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.

Loud.  Brash.  Angry. Aggressive.  Ratchet.  Hoe. Gold Digger.  In the past month, I have read articles in newspapers and magazines all using these words to describe black women.  These adjectives are commonly used to describe women who look like me, and yet I have no connection to them.  They don't resonate with me at all.  I suppose it is possible that I am just not self- aware enough to see myself in those words, but I have had enough 360 degree feedback in my life to guess that is not the case.  People love to speculate about why black women can't find domestic bliss (the statistics tell us that 50% of black women never marry and we know statistics don't lie.)  The media is full examples of black men marrying anything they can get their hands on other than black women.  Most of the time when there is a black man on television or in a movie his love interest is usually white, asian or latina.  This  perpretuates the idea that black women are less desriable than other women and black men are staying away from us in droves. What the media doesn't tell us, that the U.S. Census Bureau is happy to inform, is that black men marry black women almost 80% of the time. But, let's not get confused with facts.  Let's keep talking about why black women are alone, lonely and miserable. 
Loud.  Brash.  Angry.  Aggressive.  Ratchet.  Hoe.  Gold Digger.  

For the record, I am a happily single child-free black woman who hangs out with other black women I would describe as lively, professional, accomplished, sophisticated, caring and independent.  Hmmm...quite the disconnect.  There is an expression we use in Diversity Awareness training that goes something like " we all view the world through the lens of our own experience."  I believe this is true.  If I have a negative experience with one member of a group of people, it could taint my perception of the entire group.  Or, if I am some how invested in my perception of a group of people because it makes me feel good, or feeds my ego, or asuages my guilt, I am going to look for evidence everywhere that my perception is valid.  I think if most of us were honest with ourselves we would admit that this is the case.  The problem, as I see it, is that when you are in a position of power or influence you have the ability to act on your biases and prejudices and influence other people.  The people who control the images of black women that get shown in television, movies, videos, etc. are not black women. These individuals are de-selecting the women who represent the women I know, and they are actively selecting the women that feed into their image of who black women are.  That is problematic in my opinion.  But it also leads me to think about this:  What influence do I have?  What story am I telling the world about groups of people that I don't really know? How am I subtley (or maybe not so subtley) influencing the way my organization or colleagues view groups of people.  Am I just slipping up when I refer to young men as "little boys"  because it is a silly little habit I can't break.  When I ask "What is the name of that little boy who works in finance"? Am I just using a harmless expression, or is that my passive aggressive way of communicating that I am in charge?  Or, am I just so preoccupied with my own aging body that I think anyone younger than me is a "little boy" or a "little girl?"  Jealous much?  Whatever the reason, I should probably resolve to stop it.

 Inclusion 365 Mission #4
I will remember that the words I use to describe groups of people can not only project my biases, but could potentially influence the way those groups are viewed by others.  I will judge people on their merits and not by my preconceived notions of who I think they are.

The Holiday season is one that is often fraught with danger for Chief Diversity Officers.  Some topics are innately emotional for people.  Money is number one, family and children are number two and religion is number three.  During the months of November and December the workplace becomes an emotional minefield where normally rational people become hyper sensitive and dogmatic. 

In matters of diversity, we often speak in terms of majority culture vs. minority culture.  Generally the view is, if you are part of the majority culture the onus is on you to be  more sensitive and appear overly accomodating ( inclusive) of other cultures.  We expect men to behave themselves when we introduce Women's leadership training and we expect our white colleagues to understand why we have executive mentoring programs for ethnic minorities.  And, for the most part, I would say they do.  However, when it comes to Christmas...all bets are off.

When it comes to the intrusion of religious inclusion in the workplace, Christians seem more unwilling than others to embrace the high road of diversity.  They don't understand why their colleagues would object to a Christmas Tree in the lobby, or playing Christmas Carols over the sound system.  "It's Christmas!" they declare. " and America is a Christian nation."  Well, the problem is this.  It is also Hanukkah (Jewish), Ashura (Islamic/ Muslim), St. Nicholas Day (Europe) Boxing Day, ( Canada) and Kwanza ( African American), etc. 

How does and organization that is comiited to building an inclusive workplace handle the question of religious celebrations in the workplace?  Well, in my opinion, it has to be all or nothing.  If you recognize one religion, then you have to provide the space for the recognition of all religions.  If an individual wants to hand out chocolate santas to his co-workers in honor of St. Nicholas Day or place a minorah on her desk, then other employees should be allowed the same freedom.  The organization, however, should not be seen as promoting one religion over another.  I have advised my organization to decorate our hotel lobby in very festive holiday decor, minus the Christmas Tree.  As an individual, I will be celebrating Christmas.  I will say "Merry Christmas" to people I encounter in stores. I will personally always understand that, for me, Jesus is the reason for the season.  I will also, however, listen intently while my Hindu colleagues tell me the details of Ashura, and I will enthusiastically play a game of Dreidel if invited to participate by my Jewish colleagues.

Inclusion 365 Mission#2 
I will honor my religious heritage and beliefs while respecting the religious heritage and beliefs of others.  I recognize that the country I live in, is a great quilt made up of unique and varying elements, none more important than the other.  I will remember to hold fast to my own beliefs and convictions without diminishing the beliefs and convictions of others.

The morning after the 2012 Presidential election, I was sitting in an office with a some of my colleagues. Inevitably the conversation turned to the election results and speculation about how the Republicans could have mis-judged the sentiment of the country and lost the election so conclusively.  At one point, one of my colleagues, who is a white male who grew up in South Africa, began recounting tales of people in his neighborhood who consistently say disparaging things about ethnic minorities.  He began to explain how at first he would offer rebutals but over time had given up trying to influence his peers.  At some point in the conversation, some one said "Well, we are all racist."  To which I replied, "NO. We may all have biases, but we are not all racists."

It dawned on me in that moment, that the rhetoric surrounding race is this country has become so twisted and convoluted that people who would normally be change agents and advocates for inclusion, just throw up their hands and say there is nothing we can do.  But I would like to examine this belief.

Racism, according to Websters dictionary is " a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and
that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race."

Bias, is defined as, "an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned
judgment : prejudice."  

If someone has an affinity for a political candidate becasue they feel a connection with the candidate based on a particluar trait or characteristic, that would be a bias.  Also, if you felt you could not connect with a political candidate because of a particular trait or characteristic, that would also be a bias.  If white voters, for example, felt that Mitt Romney was more like them and more likely to view the world the way they do, that would be an example of a bias.  If those same voters, decided that President Obama was unfit to lead them because black people are inferior and have no right to hold the office of President, that would racism.  Both of those examples have an element of race, but only one of those examples is racist.

If black voters felt a sense of pride about Barak Obama being the first bi-racial President, and felt that he was more likely to understand the issues that affect them, that would be an example of bias, not racism.   If those same voters simply revelled in the irony that a black man is President of this country given its history of instituionalized racism and bigotry, that would also represent an unreasoned judgment, but it doesn't amount to racism.  Everything that is racial isn't racist, and I think we would do ourselves a huge favor by recognizing this and stop using the words "racist" and "racism" when what we are really referring to is prejudice.   

Why parse words?  I believe these distinctions are important and we need to be precise in the language we use because words have meaning and they impact our relationships and our interactions with others.  I want to mean what I say about issues of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc.  I want to have credibility and be thoughtful in my communication.  Being loose with our vocabulary blurs the lines and prevents honest dialog. 
 
Inclusion365 Mission # 1

I will say what I mean when I discuss issues of diversity, and I will not allow my biases and prejudices to to lead me to conclusions about the character and abilities of others. (that would be racist)