Diversity and inclusion workshop
Bias in The Workplace workshop This workshop will acknowledge biases and address how biases affect decision making.
Three kinds of biases will be covered: Implicit or unconscious biases, cultural biases and system
biases.
Awareness will be taken towards disrupting unconscious and cultural biases within our
organization.
Two-hour workshop for employees (20 in attendance)
Held Inhouse at Headquarters in Training Room which contains an overhead projector, arranged
with 20 desks equipped with computers for training/testing accessibility.
1. All employees are notified to attend workshop with Email correspondence.
Meeting Started with an Ice Breaker- 10 minutes
The workshop will start with an ice breaker were everyone will introduce themselves and
share a foreign country they have visited or would like to visit. (Nittle, 2019)
2. Video Don’t put People in boxes. https://youtu.be/zRwt25M5nGw - 4.4 minutes
Have employees watch video illustrating when we label people and put them in different
boxes, we don't see PEOPLE for who they truly are. This video proves that we have a lot
more in common than we think, and we should keep that in mind when we encounter
anyone who might seem different than we are. (Don't Put People in Boxes, You Tube,
2017)
3. Explain the definition of Unconscious bias and show some examples of Real-life Unconscious Workplace biases - 10 minutes
This candidate sounds Great! Resumes are a consistent source of unconscious bias. A
person’s name along with associated biases may impact some decisions of a resume
instead of their qualifications listed. (ELI, 2016)
She’s not great with computers. Do not evaluate competency based on age. Quality
could be sacrificed, or an innovative idea may be missed based on experience. (ELI,
2016)
You remind me of someone I know. This is an unconscious bias can be influenced by
opinions you have about someone else that the individual reminds you of. (ELI, 2016) He speaks the language. Do not make assumptions based on an individual’s ethical
background. Example an African American manager was hired for the Urban project
because “He speaks the language”. (ELI, 2016)
4. IAT Test – 30 minutes
Have the employees locate the Project Implicit site and login under the Social Attitudes
IAT test category selecting the Male with Science and Female with Liberal Arts test. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
5. Video You’re Not Biased Right? Implicit Bias IAT Testing explained. - 6.19 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z72MHd0y-bs
The IAT measures the strength of associations between concepts (ex. Female/Male and
Science/Liberal Arts). The main idea is that making a response is easier when closely
related items share the same response key. We would say that one has an implicit
association between Male and ‘Science’ relative to Female and ‘Science’ if they are
faster to categorize words when Male and ‘Science’ share a response key relative to when
Female and ‘Science’ share a response key. (Project Implicit, 2011)
Refer to the PowerPoint on Unconscious Biases and discuss the test on the Project
Implicit website - 30 minutes
Show the statistics percentage of web respondents with each score. Discuss the test
experience. Employees can reflect their reaction to the tests, and feelings about the results
and or personal experiences that may have influenced their results.
6. Explain the definition of Cultural bias and explain how cultures within an organization influence leadership *Quotes* - 10 minutes
Gender Perceptions: Masculine and Feminine Roles
Women verse Men in leadership roles. The traditional roles of men being better leaders because
they have more authority, focus and drive is outdated.
Woman have more teacher like qualities and tend to be motivational than threatening. (Chin &
Trimble, 2015)
Minority Leaders
Diversity should be viewed as an advantage. How they manage bias related to their social
group membership is called “identity management”. Which is a framework of policies
and technologies for ensuring that the proper people in an enterprise have the appropriate
access to technology resources. (Identity Management, Wikipedia. 2020)
“Minority Leaders have to work twice as hard to get half as far”. (Chin & Trimble, 2015)
Religious Beliefs
“I’m a very spiritual person and sometimes I think that creates problems for my
colleagues who tend to be scientifically mattered”. (Chin & Trimble, 2015)
An organization must adopt a rule of tolerance to diversity.
Creating an Inclusive Environment
Diversity an advantage to an organization. When Inclusion is strong, employees feel
valued. They serve customers better and we are better off as an organization. (Groysberg,
& Connolly, 2013)
View Video Blind Spots: Overcoming Stereotypes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_yIevcJCPc 3.25 minutes
This video helps to flip stereotypes and Stereotypes can influence our perception of who's
the "right fit." They may create a roadblock towards our destination.
7. Explain the definition of Systemic bias and steps to address Systemic bias - 10 minutes
Exclusive and hostile work environments
What is being done in the organization to address inequitable treatment. How is the
situation dealt with? (Gassman, 2019)
Similar-to-me bias
This is the phenomenon of individuals favoring others who are like them. This can
present a problem in the workplace of not properly addressed. Such as favoring hiring
only males. Which would widen the gap of inequality. (Gassman, 2019)
The network gap
Individuals have an advantage in the network based on know they know to get their foot
in the door. This can further inequality. Companies should go back to the more traditional
hiring methods, such as candidates who apply online. (Gassman, 2019)
Structural racism
It is defined as “the complex system by which racism is developed, maintained and
protected.” White privilege is one such example, it can cause problems if it is not
addressed in the workplace. Education is one of the greatest tools to deconstruct this form
of racism. (Gassman, 2019)
8. View Video Blind Spots: Broadening Perspectives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbBTM8bJt8Q 3.24 minutes
It's natural to gravitate towards people who are like us. But making decisions solely on
who we're comfortable with can cause tunnel vision.
References
Cultural Bias, Wikipedia, 2020, en.wikipedia.org.
Don't Put People in Boxes. New Hope Church, You Tube, 2017, http//www.youtube.com
DuBrin, A. J. (2013). Leadership: research findings, practice, and skills (7th ed.). Australia:
Five real-world examples of unconscious bias, ELI, 31 Mar. 2016, www.eliinc.com.Cengage.
Gassam, Janice. Your Unconscious Bias Trainings Keep Failing Because You’re Not Addressing
Systemic Bias, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2019.
Groysberg, Boris, and Connolly, Katherine. "Harvard Business Review." Great Leaders Who
Make the Mix Work, Sept. 2013, hbr.org.
Identity Management, Wikipedia. 2020, en.wikipedia.org.
Nittle Kareem, Nadra. 5 Ways to Make Your Diversity Workshop a Success, 2 Mar. 2019,
thoughtco.com.
Project Implicit, Skinclusion, 2011, http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Ryan, Ann Marie. Navigating stereotype threat and identity management in the workplace,
Rework, 4 Feb. 2006, rework.withgoogle.com.
Reiner Baily, 12 Unconscious Bias Examples and How to Avoid Them in the Workplace, Builtin,
12 Aug. 2019, builtin.com.
This test reveals implicit biases you don't know you have, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan.
2018, www.youtube.com.
Systemic Bias, Wikipedia. 2020, en.wikipedia.org.
Unconscious Bias training, Wikipedia. 2020, en.wikipedia.org.