Why we need to address unconscious bias in the workplace.
We are all different. We each bring a rich tapestry of difference to the table. This tapestry, when leveraged is a differentiator to ‘Teaming’ and to results.
As more organizations claim to seek greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace, unconscious bias could be what’s delaying any real headway. Leaders must be able to accept the reality that inherent, unconscious judgements create prejudices that shape the business environment.
It’s time for more open and reflexive communication to encourage greater acceptance of the world as it is (not as we are invited to imagine it is). Real diversity and inclusion mean’s moving beyond policies and procedures to cultivate a space where team members feel valued for being themselves – not for being a poorly acted version of what someone else thinks they should be.
Let’s discuss how we can foster greater psychological safety in our teams, notice ingrained habits and patterns, and bring unconscious bias into conscious, skillful conversations, less inhibited by fears of saying the wrong thing.
What is unconscious bias?
In their Harvard Business Review article, leadership research experts Ben Fuchs, Megan Reitz and John Higgins tell us that no one wants to think they got to the top through unfair advantage. However, the evidence on diversity in the workplace is clear; there are lots of people being held back by bias, and that means some people have advanced partly through privileges that have nothing to do with their skill at doing the job.
Unconscious bias is when social stereotypes about certain groups of people, and about ourselves, are formed outside of our conscious awareness. We all hold such habits of mind and categorise certain social and identity groups in the blink of an eye, especially when we’re pre-occupied by multitasking or working under pressure. Try this riddle in unconscious bias, how did you get on?
Suppose we’re genuinely striving towards a workplace where inclusion and diversity reign, we must accept our deep-rooted tendencies that get in the way of us by evaluating our thinking and decisions. Research on speaking truth to power tells us that those in power often don’t honestly see their impact on the less powerful; leading to advantage blindness, and this needs to change. Our leaders must be open to exploring ways to eliminate unconscious bias in the way they manage and develop their teams – if they’re serious about tapping into the wisdom of the crowd, or putting some flesh on the bones of that much abused cliché: ‘our people are our greatest asset.’
Beginning to engage with unconscious bias through development and training.
Dedicating values-based programming and resources to education and training on both conscious and unconscious bias can help to begin to address the issue. Creating training that discusses how to recognise and report any form of bias behaviour is a start. Although as has always been the case, what gets espoused in the classroom often doesn’t survive contact with the rough and tumble of the playground – which is why blended Learning is always a better long-term development path.
Invite teams to become curious about their unconscious bias, encourage discussion, share examples and conduct an Implicit Association Test. Move beyond discussing the more obvious examples of bias, such as race, colour, sex and religion to include demographics, socio-economic background, appearance and personality.
CEOs and business leaders set the tone and often sustain the patterns and habits of an organisation through the way they exercise their power. Consider your management training programs and include approaches that feature practical ways to address unconscious biases and highlight where people are already getting it right (as well as wrong); from recruitment and hiring processes, through to performance management structures and feedback routes. Incorporate measurement and review indicators but don’t treat them as a silver bullet – everybody knows how to game the system and if diversity and inclusion is a game, then its measurement will reflect that.
“Belonging is being accepted for you. Fitting in is being accepted for being like everyone else. If I get to be me, I be me, I belong. If I have to be like you, I fit in. ”
Value your team members for who they are.
The subject of unconscious bias can be a difficult one to cover, but the sooner we’re able to approach it with the openness and personal authenticity it requires, the closer we’ll be to achieving true diversity and inclusion. Being open to having thoughtful conversations and acknowledging our shortcomings can improve team member engagement and growth. Creating a psychologically safe environment where team members can speak up to share feedback on what they see or feel, without the silencing fear of negative consequences is a crucial shift in creating a more inclusive and diverse working environment.
Get in touch with Ethical Quest to help your team be the best versions of themselves and unlock their full human potential.