The status quo bias: when the fear of change keeps you from trying

Asking for a promotion is as exhilarating as it is stressful. Let's say you are fully convinced that you are up to your future responsibilities. You are ready to talk to your boss and take the plunge... Except that you realize that the water is 10 meters below your diving board, and that it looks really cold.

You're torturing yourself with questions: Does my boss also think I deserve the promotion? Maybe she already has someone else in mind? What if my request annoys him, and I degrade our relationship?... In any case, one thing is certain: you are not asking for your promotion.

What's going on in your head: the status quo bias unmasked!

As we explained to you in our Introductory article to the concept of Nudge, we humans are constantly influenced by cognitive biases that prevent us from moving forward. In this specific case, it is the status quo bias : a form of resistance to change that makes us apprehend any novelty because it is necessarily perceived as risky.

Even when you want change, you will tend to prefer things to stay the same, where they change as little as possible, in order to minimize the risk of losses. In short, this bias will push you to highlight what you risk losing (a comfortable situation where you don't have to prove yourself, a good relationship with your boss...) rather than what you could gain by changing (new responsibilities, better pay, more meaning in your job...).

And often, in addition to this, the consideration of sunk costs : that is to say that you will (wrongly) take into account the past investment, which is however neither refundable nor recoverable, for future decisions. Let's get back to your situation: you have been working in your position for 2 years. You have a well-established daily life, you control your tasks like the back of your hand, you have created a network, and your performance is excellent. With a promotion, and therefore a new job, you will have the impression of losing this investment, since you will have to learn new activities, and adapt to a new context.

However, this energy is Past : it is an unrecoverable cost that should not be taken into account in your choice. The only question that should remain: What do I want to do now to improve my situation Future ?

Les Nudges to the rescue: the approach of Starter Step

Even knowing its existence and its name, it is very difficult to get rid of the grip of the status quo bias. Here, it is all the more powerful as you are facing an impressive goal, which will have an impact on your career. It is very easy to be tempted by a little inertia, while waiting for a miraculous opportunity: for example, a promotion that would be spontaneously offered to you... However, as Peggy Klaus says so well: “It's those who boast that we reward with promotions and flagship projects.”

To take the plunge, remember nudges, which work around cognitive biases by putting simple incentives in place to influence our behaviors in our own interests. Here, what does it consist of? Forget your objective, forget the giant diving board. B.J. Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford University and founder of the Behavior Design Lab, talks about Starter Step.

This initial action has a double advantage in unblocking the situation: it is easy and harmless. We're not talking about breaking into your manager's office! All you have to do is dip one toe into the water. Take your To-Do and write down this action: List your successes of the month.

why ? You know how much you've achieved in the last month — but that's not necessarily the case with your manager. Take a few minutes to review your successes and achievements of the month. You can then easily integrate them into a presentation of your skills and highlight them.

How? List the various projects and activities you have worked on. Then, formalize your impact in terms of deliverables, if possible, numerical objectives: instead of saying that you “contributed to the Ninja Project”, say that you “wrote and then presented the Shuriken report, produced the Katana deliverable...” or even “allowed a 15% increase in customer satisfaction”. If necessary, select three key achievements: this will be easier to remember, and therefore to value.

And that's it for today! A first step that only involves you... Then, it's up to you to continue to move forward, little by little: get your arms wet by preparing a presentation of your skills, then your neck by linking your skills to those required in the new position... Until gradually planning this famous discussion with your boss!

‍