Good vs. Evil....Maybe not

I recently attended an Unconscious Bias Learning Lab in Silver Spring Maryland run by Howard Ross of Cook Ross, Inc.  If you ever get the chance to experience it, I highly encourage you to do so.  I won't say it was mind blowing because that is hyperbole, and working in German company for the past 18 years I am sensitive to the way other cultures react to our American tendancy to exagerate.  I will say it was enlightening. 

For years we have approached the discussion of diversity by lining people up into two camps.  On one side we have the poor, oppressed, downtrodden, under- represented, under-priveledged minority.  On the other side we have the priveledged, mean-spirited, bigoted, racist, ageist, sexist majority.  Good vs. Evil.  Simple.  Classic.  False.


The study of Unconscious Bias looks at way the brain uses "mental associates that are so-well established as to operate without awareness or without intention or without control." ( Project Implicit, Harvard University)  Bias stems from our automatic tendency towards fight or flight; it keeps us alive.  Bias helps give our world order and saves us from having to think through every decision or action.  If I have touched a hot stove and burned myself, I don't have to ask myself every time I see a hot stove whether or not I should touch it.  I know better.  My unconscious mind is programed to processes that informatin so that I don't have to think about it. The problem is, when that programming causes me to have bias toward members of groups, I behave in ways and make decisions that impact people...and I may not even be aware of it.  In fact, bias often conflicts with concious attitudes and intentional behavior.  How many times have you been appalled at the words that came out of someone's mouth that you would have previously described as open-minded or fair?  During the last national political campaign I saw a bit on The Daily Show where people at the Democratic Convention were patting themselves on the back for being the party of inclusion, but they were captured on camera saying things like..." We welcome everyone except those tea-baggers!"  Hillarious!  

Now, this new way of looking at human behavior does not in any way attempt to excuse those who are intentional and deliberate about their "ism."  Those people know who they are and so do we.  This is about helping us understand how it can be that organizations have had diversity initiatives in place for the past 20 or 30 years and still have a majority of white men in almost every leadership position.  I don't think it is a coincidence that only 14% if men in this country are over 6 feet tall, while 60% of CEO's are over six feet tall. Somehow, we got it into our heads that tall white men were fit to lead and other's weren't.  Somehow we reflexively attribute some value to being tall that has nothing to do with a persons  competencies.  We have a tendency to look for what confirms our beliefs and ignor what contradicts our beliefs all the while ignoring the truth. 

Recently, my boss and I were discussing our efforts to bring more ethnic minority talent into the organization at the management level.  We interviewed a candidate I thought was a solid choice.  The other people involved in the process kept hesitating and asking questions, picking at the persons background and judging his "fit".  I said to my boss,  " You have to be exceptional if you are a black person or a woman if you want to get into this place.  Only exceptional minorities make it here.  Which is funny becasue there are a whole lot of mediocre white men running around."  ( my boss and I have these candid conversations all of the time because we have built that kind of realtionship over the years. )  He laughed and said.  "It's not fair...but you are right!" 

His is correct. It isn't fair.  So, we hve made a decison. We are going to expose our HR consultants and Recruiters to this unconscious bias training, because I think understanding how bias impacts our decisions around talent management and recruiting will be critical in changing the demographics of our organzation.  It isn't about being good people or bad people...it's about being informed and aware people.

Inclusion 365 Mission #5
I will pay attention to how I am treating people and check to see if my mind is "filling in the blanks" based on some assumption I am making based on past experience or programming.  I will challenge my biases, both conscious and unconscious and be honest with myself.

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