So many biases can trip us up. We’ve previously discussed the human flaw of conformity bias and attribution error. Those two errors can cause many missteps.

But this simple little error in human logic can also lead to unintended outcomes for school leaders.

What is Availability Bias?

Availability bias is the idea that the thoughts that come most readily to mind are the thoughts that are most quickly believed.
In a school, this can occur when you face a challenge or a problem that needs to be solved.

The ideas that first come to you are usually the ideas that are the easiest to wrap your mind around. They are the easiest to buy in to.

But it’s a bias.

It doesn’t mean the ideas are the best. They are simply the most available.

Availability bias is one of the foremost pressures that lead to groupthink.