What do you do if your community outreach efforts are influenced by biases?

Oh there are all kinds of biases out there. One that I am particularly aware of is against individuals with developmental disabilities. That said, these can often be the very best workers and the most grateful for the opportunity to work. It is so important to give them a seat at the table and hear their perspectives and viewpoints. Listen, watch and learn to see how special IDD's are. Giving them a chance to shine will help alleviate bias in thinking they are not willing, smart or capable. Finding the right fit for the right person can be a win-win for everyone. Try it and use an organization like Best Buddies International to help place an IDD in your office. Before long, everyone will overcome bias of these wonderful people.

In order to effective in what you do is to take a look at the biases that you may have and educate yourself in understanding and having empathy in others lives experiences. Being informed and aware can allow you to connect with others that can build trust and opportunities.

If you can work with communities, artists and cultural leaders in a truly collaborative manner, biases can be minimized by partnering .and Involving people from the conceptual and planning level through implementation (and beyond). We are all biased- but collaboration can help. A flexible agenda is also so important as community members may lead the conversation. A rigid agenda increases your chances of missing what is important to your visitors.

Understanding and acknowledging the biases within the community is pivotal for fostering genuine introspection, as it aligns our actions with our purpose within that community. As a community worker, navigating challenges stemming from religious, cultural, and worldview differences is essential. It's imperative to remain attuned to the community's needs, irrespective of their preconceptions or beliefs. By prioritizing this awareness, I ensure that my personal opinions do not impede the overarching goal, allowing individuals to embrace their ideologies freely. This approach fosters an environment where activities can flourish without constraints, as people appreciate being valued and understood, rather than judged.

Yo no juzgo ni prejuzgo y trato de que todos los que trabajan conmigo tampoco lo hagan. Tras recorrer medio mundo y trabajar con decenas de miles de personas, incluidos presos. No juzgo a nadie y entiendo a todo el mundo. Una mala tarde la tiene cualquiera.

En realidad desafío mis prejuicios cotidianamente. Como usualmente realizo un trabajo de excelencia , y quizás cuando viene algún pensamiento en el proceso, que podría en efecto generarme algún conflicto de interés. Recuerdo que detrás de mi hay convicciones más profundas que tiene que ver con hacer las cosas bien. De tal manera, que logró tener credibilidad y por tanto, consecuencia e impacto en mi actuar con las personas y comunidad en general. Mundo público y privado

Being aware of cognitive biases is crucial for making informed decisions. By acknowledging and understanding our biases, we can actively challenge them, opening ourselves to different perspectives. Seeking diverse viewpoints allows us to consider broader ideas and information, leading to more well-rounded thinking. Additionally, testing our assumptions helps ensure that our thoughts and decisions are based on solid evidence and reasoning. By cultivating this self-awareness and actively countering biases, we create a more open-minded environment that fosters critical thinking and enhances the quality of our decisions.

Nunca prejuzgo a nadie. A nadie. En ninguna circunstancia. Nunca. Procuro caminar en sus zapatos al menos un peque?o periodo de tiempo.

If you can challenge your bias, then actually it is not the bias. Listening to different perspectives and analyzing our own viewpoint might help in overcoming the bias.

Evidence proves the efforts. There are so many things we do not like, but do because they are important or on them, we do not have any control. But if our efforts are directed towards the goal, our bias will not impact the result. Because we work in team of people having very different perspectives on many issues.

An example of monitoring your biases is to try to stay aware if micro aggressions.There are several treatments of this topic and it is a good idea to find the ones that fit your situations and or do modifications that you can substantiate .

I'd give a simple example of how you can apply your bias. When it comes gender focused interventions, were you want to improve the lives of women, you can leverage gender bias. For example, in communities where the opinions of men are more valued than that of women, you can leverage the situation to bring out the best outcome for your intervention. One way of doing this is by investing in the community men through trainings, sensitization activities, and mentorship, to lead interventions where they can use their masculine power to bring about positive change. Imbibing positive values in the men will result in positive outcomes for the women. You see. At the end you've used the super powers of the men to protect the women.

As leaders and executives we must be open to feedback no matter how challenging it may be. We also should be able to take a step back and evaluate our efforts objectively to determine where outreach efforts have become biased and determine ways to redirect our efforts accordingly.