence bias. When we don't counteract our acquiescence bias, we miss opportunities to get to the root cause or think creatively about a challenge.

Today, I share 3 ways to resist acquiescence bias as you consider your next moves, goals, or plans.

Footnotes:

• "In Your Spare Time" from No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le Guin (read it or listen on Spotify)
• "Don't call it a Substack." by Anil Dash
• More on why podcast metrics were so screwy this year
• A skeet thread on the difference in referral traffic from Bluesky and X

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What is What Works?

"Work" is broken. We're overcommitted, underutilized, and out of whack. But it doesn't have to be this way. What Works is a podcast about rethinking work, business, and leadership as we navigate the 21st-century economy. When you're an entrepreneur, independent worker, or employee who doesn't want to lose yourself to the whims of late-stage capitalism, this show is for you. Host Tara McMullin covers money, management, culture, media, philosophy, and more to figure out what's working (and what's not) today. Tara offers a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to deep-dive analysis of how we work and how work shapes us.