As humans, we bring our moods, perceptions, and views of the world into our interactions. It could be imposing a tone on an email or making assumptions about what someone is asking. We might come to work in a bad mood after an argument with our spouse and take it out on a team member. Maybe we spend our weekends caring for a sick parent and come to work exhausted on a Monday morning.

So how do we stay objective and take bias out of the picture?

First of all you, realize that you can’t take bias out of the picture. We are never going to be 100% objective. This doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It means we’re human.

What we can do is become more self-aware and self-responsible. Acknowledge our biases and be more honest with ourselves and the people who depend on us. We can be aware of the impact of our biases and behavior and when we find ourselves in a bad mood, for example, stop and ask what the source of the irritability is. Is there something going on in your personal life? Are you taking care of yourself? Can you set the mood aside before work?

Once you get to the source of what’s bothering you, ask yourself what you can do to resolve it so you don’t take it out on people that have nothing to do with it. Do you need to make a call and settle things with someone directly? Do you need to get more rest or take better care of your mental or physical health? Do you need to simply let it go for the day and take care of it later, so you don’t contaminate your working relationships with people who have nothing to do with it?

It’s about awareness, ownership, and personal responsibility.