10 Reasons Why Simple Decision Making Bias Harms Diversity & Inclusion.

Why did the UK government spend ￡50000 on 20 chess tables (with no pieces) as part of scheme specifically designed to reduce inequality? The answer is an organisational bias towards simple 'logical' decision making.?

The problems of addressing inequality are rich and complex. The government had funds to spend in a short amount of time. Therefore the focus moved from social and economic change to what things could be bought or be ‘shovel ready’ in the timeframe to complete the task. Moving the focus from people to simple things.?

They reduced the complex problem into a simple logic:

Problem

We need more people from deprived communities to publicly excel at chess to promote the change

Solution?

Install chess tables in deprived communities where there is easy access

Outcome

More people achieve grand masters at chess and return the UK to a higher position in the world rankings. (no really this was the official claim)

This is a trap that Most Organisations fall into for Diversity and Inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion requires variation in organisational decision making. However, from the moment an organisational change is created, very often it is simplified to gain acceptance, approval and spread. This simple decision bias hinders consideration and inclusion of the diverse thinking and needs of staff and service users.?

Decision Making is Often a Key Barrier to Diversity and Inclusion

I have spent several years in working with issues of diversity and inclusion. In my experience a very common barrier to diversity and inclusion even in the most well intended organisations, is that the organisational decision making process demands clarity and simplicity. But the very nature of diversity work is to foster change and variation in decision making. Indeed the one size fits all approach runs completely counter to diversity and inclusion.

What is Diversity and Inclusion in Decision Making.

Diversity and inclusion in decision making is the active involvement of any individual or group that is representative of people outside the normal core decision making group. All too often diversity work focuses on the colour of skin alone, which of course is essential.?

But sadly all too often does not also include cultural, social, economic diversity as well as physical disability and diversity of thinking. For true diversity we need to consider and include all these perspectives. It is not a job to be done or a simple decision to be made, but a continuous journey of improvement learning and growth.

Why Does Diversity & Inclusion Conflict With Organisational Decision Making?

Diversity and inclusion means adding complexity, variation and inclusion of different perspectives into decision making. However, this directly conflicts with the classic ‘well run’ organisational principles: that we want decisions to be clear and simple, working towards a mythical optimum.

Diversity is relegated to ‘engagement’, rather than genuine inclusion. Simple decisions, by definition, precludes a diversity informed approach where people’s variation is taking into account. So what is creating this endless drive for simple decisions that rides rough shod over the diverse needs and perspectives of staff and service users.

I’ve identified 10 factors at play driving simplification of organisational changes:

10 Factors Driving Simple Organisational Decision Making

1. Complex Changes Are Often Difficult to Explain

Issues of diversity create a natural complexity in decision making. Changes that are complicated to explain, difficult to understand or deeply rooted in varying contexts have a distinct disadvantage in gaining approval and support of key decision makers.

2. Decision Makers Cognitive Overload.

Decision Makers can be affected by Cognitive Overload. Decision-makers when faced with information that they are not used to or unfamiliar with, can be given too much information too quickly for their brain to process effectively. This can lead to hesitation or reluctance to approve diverse and complex proposals, because the decision maker does not feel they can properly understand the problem faced by different groups of people.?

How the Decision Maker Can Affect the Complexity of a Decision.

I think it is important to note that cognitive overload is significantly reduced by people who are already knowledgeable in an area. Meaning that the type of expertise decision makers have directly impacts the complexity of decisions they are willing to make. e.g. Someone from a marginalised group is much more likely to easily understand the issues faced by that group and other similar groups. This means it is vital that decision makers are representative of a variety of perspectives. However, they still need to be actively connected to the diverse group to properly represent them.

3. Inability To Understand Risks of Diversity & Complex Problems

Diversity causes greater complexity in decision making. Complex problems are generally perceived as carry higher risks. Even if the reality is those risks are small in effect and magnitude. There is less certainty about the probability and scale of the risk because of the inherent diversity in response.. These can include valid uncertainties in outcomes, higher costs, and the risk of communications being misunderstood.

Diversity is Not a Box to Be Ticked.

This is why diversity despite it’s complexity is so often reduced to a tick box process. Rather than properly trying to understand the needs of diverse groups, it is much easier to create a form and tick the boxes. If you tick the box you don't have to understand the problem or associated risks. If you genuinely care about these groups and community you have to understand them. A tick box never ever shows understanding or relevance.

4. Logic Models Guide Our Change Making Decisions.

Creating a logical rational approach is often held up to be the best way to make a decision. This is often involves fitting change initiatives into a ‘logic model’ format for senior decision makers that narrows and filters a change down to a simple logical formula of problem – solution – outcome.?

This can stop many ‘messy’ problems with diversity being properly considered. What is approved is often a one size fits all oversimplified misunderstanding of the problem rather, than a reflection of reality. A logic model tends to focus on a single view of everyone and everything. As if one intervention will work the same on everyone.

5. Prioritising Emotional Safety in Decision Making

Far from being the rational logical being’s that we are taught at school humans actually prioritise emotional safety over being correct. Emotions typically guide our decisions with research suggesting only 5-10% of our decisions are made rationally. So how do our emotions guide our decisions. Well the threat perception system takes priority that has evolved to keep us safe. Meaning that we make many of our decisions prioritising our own safety above all else. This means many decision makers will prioritise decisions that they can understand and will keep them safe.

From Inclusion to Engagement.

In terms of diversity this means that decision makers will happily consider diverse opinions as long as the decision maker is not threatened by diversity. This means where the diverse views contradict or conflict with the views of the decision maker those views are less likely to be sought in the first place. This is a real challenge as one of the main thing a political decision maker does is decide who is in the decision meetings.

It seems no coincidence therefore the main complaint of diverse groups of people is that they weren't included in the meetings or decisions.

6. Changes are Focused on Simple Problems.

The more complex the current problem area, the less likely decisions would be made in that area. With large scale studies such as a study by Washington University finding that changes are much more likely to be made in areas that were simple. Crucially it is the complexity of the current situation that is important, not of the solution. Meaning that most changes are focused on a small number of simple areas, rather than addressing more complex problems.

In terms of diversity this means that new initiatives are far more likely to go into the simple one size fits all areas rather, than go to address existing areas of diversity.

The Decision Making Politics of Uncertainty.

Politics can often play a part in decision making. I’ve often seen experienced decision makers often deliberately create uncertainty using the tactic of creating uncertainty: (Usually if it’s going to cost them time or money.) They intentionally throw a well aimed awkward question ‘grenade’ at the idea to cause confusion and uncertainty. Or insist that everyone is consulted, or that further research is required. The goal of the decision maker is to create and magnify uncertainty so that it gets delayed and postponed as others can’t understand the problem.?

As a leader of change you absolutely need to be prepared for this when you go into those vital meetings! Being on the right side of the argument is not enough. With diversity i very strongly recommend going around all the key people and creating a unified approach BEFORE the decision meetings.

7. Communicating Changes Need to be Simplified to Scale Up

When we scale up a change across an organisation there is evidence that the change need to be communicated clearly and simply to scale up. E.g. How many of us have seen an email from IT of a change that appears very complicated with attachments and a wall of text and decided to put it on the ‘read later’ list. Which then only gets viewed again in an emergency.?

This can be a real problem for diversity as it means that diversity initiatives because of the need to address different groups can often find themselves sending out huge amounts of information to meet everyone’s needs. Multiple attachments for different groups, or a ridiculously long set of plans and implementation guidelines are often the order of the day. Sadly often well beyond anyone’s time to read through.

How to Form Diversity Initiatives to Aid Communication and Spread.

If you want to communicate diversity initiatives then it is usually far better to create guiding principles of change that fit everyone. Or create points of escalation for people who need additional support. Trying to define everything for everyone is an exhaustive process and to be frank will significantly limit your ability to scale up.

8. The Law of Misunderstanding: the More an Idea Spreads the More it is Misunderstood.

When an idea is shared at scale I've described that it often follow a law of misunderstanding. The more an idea spreads the more it is misunderstood and the amount of errors appear to increase exponentially. (Read more about the law of misunderstanding and how to counter it here).?

This means for diversity initiatives no matter how well planned and formulated, will always be misunderstood or misused when spread at scale. This is why spreading initiatives needs to be an ongoing process of learning and adaption. Learning what worked what didn’t and how it can be improved. Sometimes the misunderstandings can be positive and create new ideas and fresh perspectives. Diversity also means diversity of understanding.

9. Simplification Aids Compliance

When a change is stated in a simple format whether it be a change in behaviour or the adoption of a system, it can make ensuring that the change is adopted much easier. We can then judge whether or not people are complying with a change, because there is a simple logical rule to follow. When adoption of change is varied, which it usually needs to be for diversity (e.g. For this group do ‘x’ and that group do ‘y’ unless someone wants ‘z’.) it can make it much more challenging to understand whether people are adopting the change.

When implementing a change making it simple creates a significant advantage in knowing whether the required change is being implemented. But for initiatives that address diversity, it can be hard to know what extent it is being followed.

10. Simplification Aids Measurement & Reporting

A simply stated set of changes makes reporting much simpler. It allows for the creation of KPIs and reports that can be used organisation wide. It open the opportunity to create feedback loops. The feedback loops help amplify the change, identifying where it has been successfully adopted or where there is areas for improvement.?

It is an important part of the process of helping build confidence in senior decision makers, as well as targeting resources and additional support where needed.

Measuring Impact on Diversity is Particularly Challenging.

Applying KPI’s to measures of diversity can often be really challenging. It can be difficult to identify different groups, some diverse groups can be very small making it very difficult to measure, especially when you drill down.

The whole concept of BAME: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic came because the statistical demand to measure the difference between BAME and non-BAME for reporting. But in reality Minority Ethnic people can be almost anything. Many of these groups actually have nothing in common and some minorities can do significantly better than the non-BAME population. Diversity is not an easy thing to measure and that certainly hinders work in this area.

Organisational Bias Towards Simple Changes.

All these factors taken together means that there is an enormous pressure to keep changes simple especially for decision makers ‘at the top’ and in large organisations. This means that many ideas and problems with diversity never make it through, because of the complexity of understanding them. Or what does get approved gets mangled into a one size fits all solution. What’s most often left is the ‘big idea’ that rides over the top of everything or simple changes that are supposed to fix a multitude of problems with little understood impact on diverse groups of staff or services users.

Simple Solutions Are Not Bad

Simple solutions can be great. Many of the reasons organisations prefer simple solutions are real benefits. We absolutely do want to use simple solutions, when it is appropriate to do so. The point of this article is that when diversity is forced into a simple solution, it all too often loses it’s value.

Diversity Is An Opportunity to Create a Better Tomorrow.

Too often diversity is seen as a problem to be solved. Or something to be fixed. The reality of many organisations is that whilst there is an understandable drive towards simple solutions. The fact is that there are no simple fixes or solutions to diversity. But that is a good thing.

Diversity provides the opportunity to utile the knowledge and expertise of staff and services users to bring new knowledge and insight into your organisation. It helps you adapt and keep up with the modern world that’s constantly changing. Diversity is not an additional aspect of your business, by better matching your decision making and services to real people it has the power to create new potential in your organisation to fit people as they exist in the real world and better meet their needs.

Conclusion

The drive for simple solutions is so strong, it creates a strong organisational bias that overrides groups and often the leaders themselves. This creates organisational blindspots where diversity is not properly recognised or considered. The best solutions are often not considered purely because of the complexity of doing so. The fact is that humans are messy and rarely logical, meaning that simple solutions to diversity often do not work.

If you would like to understand how you can create organisational change for diversity that works alongside the organisational desire for simple clear decisions please visit the blog this article is extracted from on my website.

Please follow and contact me if you want to learn how you would like help create new paths for change to encourage diversity to flourish in your organisation.