We are all viewing the world through a different lense. These lenses are formed based on our own cultural background, life experiences, attitudes and expectations. They are constantly at play when we interact with different people.
Diversity equity, inclusion (DEI) and mental wellbeing in workplaces have become top priorities and topics of discourse. Along with the evolving ESG policies organisations are required to pay more attention to their employees wellbeing, sustainable leadership and fair, transparent governance.
One of the most significant challenges in DEI are implicit or unconscious biases that are very hard to pinpoint and address. Here are our thoughts on the matter, with a proposal on where to begin identifying your own and your colleagues’ biases and why you should in the first place.
Most commonly biases are thought of as motivators for deliberate negative actions. However, unconscious, or implicit biases are outlooks, prejudices or attitudes held by individuals that are present but not consciously held or recognized. They should be addressed because they have a notable effect on the individual’s behaviors without them realising it. Unconscious biases can differ from person to person but they most commonly have to do with race, gender, nationality, social status, age and so on.
Unconscious biases can be burdening in team dynamics and workspaces. Many do not realise their own biases and the ways in which they can affect our behaviors. It should be noted that everyone has biases, and it in no way tells anything about our professionalism, kindness or integrity. Many of us have defences associated to our biases. However, if unaddressed unconscious biases can cause significant discomfort and suffering to those around us, if we do not stop to question them. Approaching the issue with an open and a kind mind can truly make or break the team’s dynamic, and an individual as an employee and a team player.
Unconscious biases are detrimental to our performance. The subtle everyday biases commonly affect our performance even more than explicit biases. Ambiguous discrimination is mentally very taxing, and it is harder to address than explicit expressions of discrimination. Additionally, the unconscious bias usually results in pervasive actions, that commonly result in the same individuals consistently being discriminated in workplaces. This persistent discrimination can significantly impair one’s ability to perform at work and compromise their wellbeing.
Recognising and addressing unconscious biases is incredibly important when it comes to enabling a safe and comfortable place for everyone to work, and to optimise team dynamics. In daily life, unconscious bias can for example manifest as discrimination based on someone’s age, race, gender, ability, name, weight. Alternatively, the bias can affect our way to think and act in a group, for example when a conformity bias causes one to change their views to conform to the common opinion of the group. This is problematic, because we aren’t able to view the situation at hand realistically and instead draw conclusions and make decisions based on our own prior experiences and judgements.
Current approaches to shaping unconscious biases are not sufficient
Most common approach to identifying and shifting unconscious biases (UB) in work environments have been trainings and surveys. In addition to many of the UB trainings being voluntary, increasing employees awareness on biases isn’t enough. Conventional unconscious bias- training has been proven to either not work or even worse, to increase workplace discrimination. The current approach seems to be to get a one-off training for the team but it usually leaves the team aware of the issue but with no solution to efficiently address it. The problem is met with an approach that is too passive and theoretical.
Only 10% of training programs gave attendees strategies for reducing bias. Imagine a weight-loss program that told participants to step on the scale and left it at that. (Harvard Business Review, 2021)
Even the presence of an outside consultant can alter the team’s behaviors. Also, any person including consultants will also have a set of their own biases and potential unconscious biases. Surveys, on the other hand, mostly rely on how people feel and think, not on how they really act and behave.
In order to sustainably address unconscious biases in team environments, the team needs to have concrete understanding of their own behaviors and biases as well as concrete tools for changing those behaviors. Any solution should begin with addressing the situation but even more so be used to create a sustainable organisational change.
How to effectively unveil hidden biases and behavioral patterns?
To capture our own unconscious biases and behaviors, we need to welcome new approaches to analysis. Ideally identifying and correcting unconscious biases would happen through behavioral learning. We need to become aware of our blind spots in order to start changing them.
One of the most powerful ways to change behaviors is through self-monitoring, gathering data about one’s daily behaviors, be it exercise, eating habits or the ways in which we talk to other people.
There are several technologies for tracking health behaviors, but also new, emerging solutions to track communication and collaboration behaviors. The developments in AI and natural language processing (NLP) have presented significant new opportunities to learn more about our own social behaviors for instance on digital collaboration. As opposed to having a real person observing a meeting space, invisible, reliable technology can be even perceived safer and more impartial.
By first identifying and becoming aware of our biases we can move on to shape them. Instead of a yearly training we should really be looking at our daily behaviors and beginning learning there. Becoming aware of our own behaviors is the first step in capturing and addressing unconscious bias. To do this, we can utilise AI and natural language processing (NLP) based tools to pinpoint our biases, to make our behaviors visible and help us gain awareness over our own actions. After this step it will be easier to start making changes and to reflect whether our actions are stemming from our values or unconscious bias.
When carefully developed, AI can eliminate human bias. Recently, AI has been found to be able to remove bias in venture capital decision making, medicine, business and even in AI itself! Choosing an AI based tool to capture and bring awareness to your behaviors can very well be an objective and non-personal alternative for observing your team’s behaviors and daily activities.
Additionally, in order for us to learn most efficiently the learning must take place in everyday behaviors, not only in seminars organised yearly or monthly. Therefore, it is important that any coaching that takes place is integrated into the everyday collaboration of the teams and makes it easy for the team members to check-in on their own behaviors and actions, and to learn from them. Biases are most damaging when they are expressed in a systematic and frequent manner, therefore addressing one’s daily behaviors will be the most efficient when trying to change them.
Psychological safety is important when identifying unconscious biases. Unpacking your own beliefs whether in group or individually can be challenging, and it is important to be in an environment where one can express vulnerabilities. Allowing for open and honest feedback and asking curious questions is important when changing one’s own ways. Additionally, be honest and gentle with yourself. There shouldn’t be any shame in observing our unconscious biases, at the end of the day we are all affected by our environments to a certain extent. But just know that addressing your unconscious biases has the power to significantly improve your team’s dynamic and you and your colleagues wellbeing at work.
