Biases About Work, When You Work and Where You Work: Part One

I am often asked to speak about the future of work. Truth – no one has a clue what the future will be or what it will look like. We can make best guesses, assumptions, and predictions, but the reality is that the future will always be a mystery until it becomes the present. And once it becomes the present, it isn’t the future anymore! The future is meant to be elusive. What I can speak of when asked about the future is patterns and trends in behaviour. And something that I am seeing now that could impact the future if we stay the course, is biased. I appreciate there is so much-needed discussion about biases as it relates to equity, inclusion, and diversity (EDI). These EDI conversations are needed, and amazing work is being done in these areas. The bias factor as it relates to our conversation here is about work biases. We all have our own biases; it is human nature. In fact, bias helps keep us safe and acts as a tool to detect differences and potential dangers. However, it can become overactive. We each have biases about how work is supposed to be done and what a “good employee” looks like. The past two years have transformed the way many organizations can accomplish their work and you may find yourself questioning others’ ways of working now that they may be very different from your own (ie. Work on-site vs. work from home).?

One extreme bias ?

“People in the office are less productive. There are so many interruptions. Most of them are there to socialize. When I work from home, I can work without being interrupted and prioritize better. I can go for a walk or sit at my desk and doodle to work out a problem without anyone questioning my productivity. I actually end up working more hours when I work from home because I’ll sit down in the evening when something comes to mind.”\?

Another extreme bias?

“People who want to keep working remotely are hard to connect with and sometimes I think they’re lazy. Sometimes I wonder how much people are actually working when they’re at home. I can’t problem solve with someone virtually as well as I can dropping into their office. The most dedicated employees are the ones who show up on site every day.”?

The reality is that we are all different. We learn, work, collaborate, and find inspiration in different ways. Not only that, we feel productive, creative, and safe in different environments. While some individuals flourish with a 9-5 schedule in the office, some would rather work 7-3 or 12-8, while others still may be interested in working from 7-11 and then again from 2-6. Regardless of what pattern of work is utilized, biases will be present, and we need to shine a light on what usually lives in the dark. In my training with leaders, we explore this idea called ‘shadow culture. Shadow culture is the undercurrent or subversive operations of a company. It is how the work gets done. It is made from all the unspoken rules, expectations, standards, and biases. For example, the company promotes the messaging of well-being, yet asking for a day off is exceedingly difficult. People who work through their lunch hour are perceived as being more dedicated and hard working. Employees who answer emails on their days off or at all hours of the day are more diligent. People who come to work sick are troopers! Now shadow cultures do not have to be inherently bad. There may be an unwritten rule that when a new teacher comes in, you share your resources. Or you take the new person out to lunch, or you cover for one another if someone is running late. The big idea is that there is both a formal and informal way of doing our work. Keeping our biases in check and recognizing shadow culture tendencies are key indicators for productive and safe workplaces.?

Watch for part two of this article, I will share examples of biases emerging as well as a tool to help with navigating difficult conversations around returning to premises. ?