Unconscious Bias: An Unknown, Unintentional Act In Leadership
Unconscious bias is real, and unless we act and build the courage to address bias, it will remain.
We might not be aware, but unconscious bias influences our decisions every day. As a leader, it’s important to provide a safe environment for teams to share and collaborate and leave their biases at the door.
How many times have we walked into a meeting with assumptions and beliefs that drive our decisions? Unconscious bias is real, and unless we act and build the courage to address bias, it will remain.
Understanding Bias
I was fortunate to attend a Franklin Covey session titled Unconscious Bias: Understanding Bias to Unleash Potential. The one-hour session was totally worth it, and I wish I had attended much sooner. As women in leadership sitting in the room and absorbing the truth, we became more self-aware and realized that we have a lot of work to do. We shared our stories and examples of how bias is influencing us and others at work, at home, and in other group settings.
Good things are taught in simple, digestible forms of three. As per the session, “bias” is a preference for or against a person, place or thing. As we understand bias, we can create a culture in which everyone thrives. The best part was how easily I could share my learnings with the unconscious bias cards — bite-sized learning at its best.
Whether it’s confirmation, negativity, in-group, attribution, etc., it’s important to identify the type of bias. The one bias that resonated with me most was sunk cost bias. It’s easy for us to hold on to things, ideas and projects as we invest time and effort. But sometimes, the best thing to do is to let something go so we can make room for new ideas and new projects.
Cultivate a connection with empathy and curiosity.
It was interesting to learn how empathy and curiosity go hand in hand. It is definitely necessary to have both in the right amounts, as one without the other could be worse than having neither. Someone who is empathetic and curious is likely to seek to understand before being understood.
Choose the courage to adapt, cope and advocate for change
It’s not only important to know there is bias, but we also need to support each other, whether you are the victim of bias or the one who is aware of bias in a group. We should always make sure we support each other and help cope and advocate for change.
Every now and then, we look to facts and data to confirm our beliefs and reasoning. It’s important to weigh all options and not limit ourselves to only our assumptions. Seek to understand other perspectives to make a well-informed decision.
Build A Safe And Collaborative Environment
As a leader, it’s our responsibility to make sure there is a safe environment for everyone to share their perspectives in an open, collaborative space. Let’s pledge to make every team meeting a group meeting — not the space for the loudest voice, but a true mindful meeting where new ideas and feedback are encouraged.
Every organization wants to be innovative and a leader in the industry. Innovation thrives in teams where biases are acknowledged and everyone is building on each others’ ideas. McKinsey articulated this well in the The Innovation Commitment. The best innovators benefit from interdependent, organization-wide activities and practices aimed at delivering innovation.
I see a synergy between innovation and the acknowledgment of unconscious biases, as the two go hand in hand in successful modern and innovative organizations. These organizations are the ones that put people first and work to build a balance between ideas, strategy, and execution.
Seek To Understand To Create A Mindful And High-Performing Team
When an unconscious bias is recognized, all team members can feel respected, included and valued. This can help you in building a mindful and high-performing team. We should not limit potential by ignoring or tolerating bias. Personally, I am committed to learn, understand bias and be more self-aware in my conversations.
Originally published at https://www.forbes.com