Unconscious Bias and how to fight it

The objectives of this presentation is:
* to bring awareness surrounding unconscious bias that may be present in and out of work
* to have a shared understanding of different types of bias
* to collectively brainstorm ways to promote inclusion

Transcript

1. Unconscious Bias and how to fight it You Can't Stop What You Can't See Jacqueline Sloves September 29, 2018
2. Objectives • To bring awareness surrounding unconscious bias that may be present in and out of work. • To have a shared understanding of different types of bias. • To collectively brainstorm ways to promote inclusion here at Vida.
3. Agenda • Definitions • Personal Reflection • Implicit Association Test • Types of Workplace Bias • Solutions Brainstorm & Discussion: Promoting Inclusion • Strategies to Combat Bias • Takeaways & Conclusion • Q&A
4. Definitions Diversity vs Inclusion Diverse workplaces are composed of employees with varying characteristics including, but not limited to, religious and political beliefs, gender, ethnicity, education, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation and geographic location. An inclusive workplace values and provides equal opportunity to all employees regardless of differences (e.g., ability, age, ethnic background, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc) to achieve their maximum potential at work without discrimination.
5. Personal Reflection Think about a time in your life when you felt excluded. Take 5 minutes to write about the experience. How did you feel in that moment? How would you describe the type of exclusions shared? From when did these stories come?
6. What is Unconscious Bias? Unconscious Bias ◦ Bias we aren’t aware of that happens automatically and is triggered by our brains making quick judgements and assessments of people and situations, influenced by our background, cultural environment, and personal experiences. Biases are natural and automatic ◦ These unconscious shortcuts are part of all of us, but we want to start training our brains to be aware of our biases and intentionally connect with others who aren’t like us.
7. Why is it important? • Why is diversity important? • Why is inclusion important? • Why is it important to discuss unconscious bias?
8. Implicit Association Test • https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
9. Types of Bias in the Workplace • Halo Effect Overall impression of a person influences how we feel or think about their character or specific traits. Example: Candidate worked at Google so must be a good fit for the role
10. Types of Bias in the Workplace Confirmation Bias We’re attracted to things that we agree with, so we remember facts that reinforce our beliefs better than those that are different from our beliefs. Example: Hiring manager ignores negative feedback in reference checks that contradicts own assessment
11. Types of Bias in the Workplace Affinity Bias We tend to move more towards those who are like us, we share traits or feel affinity with. Examples: Preference of candidates with same school/hometown/previous company
12. Stereotype Threat Anxiety or poor performance resulting from a fear of confirming one's negative stereotypes about one's own social group.
13. Solutions Brainstorm • What do you do when you notice yourself becoming biased? • What should we do if we notice someone giving into these biases? • In what ways can we collectively work to combat these biases at Vida? • In what ways are we already an inclusive community at Vida?
14. Strategies to Combat Bias • Get curious to learn and engage with people who are different from you to understand them and their perspectives. • Broaden your viewpoint and educate others. • Acknowledge discomfort. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable sometimes, so don’t let it hold you back. • Focus on “community add” not community “fit” to build a stronger, more inclusive team dynamic. • Foster a sense of belonging through simple daily actions like saying hi, grabbing coffee or lunch with someone you don’t know, sharing your story and learning from them
15. Conclusion Key Takeaways • You can’t stop what you can’t see - but you can recognize your own biases and work to prevent them from manifesting! • Get curious to learn and engage with people who are different from you to understand them and their perspectives. • Focus on creating a sense of belonging and helping others feel that they can belong here too
16. Questions?
17. Further Resources • Project Implicit: Implicit Association Tests • Facebook: Managing Unconscious Bias • Paradigm Blog: Inclusion Insights • HBR: Diversity Doesn't Stick Without Inclusion
18. Fin.