Have you ever been absolutely certain about a memory, so convinced that you’d bet money on it, only to find out later that you were wrong?
This happened to me recently when I revisited two special places after 20 years. I had vivid recollections of what they looked like and how we got there. I was 100% convinced I had it right, UNTIL I arrived.
Some things were different. Not just slightly, but significantly. Roads had disappeared, places seemed much smaller or larger and my confirmation bias was screaming out that this couldn’t be the case!
This experience was a powerful reminder of how memories work and also how they can deceive us. It also got me thinking about the impact of this in the workplace.
Let’s have a quick dive under the bonnet of our brain to understand the science of memory.
The Science of Memory: Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval
Our brains don’t store memories like a digital recording, rather they encode fragments of experiences – sights, sounds, emotions, and interpretations, across different regions of the brain. The Hippocampus plays a crucial role in organising and linking these fragments, while other areas, like the Prefrontal Cortex or PFC, help retrieve them when needed.
Here’s the catch: each time we retrieve a memory, our brain reconstructs it, pulling pieces from various areas and filling in gaps with assumptions, emotions, and even information acquired later.
This means that every time we remember something, we risk altering it.
Whenever I visit my siblings back in the UK this is more than evident as we argue ‘the truth’ in recollecting times past, often agreeing to differ, holding tightly to our version of ‘the truth’.
The Workplace Implications of Faulty or False Memory
In professional settings, memory fallibility can have serious consequences. Imagine a team discussing a past project. One person insists a particular change was a disaster, while another remembers it as a success. Both are convinced they’re right.
Who do you believe?
The truth is, both perspectives are likely shaped by selective recall and emotional framing. This can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and even decision-making.
Let’s take the example of preparing for a performance review.
Our natural negativity bias coupled with our ‘unconscious selective memory’ can be a dangerous cocktail when recalling past performances of a team member and it’s easy to fall into the trap of not only recalling the poor performance times but also skewing them, thanks to our amazing but fallible brain.
The key takeaway?
A Call for Open-Mindedness
Our recollections are just that – ours. They are perspectives, not the objective truth. In the workplace we can mitigate our bias and memory fallibility by:-
- Being open to the possibility that we might be wrong
- Inviting input and listening to others’ versions of events without immediate judgment
- Verifying facts when possible before making decisions based on memory
- Actively seeking positive examples when faced with a negativity bias in recall
By acknowledging the limitations of our memory, we can foster more constructive conversations, reduce unnecessary conflict, and make better-informed choices.
Next time you find yourself 100%, absolutely, totally and utterly certain about something that happened, take a step back and reflect.
Could your memory be playing tricks on you? Mine did!
It’s worth considering
#memory neuroscience #vulnerability #reflection
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