Summary by James R. Martin, Ph.D., CMA
Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida
Behavioral Issues and Culture Main Page |
Gender & Feminist Main
Conventional unconscious bias (UB) training isn't working. Although it can increase awareness of bias, it does not change the biased behavior. A more effective approach seeks to raise awareness of the mental shortcuts that lead to snap judgments based on race and gender, and teach people how to manage their biases, change their behavior, and track their progress.
The Flaws in Conventional Approaches
A survey of 500 working adults from a wide variety of U.S. organizations revealed the following: Most organizations made the UB training voluntary. Over 90% of the firms did not collect data on metrics such as the race and gender of new hires, promotions, and employee recognition awards. Only 10% of the UB training gave attendees strategies for reducing bias. The fatal flaw in the conventional approach is the idea that we can reduce our bias by simply being aware of it. Awareness of bias is only the beginning of an effective approach.
A More Effective Model
Successful UB training provides people with the tools to change their behavior. One example begins by teaching what implicit bias is, how it is measured, and how it harms women, people of color, and those who are handicapped. Then participants take the relevant Implicit Association Tests that shows their personal level of unconscious bias. (There are 18 tests. There is one for Race, i.e., Black and White; two related to Gender, Gender-Career and Gender-Science; and one for Disability). Next they are taught how to overcome bias using a combination of strategies. These involve techniques such as calling out stereotyped views, adopting the perspectives of others, reflecting on counter-stereotypical examples, and increasing interactions with different kinds of people.
1. Stress That You Hold the Power
Overcome Denial.
Denial of bias is frequently widespread, but people need to recognize that they have biases before they can learn to manage them. Microsoft uses videos illustrating everyday workplace situations. In one example, the only woman on a team is interrupted several times during a meeting while trying to add her views to the discussion. Highlighting common forms of bias is also informative. Another useful example is the incident at Starbucks where the manager called the police on two black businessmen who were waiting for an associate without ordering. The chain closed all 8,000 U.S. stores for half a day of UB training focused on race.
Focus on the Potential for Growth
The most effective part of antibias training is the recognition that the brain is capable of positive change. Participants need to be taught that bias is normal, but it is not acceptable. They are asked to think about the life experiences that shaped their biases. Microsoft's training encourages people to think about the examples depicted in its videos. One video suggested that it would be inappropriate to choose a project manager who had children, was introverted, or had a relaxed personality. Participants learned that these are just unconscious biases. There is no evidence that these characteristics negatively affect a project leader's effectiveness.
Provide examples of How to Change Behavior
One example in Microsoft's training ask the participants to examine their own assumptions when making a judgment about someone's background or work preferences. They are asked to reframe the assumption and question if it could be an asset. Another technique is to identify where unconscious biases are prevalent and help people address them.
Break Stereotypes
Exposure to counter-stereotypes of information reduces prejudice. For this reason, encouraging trainees to find examples that defy stereotypes can be used to reduce bias. For example, female college students were less inclined to view leadership and math as male domains after meeting female faculty in those departments at their university.
2. Create Empathy
Research indicates that we have less empathy for people that are different from us and tend to treat them differently. Some ways to improve in the area of empathy include the following.
Offer opportunities to take the perspectives of others. Laboratory experiments have shown that instructing participants to take another person's point of view reduced bias against the other person's group.
Small group discussions about a variety of issues also helps participants learn more about other groups and become more empathic toward them and less biased.
3. Encourage Interactions Among People from Different Groups
Forming relationships with members of other groups can reduce our stress around people that are different from us. Expanding inner circles and the diversity of work groups is one way to help participants make new connections.
Nurture curiosity by having people work together whose backgrounds and experiences are different, and encourage employees to track their interactions to show whether progress toward reducing bias is working.
4. Encourage Good Practices and Continued Learning
Leaders need to help employees implement the recommendations outlined here for UB training. They should encourage people to commit to improvement after seeing how unconscious bias affects their work. They should also encourage employees to find a mentor and solicit feedback. Leaders should track the improvement and monitor whether behaviors change over time.
5. Set a Broader Strategy for Broader Impact
Organizations need to make a broad commitment to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion to motivate employees to buy-in to the UB training and initiative. The foundation of the approach is data on the representation and dispersion of people in different groups across the organization. This data should include employees' perceptions of inclusion and where there are likely failures occurring in the system. A committee to oversee and report on progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion should be established, and the effectiveness of UB training should be measured. Employees should be nudged to engage in new behavior and rethink policies that lead to biased behavior.
By following the recommendations outlined in this paper, organizations can inspire people to improve their behavior. The conventional unconscious bias (UB) training needs to be replaced with a long-term approach that helps people understand their own unconscious biases, how to overcome them, and how to measure their progress.
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