How Can You Disrupt Unconscious Bias?
Everyone has biases. Whilst we all hold attitudes and beliefs towards people on a conscious level, it is not uncommon to be unconsciously biased towards a person or a group based on race, gender, age, social class, etc.
Think truthfully about the stereotypes that affect you. For example, you may consciously think that men and women are equally effective leaders but, as a woman, you may believe that men perhaps don't have the same level of empathy and people skills as women. You may feel that a female colleague’s newborn would be priority over an opportunity to take project lead on a new initiative. You may believe that a more mature team member lacks the energy or ambition to take project lead on a new initiative. Your subconscious bias could influence your actions and exclude candidates from certain roles or positions without due assessment or dialogue.
As Mahzarin Banaji, author of Blind Spots points out, ‘We’d like to believe we are open-minded, fair, and without bias, but research shows otherwise. This is an important, even if uncomfortable, realization for most of us.’
If you have been on the receiving end of bias, you well know that the impact can be crushing. When employees feel they cannot bring their authentic selves to the workplace they will respond to bias in one of three very costly ways: they burn out, bust out, or blow up. All represent costly risks in terms of employee engagement, retention, innovation, and brand reputation. *
If any of this is beginning to sound vaguely familiar it’s time to take action to identify and recognize sources of unconscious biases and develop culturally intelligent strategies to disrupt them.
‘Extraordinary people are not extraordinary because they are invulnerable to unconscious biases.
They are extraordinary because they choose to do something about it.’
Shankar Vedantam, The Hidden Brain
Biases are a part of our lives; they can be innate or learned. Eliminating bias may be difficult however recognising and managing it can be immensely powerful.
HOW CAN I RECOGNISE & DISRUPT UNCONSCIOUS BIAS?
Take the Implicit Association Test (IAT), created by researchers from Harvard, Virginia and Washington universities. Note this only goes as far as to reveal unconscious bias around concepts of gender, race, age, sexuality and should not be used for evaluative purposes
Intentional consideration of another’s perspective is a tool for managing bias. Reach out to a group towards whom you might have potential bias and invest time to debunk the perceived stereotype
Delve into the topic with Mahzarin Banaji,’s book Blind Spots: Hidden Biases of Good People or Dr Maura Cullen’s 35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say
Facilitate a wider dialogue and understanding within your business and/or team by organising a CQ Accredited workshop on Managing Unconscious Bias
MANAGING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS APPLICATIONS INCLUDE:
Leadership Programs
Employee Engagement
Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Developing Cultural Intelligence
With the accreditation of the Cultural Intelligence Center, Rabbani Collective offers a Managing Unconscious Bias workshop designed on extensive research to equip individuals to manage their biases with cultural intelligence. It builds on leading practices that offer real world solutions for disrupting bias and minimising impact.
Are you ready to start the journey? Contact us for an exploratory discussion.
* The report Disrupt Bias Drive Value (2017) by the Center for Talent Innovation defines burning out as those not proud to work for their company and/or regularly feeling alienated. Those planning to leave their employer within a year are referred to as busting out and blowing out considers those who purposely failed to follow through on an assignment in the last 6 months or made negative comments about their employer on social media.
