Ways to Combat Implicit Bias in the Workplace
If I were a white male, would you have said the same?
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(Teddy the Corgi; Home)
These are commonplace, and often overlooked, by the most well-intentioned managers and leaders. So, how can we decrease the impact of these biases?
The first, and perhaps hardest part, is recognizing them. For many of us, the “usual” way of operating is so ingrained that whether you are the subject or perpetrator of the bias, you do not notice it. You often need to consciously make an effort and take the time to reflect upon a situation, and try to identify where bias might exist. In my previous post, I also write about some examples that provides a helpful starting point to look for similar situations.
Second, when you identify the bias, look for patterns. Has this particular scenario happened to you multiple times? Was is always with the same person or group of people? Was it always with a particular context (e.g. in group settings or 1-1’s, during roadmapping or performance review season). Is it consistently regarding the same skill or trait (e.g. your communication style, your strategy, your roadmap).
It also helps to casually talk about the situation with some trusted friends or colleagues — have they experienced something like this? Who with? When? And look for similarities. Often the more “top down” or ingrained in the culture a bias is, the less likely others will bring it up first. They may not even see it, or be afraid to talk about it.
Ways to Surface Bias Productively
Once you have some data points and understanding of how this implicit bias takes shape, and how it affects you and others, it’s time to take action.
Taking action means very different things depending on the culture of the organization, the type of bias you’re facing, who is affected, and who will be affected. There is no simple “if…Then…” statement. However, here are some helpful guidelines to help you formulate a plan:
If it is more specifically geared towards you and/or is a high stakes question (e.g. affects performance), 1-1 settings are preferred. One of my go-to questions is: “This feedback surprises me. If I were a white male, would you give the same feedback?”
If it has affected multiple people and requires more of a cultural shift, start small, and then encourage others to call out similar observations with their leaders. One framework that works well is the “situation, complication, resolution” framework.
First, describe the situation: For example: I observed that John is consistently asked to deliver presentations for his work at all hands. However, I have not ben asked to drive a presentation for my work of the same impact and importance. I’ve noticed that several other managers are in the same situation.
Then, state the complication: How do we decide who gives presentations? Is there a fair process to ensure that everyone gets a chance? Do we have affinity bias implicit here?
Finally, suggest a potential resolution and ask for feedback: Could we propose a list of important projects during planning that should present at all hands, and ensure everyone gets an opportunity?
Surfacing bias and initiating these conversations take a lot of courage and emotional empathy of how the other side may receive the feedback. It can be one of the most difficult types of feedback to give. Having strong examples, keeping it to the facts (rather than emotions), will help make sure your message lands well. Some have found it helpful to role-play and practice with a trusted friend or partner ahead of the conversation.
Often, these types of conversations end with managers thanking me for holding up a mirror to their inconsistencies due to implicit bias and working with me to ensure these biases don’t become a barrier to my advancement. It is also a strong positive signal when leaders are receptive to this type of feedback that they are generally great leaders who care about diversity, fairness, and transparency.
Sometimes, it is best to leave a toxic culture
Unfortunately, not all managers wish to address implicit bias. Here are some personal examples from my career. I once noticed that a white male peer was getting rewards for aggressive, borderline demeaning behavior toward other teams to get them to adopt what he thought was the best approach. And yet, this same type of behavior was something I had been explicitly dinged for in the past when trying to rally multiple teams. In both cases, my manager agreed with what we were trying to push for, but he provided air cover for only one of us. When I called it out, he simply said, “It’s a double standard—you’ll need to find another way.”
Another time, I spoke with the same manager about my observation that there seemed to be private messaging groups of white male leaders with direct lines to executives that helped them get alignment on decisions quickly and informally. These channels of communication were not open to others. But he said, “Yeah, it’s a boys’ club at the top. If you want in, you’ve just got to learn to play the game. If you don’t want to play ball, then maybe you’re not meant to be in the executive ranks.”
In another case, I was doing my work and taking on some of the work of my white male peer, who was struggling to deliver. I was not proactive about making it explicit that I was helping and mentoring my peer, so my manager gave my peer all the credit; he then unabashedly claimed it and wrangled a promotion for himself. When I asked my manager about it, he simply said that the work was done well and deserved a promotion, and it wasn’t clear what I had done versus my peer.
In situations like these with multiple instances of bias and little desire to address them, I choose to find other paths forward. I’ve coached aspiring executives in similar situations who decide to try to stick it out or don’t have good immediate alternatives. They would try to get into these chat groups through more aggressive networking or find other approaches to get work done. Some succeed, and some don’t. But they all end up more burnt out and disillusioned with the continuous path to the top. Many of them end up changing roles within two years. And so, when faced with repeated explicit bias, I urge people to gracefully walk away from these types of teams and move to work with leaders who value diversity and work hard to be unbiased in promotions.