What are the best ways to address unconscious bias in coaching and mentoring?

My first observation is that bias shouldn’t be seen as a failing. Bias is a side effect of our brains simplifying the world around us. Our brains take millions of decisions everyday. Creating categories and “rules” to deal with said categories relieves some of the pressure as this automates our responses. The problem comes when rules we create are based on inaccurate information. A challenge for us as coaches is our ability to notice when we might be working with erroneous information, and make efforts to look for more accurate data. A pillar of coaching is an ability to be curious. Taking time to explore motivations with clients instead of assuming their response results from some “categorisation” goes a long way to reducing bias.

From my journey of self-improvement, I've learned that improving my processes is a bit like learning to be a better mentor or coach. It's a lengthy road, but it's worth it. Just like when we work on addressing and overcoming unconscious bias, it starts with truly understanding why we react the way we do and why we see things the way we do. This understanding is like the first step in coaching or mentoring someone, we need to understand their unique perspective. Once I grasped this, I started using mindfulness techniques and created my strategies to change how I think and act. It's kind of like being a coach for myself. And you know what happened? My point of view shifted, and so did the way I behaved.

Why this.gets develop might be from past experiences with self or hearing others experiences. Also.it is being with a pre conceived mindset about any individual.based on past experience before months or year without giving inside us a thought and control to be non judgemental. It is always better to check the evidence.and consider the situation in which things happens.

Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality. Possessing bias is part and parcel of being human. And the more we think we are immune to it, the greater the likelihood that our own biases will be invisible or unconscious to us. Prejudice or unsupported judgments in favor of or against one thing, person, or group as compared to another, in a way that is usually considered unfair. The profession of journalism is an important one and considered by many to be a mandatory component of a free society. Will you get access to the brightest minds and greatest reporters for free? Perhaps, but if we hope to continue to see their best work, society needs to support them properly. Be a paid subscriber. Be Kind. Life is possible…!!

In my experience, as the word says , unconscious bias , that means it tend to happen , however self reflection plays a crucial role in it, be mindful of your thoughts and bias ,be a great listener so that you understand better and most important, promote inclusivity

I'm very curious by nature and enjoy learning about other's culture/food and history. It's a great way to connect with people. Diversity and inclusion matters because we can treat one another with respect when we are aware of the same. As a coach/mentor it's of intrinsic value to be sensitive to the diversity of the coachees and mentees. In addition to the diversity of the group, inclusion plays another key role where every individual is accepted/respected based on their background, identities, experiences and perspective. Listening, reading, talking, and attending webinars can be very useful and rewarding tools to learn more about diversity and inclusion.

In my experience, we all have biases and it’s important to acknowledge it . One needs to truly believe that diversity of thoughts would enable solving complex problems . As a coach it’s important to focus on your listen talk ratio , intentionally listen to your coachee and provide constructive feedback.

Be vulnerable. Be open, honest and transparent about any somatic experiences you have during coaching and share them with the Coachee, team or group. This can uncover unconscious bias.

Take the time to learn about how others who are different learn and process information. Take time to learn differing cultural contexts. Take time to learn what groups different from the dominant group experience their world and environments.

For someone who has lived outside my own country, I can totally vouch for this. Having lived and worked with more than 15 nationalities has helped me to accept and respect others the way they are. Empathy plays a key role in understanding and appreciating diversity as a coach. Empathy allows you to understand that everyone is unique and has a set of skills and flaws. Meeting people at grass root level and interacting with them will give a great deal of knowledge and respect for others. Travelling is one more aspect where you start appreciating others. Coaching is not about guiding others but guiding your own self first.

Unconscious biases often stem from our personal experiences. How we or our loved ones reacted to certain situations can shape our perceptions. For instance, when a colleague returns from maternity leave, my initial inclination might be to lighten her workload, having witnessed my wife's struggles as a new mother. However, my colleague may have different circumstances and capabilities. Overcoming these biases requires open conversations with team members. We must listen, understand, and avoid making assumptions based on our own experiences.

It's always worth pausing to ask yourself, "How do I know this?" or "Am I sure?" How could you respond to your position if challenged? Credible evidence? A thoughtful paradigm? Humility is key here, too --it's often just as helpful to acknowledge what we don't know and what questions we still hold as it is to be certain or right!

We as human beings make assumptions and stereotype due to our conditioning from birth. The type of leadership and beliefs instilled in us as a child and into adulthood determines how we see the world and others. Deep diving into self awareness and being completely honest with yourself will help you to understand this conditioning and how it came about. You can then take an objective approach and work out what it is that you believe and not what your conditioning lead you to believe. I bet you will find that if you did this, you will accept that making assumptions and stereotyping is unproductive and a waste of your energy and that all you need to concern yourself with is your path, your own belief system and staying in your lane.

Bias can spring forth from so many origins. Personal experiences are potentially one of the most dangerous of these. If we have had a bad experience with someone with a particular combination of factors, we tend to assume that others who are similar may behave in the same way. That can lead to stereotyping that influences our own behaviors. Being aware of how we feel and why we feel certain ways can help us to avert non-productive reactions or behaviors in our interactions with individual and unique people.

Encourage the practice of "perspective-taking" or mentally walking in someone else's shoes. This act helps challenge preconceived assumptions by forcing one to view situations from another's viewpoint.

I find that when you repeat back to the speaker what you have just heard, it allows you to check your understanding, gives the speaker the opportunity to hear what they've said. Therefore demonstrating that you are fully present and engaged.

Active listening helps us overcome unconscious bias in that we're actively focused on our client's words and non-verbal cues withOUT immediate judgment or interruption. This gives us time to become more aware of our biases as they arise and override them. Additionally, active listening often involves asking open-ended questions, which can help to counteract any misunderstandings or assumptions driven by bias. Reflecting back to the client in their own words is also a valuable technique - it not only helps to clarify any misunderstandings but also shows you're fully engaged and listening, which helps the client feel heard, valued and respected. It can also help the client uncover any of their own unconscious biases.

As a coach, one of the greatest skills you can possess is active listening and empathy. Having the ability to sit with someone, be completely present and only hear and feel that person is the truest form of connection. If you sit with someone and only listen to respond or only catching part of what they are saying will diminish the connection. If this occurs then your mentee will not receive the full benefit of your knowledge and wisdom and will be unable to apply your practices as it will not resonate with them or it is not clear enough for them as you will only be responding to part of their needs which will lead them to switching off. Mindfulness practices is a great way to teach yourself to be present in full.

As coaches some of us might want to switch to advisor mode too quickly. Whereas, listening not only gives you to the required information but also helps you establish a rapport with your coachees. By asking empowering questions the plot will be set to nurture a great deal of dialogue. To be able to listen actively and empathetically a coach must internalize the whole process of coaching. Once you have achieved a state of calmness and develop a nature of really wanting to help someone, as a coach you will be ready to listen more.

Active listening requires silencing your internal dialogue to fully immerse yourself in the speaker's narrative. Empathetic listening goes a step further by striving to feel with the speaker. This two-pronged approach ensures a deeper, more genuine connection.

One key thing to bear in mind while sharing feedback, is to be forward looking. While we are being as constructive and objective as possible, driven by data, the ultimate goal is to use the feedback for growth and development of the coachee. In case of failures, reinforce that it is OK to fail, it is part of the process, but sharing the right perspective and unwavering support goes a long way in building trust, confidence and ability to move forward.

It's critical to see this work as a partnership: how can you get curious alongside someone, to wonder with someone about something, and share your own growth and insights along the way? This can lower defenses and allow for the synergy of mutual growth and understanding.

When providing feedback as a coach, if you are fully present in the conversation and you can relate to what they are saying, then providing feedback can be an easy task. It is always important to remain objective and remember that you are there to impart your wisdom and experience on strategies that have worked for you in the past, not your beliefs. Backing up feedback with clear steps moving forward will assist your mentee to apply your knowledge and reap the benefits.

A way to combat unconcious bias is to become more curious and ask questions. Get to know your client/ mentee. That way you will find more opportunities to bring them value.

Feedback is the breakfast of champions and if you want to be one then learn to provide constructive feedback that is objective. What goes wrong is when you use words like "You should", "you must", "I want you to". The one thing I keep in mind while giving a feedback is "how can I help my coachee move to a higher level from here". In effect you are shifting your attitude to "serving mode" from advising mode. Let there be a logical evidence to every point of improvement you make. So you clearly know that there is no room for personal bias here.

Recognize that the journey to mitigate unconscious bias is continuous. Encourage the embrace of a growth mindset, which emphasizes that abilities and intelligence can be developed with time and effort. This can guide individuals to actively seek opportunities for personal and professional growth in relation to bias understanding and management.

There are a number of things that people can do to help counteract biases. For example, reading articles and books on the subject of bias, being aware of stereotypes that are reinforced in the media, and inviting more people from different backgrounds and perspectives into their circle. Supervisors and other leaders in the organization can reduce the damaging influence of biases by seeking out opinions and ideas from everyone, not just the usual group, and establishing well-defined criteria for making decisions around hiring, promotions and work assignments.

Continually learning and having a growth mindset can help build your awareness of your bias and more importantly your self-awareness. As you gain more knowledge and experience through learnings, experts, coaches, and mentors, you can further being your unconscious biases to the surface. That means being vulnerable and uncomfortable to discovering not only new things about yourself, but also where you might be wrong.

This is something that I strongly believe in. You cannot plan a journey of hundred thousand miles just because you walked thousand miles in the past. The challenges are different when you aim for greater things therefore, sharpen your saw often. If you want to start being of value to others then we must learn to add value to ourselves continuously. The one thing that is constant is change and to adapt to this change, we must keep upgrading our skill, knowledge and behaviour. Keep a growth mindset and be a life long learner.

Listen to your clients. Really listen. Ask yourself 'is what they are saying what I am hearing? 'Am i interpreting them right or using a previous paradigm or 'similar' situation to make a snap judgment of the situation? Ask myself if I am looking at the situation through my lens or theirs. Be prepared to shift my perspective and not make assumptions that I know exactly what is going on. Ask a lot of clarification questions when something is not entirely clear.

Active, mindful and intuitive listening is critical to uncovering unconscious biases. Sometimes they are so deeply rooted, that they may be accepted as assumptions or society norms in certain cultures. Asking powerful questions for deeper transformation is required in such cases. Asking questions like: 1) What strategies or practices can you implement to pause and reflect before making judgments about colleagues or team members? 2) What you are assuming to be true, what would be another way to look at it? 3) Think about a time when you made a snap judgment about someone without knowing them well. What assumptions did you make, and how did those assumptions influence your actions? There can be many more, depending on the situation.

To me, addressing my unconscious bias in coaching and mentoring is, of course, first about being fully aware and cognizant of those biases. Two things help me in a big way: 1. Pre-session Centering through Meditation and Pranayam leading to complete presence and unconditional acceptance 2. Cultivating an 'Ever Curious Mindset' by everyday behaviour and some constant reminders in the workspace.

For me, mentoring is about teaching my clients that what they are generally seeking is already inside them. To mitigate bias though, I: - Be aware of my bias as best I can, there will always be some there, just work on knowing it. - Actively listen to my client, learn what their bias is, it's sometimes the thing holding them back. - Ask open ended questions to help them challenge their own bias, this has the added benefit of allowing your client to discover new ways of thinking. There is unlikely a 100% foolproof method to remove bias, but if you are helping your client in earnest and you build their trust through honesty, they will know you are their for their best interests, that is the ultimate goal of Coaching and Mentoring.

Metta Meditation: Another powerful tool is metta meditation, often called loving-kindness meditation. This practice involves dedicating time each day to send well-wishes and positive intentions to yourself, loved ones, neutral individuals, difficult people, and even to all beings in the universe. Metta meditation promotes equanimity and compassion, which can significantly reduce bias and lead to a more inclusive approach in coaching and mentoring. Customizing your meditation to focus on individuals or groups you might unconsciously harbor biases against can be especially effective.