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Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias has been a hot topic as part of our conversations around Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement (IDE) at work. But what exactly is unconscious bias? This can be a complex issue, but it basically explains our tendencies to make snap judgments and stereotypes based on our background and personal experiences. This quick video does a great job of explaining what unconscious bias is. 


For example, if I were to ask you to close your eyes (but obviously don't do that, because I need you to read this post) and picture yourself sitting in an airplane. A voice comes over the intercom and says, "Hello, this is your captain speaking," or to imagine you are enjoying conversation with the couple sitting next to you. Did you take a moment to imagine that situation? Go ahead....imagine the captain speaking over the intercom and having conversation with the couple sitting next to you. Got it?

OK. Who is the captain, as pictured in your mind? Is it a white male? An Asian female? What about the couple sitting next to you? Did you picture an opposite-sex or same-sex couple? There's a good chance your unconscious mind chose the white male and the opposite-sex couple. 

If you have a bit more time to spare, I would highly suggest watching this video, which has examples similar to the above.




Comments

  1. Sam JensenNovember 4, 2020 at 6:50 PM

    LOVE this post! I love that you chose this topic and think that DEI (or whichever sorting orgs use) has become a super necessary and critical aspect of a healthy and modern organization. Great video choice!

    ReplyDelete

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