Our minds can mislead us, play tricks on us and, ultimately, narrow the range of choices we are willing to consider until we end up making a very bad choice. Bad decisions, bad choices, are at the heart of many a stalled job search.

Many people are familiar with the phrase confirmation bias. It is a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their hypotheses or beliefs. Information that supports their view proves their hypothesis is correct, while contrary information is filtered out. For example, a jobseeker might believe his background limits him to searching in a narrow field of possibilities. He gets some interest from companies in this area and no interest from companies outside of it. This response of the hiring world confirms his bias; however, he might have been ideally suited for a position outside of his limited field of search, and discovered this, had he expanded his networking and informational interviewing beyond his narrow, self-imposed limits.

It is extremely difficult for a person, working alone, to break free of the mental prison of confirmation bias. One of the roles of an outside coach is to assist in this liberation. Coaches don’t tend to share the bias of their client and they can, in many cases, get their client to see the need to approach their problem differently. So, the key is for the jobseeker to work with other people, right?

Not necessarily. There is a type of confirmation bias on steroids known as groupthink, and it can thrive in a jobseeker’s tight circle of family and friends. In groupthink the desire for harmony within the group, and the sense of loyalty to the group, makes each individual reluctant to entertain opposing views and alternative solutions. These may result in conflict. Therefore, everyone thinks alike, critical thought is absent, and bad decisions are made.

Irving Janis, who wrote a book that introduced this idea, illustrated this phenomenon in the attack on Pearl Harbor. In late November, 1941, Admiral Kimmel, the commanding officer stationed at Pearl Harbor, received one of many warnings that a Japanese attack was both a strong possibility and imminent: “This dispatch is considered to be a war warning. Negotiations with Japan have ceased and an aggressive move by Japan is expected in the next few days.” This came from Washington D.C.

He discussed this with the four officers who were part of his inner circle and they all continued to cling to their pre-existing belief: “There is just no way Japan would attack a U.S. naval facility.” Kimmel’s group had an extreme degree of cohesion. One of his officers referred to himself as a Kimmelite, and they never seriously considered an alternative point of view. The result was a devastating surprise attack on December 6, 1941.

Confirmation bias and groupthink are mental shackles. They prevent us from seeing clearly, solve problems effectively, and make sound decisions. To prevent them from affecting your job search you need the help of someone who can challenge your assumptions and present alternative solutions. You need someone outside of your inner circle. You need a coach.