Imagine you're at a networking event, and you meet someone who appears to have the potential to help you advance your career. When you strike up a conversation with them, you learn that they are, in fact, senior decision-makers at a company that would be perfect for you to work for. Business cards are exchanged, and you agree to stay in touch. A few weeks later, you follow up with an email and invite them to coffee. They respond that they're sorry, but they're way too busy. Quite frankly, you are disappointed.

You've just experienced two different kinds of biases—perception bias and confirmation bias.

Perception bias is the tendency to see things in a certain way, often based on our own experiences and beliefs. Despite the lack of proof, you saw the person at the networking event as someone who could help you advance your career.

Confirmation bias is the tendency to interpret information in a way that supports our preconceptions. Since the person was a senior decision-maker at a company you'd love to work for, you assumed that they would be willing to help you.

Biases occur unconsciously—we're not even aware that we're doing it. Perception and confirmation bias might not seem like a big deal in this example, but there are over 185 biases that affect our relationships with others, both personally and professionally.

In this month's edition, I invite you to become more aware of some of these biases. Only then can you mitigate their impact on your interactions with others.

Enjoy the read!

I am biased, and so are you! Accept that we all have unconscious biases

Sylvie di Giusto SPEAKERS ACADEMY Scholarship

Throughout my career as a keynote speaker, the National Speakers Association and its members have greatly influenced my success and I am eternally grateful for the knowledge, insights, skills, and business advice I’ve gained. Being able to now pay forward and pass along what I have gained to future generations of speakers is a privilege and I’m humbled to help a new group of speakers get started in their speaking careers with this new scholarship.

Global Speakers Federation

The Global Speakers Federation's mission is to unite, develop and support currently 17 Speakers Associations around the world in order to elevate the speaking profession. I truly appreciate the opportunity to continue my journey as a servant leader as a new board member of the federation and so honored for the trust of the National Speakers Association to gift me with this role, a responsibility I don't take lightly. ⁠

Are you a meeting professional?

Are you an experienced speaker?

Being a speaker is hard. It's lonely, scary, and at times it can feel like you are the only one who has ever had this idea, let alone done anything about it. That’s why the NSA Colorado Retreat for Speaker Excellence brings together a group of eight successful speakers for a 4-Day Mastermind Retreat that I have the pleasure to facilitate. Application is now open until October 14th! Hurry up if you'd like to join.