Reducing the Negative Impact of Bias in the Workplace

• Bias begins early in our lives. "Bias is present in many ways that are subtler and far more insidious than the aforementioned examples because of its role in shaping the way that people view themselves even as their identities are being formed." What we see in media and books teaches each of us how to think about others, and can unconsciously affect self-perceptions of value, in both positive and negative ways.
• Conforming to a specific work culture may require "code switching" on the part of the nondominant culture. Although this "can be a necessary daily function for survival, ...  the behavioral adaptations needed [may] come at a cost to one’s sense of cultural identity and self-esteem."
• Confirmation bias "according to [Everyday Bias, Howard Ross (2014)], is 'a tendency for people to gather information or respond to a circumstance in a way that confirms already established beliefs.' This kind of bias is particularly important to understand in a time when there is so much polarization about how people see and interpret the same event, or the same news, so differently."
• "According to Michael Inzlicht and Toni Schmader, from their book by the same name (2012), stereotype threat is 'a situational predicament in which individuals are at risk…of confirming negative stereotypes about their [own] group.' "
• "A commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion work means a commitment to making your efforts not about you. ... It's about ending oppression wherever it exists, in large and small ways. For those of us with privilege..., the focus of most interactions is us. ... Equity work requires making an intentional choice to shift the focus away from our own feelings, needs and intentions, to care about, and be willing and capable of shifting our focus to the needs and experiences of others."

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