Overcoming Unconscious Bias

If you asked the average person were they biased or did they discriminate against others, most people's first answer would be a resounding "NO". However, if we explored this further and looked at whether they were unconsciously biased in their behaviour and as a result unconsciously discriminated against others the response may not be as certain or clear cut.

Neal R Goodman in his article "10 steps to overcoming unconscious bias" http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/ASTD-Links/ASTD-Links-Articles/2014/06/10-Steps-to-Overcome-Unconscious-Bias provides an interesting synopsis of the subject before going on to suggest ways to overcome this issue.

As Neal says "We all harbor prejudices whether we think we do or not, and everyone is subject to their own unconscious bias. Many of these prejudices that are deeply held in our unconscious can unintentionally influence how we act toward one another in our organizations."

If we don't already perhaps it's time for us to reflect on our own prejudices and how they impact on our work in our organization and wider community.

Managing the Unmanageable part 3

In part 3 of this article I've set out below are some useful phrases you can use when dealing having challenging conversations at work.

To show that you are listening

•  I appreciate your input
•  I understand what you mean 
•  I was not aware that you saw the situation that way
• Thanks for letting me have your views on this matter

Validate the employees concerns

• Much of what you say has validity, so let’s clarify some of the points 
•  I agree with many of the points you raise. Let’s discuss ways to address them

Avoid saying

• You’re wrong
• That is ridiculous
•  I think you have it good
• Then try working somewhere else

Maintain control

•  Instead of arguing the point, let’s look at steps to move forward
• So what do you think the solution is 
•  At this point, you need to be clear about a solution, not only the problem

Forward looking phrases

• Every situation has downsides, I agree. Now tell me what you think we can do about it
• Let’s look at the goals we can reach at this point
• We’ll address each of those issues when they come up

Give the employee the power

• Why don’t you think up 3 or 4 ideas, e-mail them to me and we can talk again next week
•  If you want to discuss this further, think up some ways to address the problem and let me have them

This is just a selection of useful phrases, if you can think of others send me your ideas.