Who is the Real 'Traitor'? Spoiler: It's Your Brain
OK, let's talk about Traitors and your next team meeting… I promise there is a connection.
Team dynamics can rapidly derail when trust is tested, right?
Shows like The Traitors and its original format, Werewolves (which I run at my own dinner parties), are absolutely fascinating. I love the drama, the accusations, the misplaced trust. It's a high-stakes, dramatic version of what happens when your team overlooks valuable suggestions because of who said it or fails to challenge a bad idea because, well, everyone else seems to agree.
And while we all scream at our screens, thinking we'd be a better faithful, I'm not sure we would be without some self-awareness of cognitive biases. The show really puts a magnifying glass on a core human truth: our brains sabotage our decisions in ways we're not always aware of.
First up… confirmation bias.
How many times did Jonathan's name come up as a possible Traitor but seem to escape banishment for several roundtables? The failure to vote him out, despite these suspicions, stemmed from the group's continued search for evidence to support their pre-existing theories about who the Traitors should be, rather than objectively examining the data in front of them. This is why in your team meeting, you keep listening to the same 'safe bet' people and ignoring the new data or junior voice that challenges the direction.
Next is Affinity Bias, or what I call 'Like-Me Bias'.
We favour those just like us. We often surround ourselves with like-minded people, creating comfortable alliances, but sometimes this leads us to Groupthink and away from critically thinking about a topic or situation. At work, this bias means we hire, promote and partner with those who feel familiar, and while that's comfortable, that feeling of comfort is the enemy of innovation.
I also read this BBC article about biases in Traitors, which references Beauty Bias, which is something I cover in my workshops. It is where conventionally 'attractive' people are often given easier access and greater leniency. This subtle, but very real bias can make us overlook or harshly criticise the valuable input of those we deem 'less attractive,' completely independently of their actual talent. I talk about this in one of my podcast episodes, 'hot girl' (shout-out to my wonderful guest Dimitra Dimitropoulou !).
The psychological mechanics of the Werewolves game are pretty extraordinary, and I do thrive playing the role of Claudia! I get to see bias and Groupthink play out in real time. It confirms that being 'loyal' to your own biases is the quickest way to be murdered (or at least, severely delayed) in a competitive market.
What Can You Do Today?
Next time you are in a team meeting, ask yourself:
Who is being listened to, and why?
Whose voice is consistently being dismissed?
Am I focusing on the content of the idea, or the person delivering it?
I'm intrigued to experiment with this dynamic in an organisational setting, letting leaders experience and recognise their decision-making flaws in a safe, controlled environment! If you want to stop the Traitors lurking in your decision-making process, let's talk about bringing this experiment to your team.
Contact us: info@freshandfearless.uk
