The grass is greener bias is the tendency to overestimate the appeal of alternatives while undervaluing the positives of the current situation. In our professional lives, it pops up when we are feeling dissatisfied with our jobs. It is a nice escape to imagine how great things could be at a different job. Sometimes, that feeling gets so strong that it pushes us to look for a new job. There must be something better out there, right?
Well, maybe! There are a lot of reasons to look for a new job, but it’s important to look for the right reasons. In this article, we are going to talk about the grass is greener bias and how understanding it can help you pursue greater work satisfaction whether you stay at your current spot or move to a new one!
The Grass is Greener Bias: Making Intentional Choices
The grass is greener bias has two core principles:
- Overvaluing something new
- Undervaluing something current
The brain idealizes alternatives while glossing over the positives of the current situation. The bias comes in with the belief that other opportunities—like a new job, a new car, a new “________”—are better. In this, we are optimists. Let’s stick with job as the main example. When evaluating a new job, there are countless unknowns, like how much you’ll like your co-workers or your manager, how polished your workflow is, how nice the coffee is, how comfortable the chair, etc. It can be anything. We have a tendency to inset good outcomes into these unknown variables when looking at a new position. Especially when it’s something lacking in our current spot.
Let’s say John works at Company X and has a task management system that results in him working overtime to stay on an unrealistic schedule. In his brain, that new position at Company Y must have a better task management system, a conclusion he is comfortable arriving at without any evidence. The two core principles of this bias work together exceptionally well to artificially widen the perceived satisfaction from his current and new situation.
This bias becomes more complicated because there are many times when there is a real, not just perceived, gap in your current satisfaction and what you might find in a new position. This is why we champion making intentional choices. Understand that this bias does affect your decision-making, and look for areas where it may have led you down the path of idealizing the future or downplaying your current situation.
Tools for Decision-Making
Though decision-making comes with its challenges, there are a lot of tools you can leverage to help you out along the way.
- Write Lists and Add Weight. Writing out the pros and cons of your current situation helps put it in perspective. Adding weight to those items (i.e. salary is more important than coffee) helps visualize your feelings.
- Six-Month Rule. Commit to improving your current situation for six months before making any major changes. You can start this anytime! Preparing this in advance makes it easier to make decisions in the future.
- Talk to Friends, Family, and Co-Workers. Outside perspectives are incredibly valuable, and coworkers have their own perspectives in the industry. Gathering multiple opinions can temper your own and help you choose the right path forward.
- Look to the Future. Consider how a decision would feel in a week, a month, a year, or five years. Try to make relatively realistic assumptions and explore how you would feel.