Finding Common Ground: How to Overcome Unconscious Bias

Is unconscious bias hurting your team and your organization? Is it having a negative impact on your career or the careers of fellow employees? A crucial step toward an inclusive work environment is developing an awareness and understanding of biases that can unconsciously influence how we work and interact with people. We all have unconscious biases based on our experiences, influences, background, education and even brain chemistry.

Biases play out in the workplace through micro-messaging, micro-aggression and micro-inequities—subtle behaviors that generally go unnoticed—and therefore result in the exact opposite of inclusion. People become marginalized, are not listened to or valued, and can miss out on opportunities to be heard and to advance their career. Through awareness-building discussions and activities, role-plays and unconscious bias case studies, this course will help you better understand bias and discover practical strategies that can help you and your colleagues avoid bias and leverage the power of a more positive, inclusive work environment.

• Define unconscious bias and its implications
• Differentiate between unconscious, complicit and implicit bias
• Develop strategies to avoid and overcome bias
• Use communication techniques to be seen as an ally

• Recognizing how bias affects all our interactions with others
• Understanding the different types of bias
• Recognizing the impact of bias in all aspects of life and work
• Exploring the neuroscience of the brain to understand why we have biases
• Describing unconscious, complicit and implicit biases
• Identifying micro-messaging and non-verbal body language that reflect unconscious bias
• Distinguishing between unconscious bias and perceptions and behaviors based on stereotypes
• Becoming aware of practical steps you can take to overcome bias
• Understanding what it takes to become an ally
• Re-aligning thoughts toward “some/we” instead of “all/them” (overcoming erroneous generalizations)
• Modifying the way you communicate to promote inclusivity
• Developing a personal action plan to overcome bias

Learning Objectives

• Define Bias and Its Implications
• Develop Strategies to Avoid and Overcome Bias
• Identify the Characteristics and Strategies of an Ally
• Develop an Action Plan to Become a More Effective Ally

Defining Bias

• Recognize How Bias Affects All of Our Interactions with Others
• Define Different Types of Bias

Understanding Bias

• Understand How Our Brains Process Information and How Biases Are Created
• Differentiate Between Learned and “Unconscious Bias”

Overcoming Bias

• Understand the Impact of Micro-Messaging
• Differentiate Between Unconscious Bias and Stereotypes

Understanding Allies

• Define Types of Allies and Their Importance
• Understand Ally Characteristics and Behaviors

Becoming an Ally

• Understand the Process to Become an Ally

Action Planning

• Develop a Practical Personal Action Plan
• Implement Your Personal Action Plan