Breaking the Bias

Throughout Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating this year’s International Women's Day theme: #BreakTheBias. As we work towards a more gender-equal world, it’s important to consider how male allies can uplift women and make gender equality a reality. Individually, we're responsible for our own thoughts and actions. Together, we can form new perspectives and learnings on workplace roles, work-life balance, and personal and domestic needs, that don't factor in gender stereotypes.

?I recently participated in an internal Q&A session around International Women's Day and Women's History Month and wanted to share my perspective on how we can continue to #BreakTheBias.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is #BreakTheBias. We can break the bias in our communities. We can break the bias in our workplaces. How are you helping to break the bias?

TD has a long history of promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the communities that we operate in. Sharing information about different issues and groups is an important step in the process of removing barriers and overcoming biases. If we bring an open mind into the process, we are better able to understand the challenges facing different groups today, including women. Taking the time to engage and understand the issues makes us better able to work towards addressing the challenges facing our partners and clients. TDS provides numerous opportunities to learn about different communities that face challenges associated with biases that exist in the world today. Unfortunately, they also exist at our firm, so we have further work in this regard. I encourage everyone to take the time to join in the discussion with an open mind and challenge themselves to make a tangible impact in overcoming their own biases.

To have biases is to be human. Being aware of your biases can help you be a more inclusive and equitable person. What’s the most helpful advice you’ve ever received on recognizing, and working through, your own personal biases?

About 10 years ago my mentor challenged me to break out of my shell and open up to more people and areas within the firm. To be fair, at the time this was more about broadening my knowledge base and expanding my network. However, since that time I've continued on the journey meeting as many people as I can regardless of their seniority or potential business opportunities. Invariably, if you are willing to give some time with the expectation of simply making a connection, you will get exposure to the diverse groups of people that make up our society. I personally enjoy learning a little bit about people's background and journeys. Through this process and dialogue, it becomes clear that there are many different experiences and paths that can lead to success regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. That said, we need to recognize it's not always a level playing field.

Two years in, the global pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women compared to men; some examples include the increased burden of caregiving and housework and reduced access to support services. How can we continue to break down biases to support women through these unprecedented times?

Despite the numerous challenges and tragedies associated with the Global pandemic, there have been some "silver linings". I've personally very much enjoyed spending a little more time at home with my wife Shannon and our two sons. (Maybe Shannon and I have enjoyed it more than the kids...I digress!) From a work perspective, we have proven to be able to function and succeed from many different locations. While I continue to believe we are in a "People" business and benefit from in-person engagement, we have proven that flex works. One of the ways I feel we can support women, and others in need, is to explore offering flexibility around the way we work. I encourage our People Managers to have an open mind, engage with their teams, and try to address the need if it arises. We know that women must often take on more responsibilities for childcare, especially those with young children, in addition to work commitments. Addressing this specific need will be a critical factor in achieving our goals as it relates to Women in Leadership.

The spotlight is firmly aimed on breaking the bias this International Women's Day and throughout Women's History Month, but it's important for each of us to acknowledge, understand and commit to addressing our biases and pushing for equality every day. Our collective and consistent efforts are what's going to shift the narrative and move us closer to an ideal state.