Type Text Text Textilrdi002 Counteracting Unconscious
Type Texttype Texttype Textilrdi002 Counteracting Unconscious
Type Texttype Texttype Textilrdi002 Counteracting Unconscious Bias Cornell University ILR School Tool: Identifying Unconscious Bias Now you will practice identifying unconscious bias by being a careful observer. You will identify instances of when unconscious bias may be at play. You will also look for evidence of artifacts that might be reinforcing unconscious bias. Pay attention at team meetings, group discussions, brainstorming sessions, collaborative work sessions, or other work-related meetings and events. Take notice of behaviors associated with privilege and what types of people seem to have those privileges.
Behaviors Associated with Privilege
Speaking First
Note who talks first in a collaborative team or group session. Who makes an assumption of being the person who should speak for the group? Note your observations:
Talking Over Others
Make a note here when anyone gets interrupted or talked over. Who is getting talked over? Who is being interrupted?
Who gets the privilege of interrupting? (Or, who gets the privilege of not being interrupted?) Note your observations:
Taking Credit
Make a note here whenever you notice someone taking credit for another person’s ideas or contributions. (This can be as simple as a person repeating a suggestion someone else made as if it was an original idea.)
Who gets the privilege of taking credit? Note your observations:
Active Listening
Make a note here when you notice people’s ideas being taken seriously. Whose ideas are being taken seriously? Who is getting active listening from others? Notice when people are politely letting the clock run out on what someone is saying.
Who gets the privilege of active listening? Note your observations:
Who Gets a Voice?
Make a note here: Who gets to be heard? Who gets invited to be part of the conversations when decisions are being made that affect everyone?
Note your observations:
Getting “Extra Votes”
Make a note here when you notice who gets one vote in meetings and who gets two.
In other words, who has influence in wrapping up the group decision? Whose opinion matters more? Note your observations:
Correcting Others
Correcting others becomes a manifestation of privilege when one person overrides someone else who is speaking and corrects the person or presumes to make the person’s point for them.
Who corrects others within meetings? Note your observations:
Bias and You
Unconscious bias is ubiquitous. After reading this lecture, you've had an opportunity to examine the ways that unconscious bias affects people.
Assignment Instructions: Bearing in mind what you've learned in this course about unconscious bias. Create a post in which you describe one way in which:
• You have seen bias affect you personally.
• Your workplace
• Your ability to manage people effectively.
200 words minimal. Cohesive and detailed answers. No plagiarism. APA citing.
Paper For Above instruction
Unconscious bias influences many facets of personal and professional life, often operating subtly yet profoundly. Personally, I have become aware of bias affecting me through the unintentional assumptions I make about individuals based on their appearance or background. For example, I once hesitated to approach a colleague from a different cultural background for collaboration, assuming language barriers might hinder effective communication. This bias limited my willingness to engage and build rapport, constraining both personal growth and team cohesion. Recognizing this unconscious bias has been vital in addressing and overcoming such prejudgments, enabling me to foster more inclusive interactions.
In the workplace, unconscious bias manifests in decision-making processes, such as hiring or project assignment practices. I observed that more often than not, colleagues with similar backgrounds or interests were favored, which inadvertently excluded diverse perspectives. This tendency, rooted in familiarity bias, diminished the richness of team collaboration and innovation. Acknowledging this bias has prompted efforts to implement more objective criteria in evaluations, promoting fairness and diversity.
Regarding management, unconscious bias can hinder my ability to manage people effectively if I do not remain vigilant. Biases related to age, gender, or ethnicity may influence perceptions of employees' capabilities, leading to unequal opportunities or favoritism. To mitigate this, I strive to base evaluations on performance metrics and provide equal development opportunities, ensuring a fair and supportive environment. Awareness of unconscious bias remains essential for cultivating inclusivity and effective leadership.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Colquitt, J. A., LePine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J. (2019). Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace. McGraw-Hill Education.
Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2018). Why diversity programs fail and what works better. Harvard Business Review, 96(2), 52-60.
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (2017). Implicit attitudes and biases. Psychological Review, 124(4), 539-561.