Dr. Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University and her colleagues have studied how implicit bias often hides behind our tendency for binary, quick-fire decisions — the instinct to see everything as either A or B, yes or no, right or wrong.
To overcome these binary blind spots and make more balanced decisions, consider these five practical techniques 👇
1️⃣ Map Out the Full Range of Possibilities
The so-called “win–lose” mindset can be reframed using a classic 2×2 matrix: win–lose, lose–win, lose–lose, and win–win.
Once you visualize the problem this way, the real questions emerge:
💡 How can we avoid a lose–lose outcome?
💡 What would it take to create a mutual win?
In negotiation terms, this is the shift from competitive bargaining to interest-based problem solving — moving from “Who wins?” to “How can we both win?”
2️⃣ Trace the Source of the Binary Thinking
Binary options don’t appear out of nowhere. Go back to the moment when Options A and B first emerged.
- If they came from a vague “we don’t know, let’s just pick one,” the process likely lacked rigor — revisit your assumptions.
- If other alternatives (C, D, E) were considered and rejected for solid reasons, then the A/B decision might indeed be valid.
Asking where the two options came from often reveals whether the problem is real — or self-imposed.
3️⃣ Invite Diverse Perspectives
Followers often echo their leaders’ opinions.
That’s why it’s critical for people in power to model openness and actively invite different viewpoints.
A simple question like “What are we missing?” can widen the frame of thinking, encourage cognitive diversity, and help quieter team members feel psychologically safe enough to share alternative ideas.
Good questions build better discussions — and better decisions.
4️⃣ Make Multiple Options the Default
For recurring decision types, establish a menu of standard alternatives — not just “yes” or “no.”
For example, California-based venture studio Nobody Studios constantly evaluates startup ideas.
Its co-founder, Mark S. McNally, moves beyond the binary “fund or not fund” mindset by using what he calls the Innovator’s Wishlist.
It includes options such as:
- Pausing a good idea until the market is ready
- Merging or splitting concepts if they’re too small or too large
- Reframing ideas rather than rejecting them
This framework encourages flexibility and long-term thinking instead of premature decisions.
5️⃣ Introduce an “Unworkable” Option
Sometimes, even a deliberately unrealistic idea can spark creativity.
Leadership expert Lenny Marcus shares an example: two hospital CEOs were fighting over the location of an advanced medical machine — but only one could get it.
As tensions rose, the mediator proposed an absurd solution:
💬 “Let’s build the facility halfway between both hospitals.”
Both leaders immediately rejected it — but that joint rejection opened the door to compromise.
They soon agreed on alternatives: a shared shuttle between hospitals, or shared branding for the equipment placed in one location.
The “impossible” option broke their mental gridlock.
✅ Summary:
Binary thinking limits creativity and collaboration.
To lead effectively in complex environments, we must learn to:
- Widen our perspective
- Invite diverse thinking
- Normalize multiple options
- Use even “bad” ideas to unlock better ones
Because the world rarely runs on either/or — it runs on and/also.