As we saw in our last Transformation Tuesday, unconscious bias can lead to a certain set of people at work treated unfairly or discriminated against. Today, let us look at the ways to reduce this bias in the workplace:
- Acceptance
All of us should accept the fact that we are biased. It is a part o human nature. If we do not acknowledge it, we cannot reduce or mitigate it. We need to become aware of our own biases. There are different tools available to test the same.
- Go slow
Unconscious bias is more likely to happen when we make quick decisions or act immediately. So, we should always take time, think, and then take decisions. We should never hurry into anything.
- Examine yourself
We should always examine our views when we meet anyone for the first time. We should consider any quick decisions that we make based on the first impression.
- Be attentive
We should pay specific attention to bias related to age, gender, disability, caste, religion, region; as this is unfair and it is not legal
- Expand your circle
We should avoid being with the same set of people all the time. We should interact with other people from different cultural and educational backgrounds. This will help you widen your circle and give a better understanding.
- Set rules
Do not tolerate any kind of discrimination in the team Make sure that each member is treated equally and gets a fair chance to give their opinion.
- Avoid making assumptions
Do not jump to any conclusion at the workplace. Always get things cleared with your reporting manager. For example, my manager did not offer me the project because I have a small baby and the project demands traveling. Do not make any assumptions and jump to the wrong conclusion.
- Keep a checklist for work management
Keep a checklist of all the running tasks such as who will take minutes of the meeting, who will decide for refreshments, etc to ensure fair-mindedness and reduce the risk of gender categorizing.
- Discuss
If you notice unconscious bias anywhere in the organization speak out and discuss it with the management. For example, if you feel that bigger projects are assigned to men or if a male colleague hashes over a female colleague, then you need to discuss the same with your managers and the leaders in the organization. Also, you need to tactfully mention that you want to listen to what the female colleague has to say. You also need to inform the managers how strategic and bigger projects are given only to male employees.
- Admit mistakes
We can mitigate mistakes only if we admit them. So, to mitigate or reduce the bias we need to be truthful and admit the mistakes that we commit.
We all think that we are objective and fair but unconsciously we tend to attract employees who think like us. But this unconscious bias has harmful effects on business in the workplace. So, to attract and retain the best talent, create a culture of inclusion where each employee can excel.
Written & Compiled by Faber Mayuri
