The term unconcious bias refers to a bias of which we are unaware and over which we have no control. It is unintended, subtle, and completely unconcious, and also made by everyone all of the time.
When we educate ourselves about different types biases it is easy to see them in other people, but we don't often see them in ourselves. Our brains see things the way it wants to see them, and we really can't do much about that. Your brain is more active when you speak with someone it sees as being "like you" in some way, equating that person as being "better" than others. The more people "like you" that are around you, the more comfortable you will feel. Again, this is your brain making its own decisions, regardless of the choices we might make consciously.
There are several qualifiers our brain uses when it makes these distinctions, but if we want to try and neutralize our unconcious biases (which is extremely difficult) we can use these qualifiers to identify our biases:
How can we work against our unconcious biases in the workplace? The first step is to acknowledge that we have these biases. It is almost impossible to rid ourselves of them, because our brains do a lot of thinking on their own, but we can create habits and procedures to minimalize the effects of these biases. This can take some effort, because people like it when others conform/perform to our stereotypes and beliefs, and when this is not true our brains have to work harder.
First, we can try to create new "in-groups" that are more diverse and using our similarities to create a positive bias. Anyone with whom you feel similar can become a part of your new group. By making a deliberate effort to expand our "group," our brain finds it easier to make the connections with different types of people.
If possible, create policies and procedures that support this in your workplace. When forming teams, it is important to remember that diverse teams are smarter and more effective. Limit the size of the teams so that everyone can be heard -- 5 to 7 people allows more inclusion than 30. When hiring, it is important to remember that organizations diversity generates more profits. In meetings, the leader of the group can limit the amount of time each person speaks or can ensure that those not in the room, or those who haven't spoken yet get a chance to participate in the discussion. We can't take the biases out of the people, but we can take them out of the processes.
Once we learn to recognize our own biases, we can create procedures, policies, and practices to mitigate their effects.
When we educate ourselves about different types biases it is easy to see them in other people, but we don't often see them in ourselves. Our brains see things the way it wants to see them, and we really can't do much about that. Your brain is more active when you speak with someone it sees as being "like you" in some way, equating that person as being "better" than others. The more people "like you" that are around you, the more comfortable you will feel. Again, this is your brain making its own decisions, regardless of the choices we might make consciously.
There are several qualifiers our brain uses when it makes these distinctions, but if we want to try and neutralize our unconcious biases (which is extremely difficult) we can use these qualifiers to identify our biases:
- Similarity - a person like me is better than person not like me You can use this by focusing on the similarities between you and other people when you interact with them. Find shared traits/goals/characteristics and focus on them. Physical similarities are the easiest and quickest to see, but job, education, political viewpoint, and other factors can be points of similarity. Even something small like a shared favorite television show can make this connection.
- Expedience - easy and quick, it feels right to me We look for evidence to support our impressions and get an answer quickly, but we need to unlearn this because the quick answer is often the wrong answer.. For example, if you tell people that a bat and a ball together cost $1.10, and that the bat is $1 more than the ball, and then you ask them how much the ball costs they will say 10 cents. However, the correct answer is that the bat is 1.05 and the ball is 5 cents. Our brains do the quick division for the answer, but our brains are wrong because they go for the quick answer.
- Experience - my perceptions are accurate so it must be true This assumes that our perceptions are always accurate, but perceptions are highly subjective and therefore suspect. An example of this is customer service. If you have bad service the first time you go into a store then you will expect bad service the next time you go into the same store. Even if you receive good service the second time, you will be more critical and less satisfied because of your previous experience. You may also receive bad service because your attitude will be bad and you may be rude or annoying.
- Distance - closer is better, familiar is better This is one that people have difficulty recognizing, but it can easily be seen in meetings, particularly if some of the participants are attending remotely (either calling in on the phone or by video). The people in the people focus on each other, even if the person speaking is not in the room. Those in the room are taken more seriously and given more time to speak then those on the phone or video. Those attending remotely are often cutoff or not included at the same level, and may be less comfortable speaking up or raising questions of the group.
- Safety - bad is stronger than good This can certainly be seen by watching any news program. The stories included are usually tragic or negative in some way because these stories are seen as more "serious." In the workplace, this creates atmospheres where threats are stronger motivators than rewards.
How can we work against our unconcious biases in the workplace? The first step is to acknowledge that we have these biases. It is almost impossible to rid ourselves of them, because our brains do a lot of thinking on their own, but we can create habits and procedures to minimalize the effects of these biases. This can take some effort, because people like it when others conform/perform to our stereotypes and beliefs, and when this is not true our brains have to work harder.
First, we can try to create new "in-groups" that are more diverse and using our similarities to create a positive bias. Anyone with whom you feel similar can become a part of your new group. By making a deliberate effort to expand our "group," our brain finds it easier to make the connections with different types of people.
If possible, create policies and procedures that support this in your workplace. When forming teams, it is important to remember that diverse teams are smarter and more effective. Limit the size of the teams so that everyone can be heard -- 5 to 7 people allows more inclusion than 30. When hiring, it is important to remember that organizations diversity generates more profits. In meetings, the leader of the group can limit the amount of time each person speaks or can ensure that those not in the room, or those who haven't spoken yet get a chance to participate in the discussion. We can't take the biases out of the people, but we can take them out of the processes.
Once we learn to recognize our own biases, we can create procedures, policies, and practices to mitigate their effects.
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