Beating Bias: Training Alone May Be Futile
Our social landscape is in flux. Many revelations about inequity and inequality in our world, nation, states, cities, municipalities, and workplaces are now center stage. Implicit bias, subconscious attitudes that impact how we view and treat those we consider different, is of chief concern. The response by government and organizations has been to train employees to do better. Measuring the results of this “doing” is at best poorly defined and at worst non-existent. Population health scientist, Dr. Tiffany L. Green, cites, “It’s much easier for organizations to offer an implicit bias training than to take a long, hard look and overhaul the way they operate.”
Unconscious (Implicit) Bias
The brain is bombarded with external information. To keep pace, it does not treat every piece of data equally. Unconscious mental shortcuts are formed to increase efficiency and safety, guided by previous life experiences and cultural values/beliefs. This thought process is helpful in instances when we are in danger. For example, because we associate the smell of smoke with fire, we escape a burning building before being harmed. However, this same useful function can lead to snap decisions in the workplace that have a negative impact on recruitment and hiring practices because the people (brains) in charge of these tasks unconsciously choose candidates that are thought to have characteristics similar to their own. These automatic subscripts play a significant role in the lack of diversity in the workplace. (Click HERE to learn more about unconscious (implicit) bias resources.)
Education/Training
Do education and training reduce the effects of bias in the workplace? Some research returned an unexpected null or negative impact. In a 2019 meta-analysis involving over 490 studies and 80,000 people, psychologist Patrick Forscher and his team found that education/training did not change biased behaviors. Another study found that, in some instances, bias education/training reinforced people’s beliefs and sometimes caused them to formulate rationales for their behaviors. Pamela Fuller, co-author of The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias: How to Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams, says one of the unintentional consequences of unconscious bias training is that it may cause some to feel comfortable about their biases, explaining them away as inevitable. “To be human is to have bias. But so much training ends there,” she says.
Beyond Education/Training
Social neuroscience explores the biology of how humans relate to each other. Neuroscientists believe that if we could interrupt the neuronal pathway to bias, leaders and managers might better mitigate its adverse impacts on their employees and business decisions in real-time. The Neuroleaderhip Institute created a promising model for experiential learning versus education/training alone. Their SEED framework can be used to derail unconscious bias behaviors during daily organizational operations. Having studied and organized over 150 types of biases into five broad categories, their researchers recommend and describe critical organizational interventions. Neuroscience-based recommendations follow.
Similarity bias (affinity bias) occurs when we treat people more favorably because they are like us or others within our “tribe.” Similarities can include any shared commonality such as gender, race, culture, ethnicity, appearance, education, career, etc.
Most likely occurrence: hiring, promoting, assignments
Example: A manager who hires a candidate who reminds them of themselves.
SEED Recommendation: “Overcoming a similarity bias requires actively finding common ground with people who appear different.”
Expedience bias occurs because our brains enjoy certainty. This bias can happen because of a preference for acting quickly rather than taking the time for clarity or understanding, which may take longer to reach a conclusion—or certainty. This often leads to rushed judgments without conclusive data.
Most likely occurrence: application or resume analysis and performance reviews
Example: A hiring manager refuses to interview a candidate based on a negative score on a pre-employment personality test.
SEED Recommendation: “Take more time to gather a wider array of information (additional opinions or data sources).”
领英推荐
No one comes to a job as a blank slate. Even students have educational experiences. For employees with longevity, experience bias can be the most troublesome as they may begin to assume their way of doing things is the rule by which they should measure others. Of course, this is the enemy of effective collaboration and positive team dynamics, as each member may have valuable insight and contributions.
Most likely occurrence: project management and team interactions
Example: A leader tells her team about a plan she has to complete a new project based on how she accomplished things in the past. The meeting is immediately dismissed after she closes by giving team members their “marching orders.”
SEED Recommendation: “To escape the bias, we need to build systems for others to check our thinking, share their perspectives, and help us reframe the situation at hand.”
Working remotely is now the new norm. However, in the current climate, being offsite may be like the old adage “out of sight, out of mind.” This failure to elicit input from our remote colleagues is termed distance bias, as we are most likely to favor those in closest proximity, no matter the domain, i.e., place, physical space, time, etc. Developing a culture resistant to distance bias is imperative in remote scenarios. Inclusivity is key.
Most likely occurrence: virtual meetings/events and conference calls
Example: A manager rarely elicits feedback from team members outside the country during Zoom meetings.
SEED Recommendation: “We can mitigate distance biases with systems that acknowledge important figures outside our immediate proximity, such as by calling on remote colleagues first in a meeting before discussing with the room.”
The brain’s threat-detecting network is sensitive to danger and loss. Consequently, our brain assigns greater weight or value to avoiding potential losses rather than acquiring gains. However, safety bias must be overcome to take risks and have the courage to increase innovations or expand visions. Safety biases cripple decision-making and deter healthy forms of risk-taking.
Most likely occurrence: brainstorming sessions, new product/service development, and investment opportunities
Example: A leader stifles team innovations because of fear of cost and product failure.
SEED Recommendation: “One way we can mitigate the bias is by getting some distance between us and the decision—such as by imagining a past self already having made the choice successfully—to weaken the perception of loss.”
Conclusion
Neuroscientists warn that bias cannot be trained out of individuals nor mitigated alone. It requires both education and experiential learning, which includes recognition by institutions that bias is afoot at all times and organizational interventions are needed to intercede daily.
Author: Joann Wortham, RN, MSN, JD, is a senior risk consultant and workplace culture expert.
Passionate about Healthcare Quality
2 年I agree 100%! Training is ineffective if leaders are not held accountable for having these biases themselves. People need to walk the talk so their teams will believe that they mean what they say.
Chief Patient Experience Officer, UCLA Health System
2 年As always, your thoughts are clear, actionable and a roadmap for good change. I value the trust that allows us to check each other, challenge each other and love each other. And, I'm very happy to be on this sequence of my life journey with you.
Risk/Litigation Management Director at UCLA Health System
2 年Wonderfully written and very informative article Joann!!!