How to Overcome the Unconscious Exceptionalism Bias

Growing up in the United States I was raised on a steady diet of American Exceptionalism.

“We’re number one! We’re number one!” 

You HEAR it in sports stadiums. But the belief pervades every aspect of American society. 

Americans believe they have the best healthcare system, the best educational system and - possibly until recent events - the best political system.

Some of these beliefs are stunningly and provably false - yet Americans hang onto them in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

Even I, who have not lived full time in the US for almost 2 decades, still fall prey to this unconscious bias. I’m constantly amazed when I find out that things I had assumed were invented in the US were actually invented elsewhere (a game my Australian born partner LOVES to play with me). 

I believe that American exceptionalism is killing the potential that America has to be exceptional.

By resting on her laurels and believing that the country really is what it has long held itself to be, the US has turned a blind eye to reality.

America is being disrupted.

Disruption doesn’t happen because a better product or service comes along. 

Disruption happens because companies - or industries - lull themselves into believing they are exceptional and they stop looking at themselves clearly. 

They stop proactively looking out for potential challenges - and potential opportunities.

You hear it in sales meetings when people begin to get cocky about the loyalty of their client base.

You hear it in strategy meetings when people start bragging about the strength of the company’s reputation.

You hear it in budget meetings when people talk about headcount and take for granted that top talent won’t walk out the door - until they do.

Then you hear, “He wasn’t any good anyway.”

Exceptionalism opens the door to disruption.

Businesses can’t afford to let that happen.

Covid 19 will hopefully be the most significant disruption of this decade, but the futurists, demographers and economists amongst us will tell you it certainly won’t be the last. 

So how do we overcome our unconscious exceptionalism bias? By looking clearly at our businesses and by making sure we embrace the 5 Trends to Win the Decade of Disruption.

Businesses must have:

1. A compelling, customer/community oriented purpose with a strong set of values that are used in hiring, accountability and decision making. 
2. Collaborative leadership capable of making smart decisions with incomplete information and being able to pivot quickly and effectively when those decisions are proven to be incorrect (and some will).
3. Open, honest, transparent communication built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.
4. Managers who prioritize their team over their ‘day job’. Who form deep relationships with staff, studying and meeting their needs (or managing their expectations when they do not) and use a simple framework to set and hold people accountable for great performance.
5. The willingness to reimagine old school practices and processes that simply no longer work.

How do you rate?

If you discover you have some work to do I’d suggest looking closely at 1 trend per quarter - and doing so through the lens of trend number 5.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Kim Seeling Smith is the CEO of Ignite Global and a leading NOW Work expert (because the Future of Work arrived on Friday the 13th of March 2020 when COVID-19 thrust us into a new reality more quickly than anyone had predicted). 

Kim is a regular commentator for The Today Show, Forbes, CNBC Online, the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and many other print and radio media outlets.

She is the author of Mind Reading for Managers: 5 FOCUSed Conversations for Greater Employee Engagement and Productivity and has been recognized by Richard Branson’s 100% Human at Work Initiative for the innovative yet practical work Ignite Global does to help businesses solve the very complex challenges around the Now of Work. 

We help future-focused organizations build and retain the workforce they need to thrive in the Decade of Disruption - what many are calling the period from now to 2030. 

COVID-19 will hopefully be the most significant disruption of this decade, but the futurists, demographers and economists will tell you it certainly won’t be the last. 

We help you accomplish the above through:

• Our Future/Now of Work Gap Analysis
• Strategic planning and facilitation with C Suites or Boards of Directors
• Our 3 signature programs:

1. The SPOT On™ Success Profile: THE KEY to help you hire well the first time and hold staff accountable for great performance.
2. The SPOT On™ Hiring System: A step by step framework, training and customizable forms and other assets o help you plan, prepare and conduct an effective and efficient hiring process. 
3. Mind Reading for Managers: 5 FOCUSed Conversations for Greater Employee Engagement and Productivity: A monthly 1:1 conversational structure with a 7 year track record of increasing employee engagement and retention.

Contact us now for more information: [email protected], 1300 858 631 AU, 512-333-4587 US