Breaking the Chains of Unconscious Bias

Forbes claims that, in contrast to the 40 pieces of information that are processed consciously, the human brain processes 11 million pieces of information per second. In light of the fact that a sizable portion of decisions are processed and arrived at subconsciously, it is crucial for organizations to educate their workforce about the risks connected with this in order to create and uphold a truly inclusive and high-performing culture.?

Our upbringing, experiences in life, and cultural beliefs all have an impact on the decisions we make. The capacity of the human brain to employ these experiences as shortcuts has evolved over time, allowing us to traverse the enormous amount of information to which we are constantly exposed. Although this cognitive function can be very beneficial, it frequently causes people to make rash conclusions that are frequently incorrect or poorly reasoned.?

Preconceived ideas that affect decisions or behavior in the workplace even when people affected are unaware of it are known as unconscious bias. It's an instinctive form of bias that can be based on a variety of viewpoints on things like color, age, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. Unconscious bias can be particularly difficult to deal with because people who exhibit it frequently believe they are performing appropriately and may not have had their beliefs questioned previously.?

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Overcoming Unconscious Bias and Promoting Diversity?

Because implicit biases are unconscious by nature and may be challenging to recognize and accept, they can be challenging to address. Promoting a culture of respect for diversity, however, encourages the expression of varied ideas, which increases creativity and innovation. This is crucial for the workplace as well as for how companies respond to client needs and, ultimately, for building their brand.?

Take into account the following to reduce unconscious bias in the workplace:?

• Inform teams about different forms of unconscious bias and the dangers of permitting such behavior to become the norm.?
• Check for unconscious bias in each other and challenge statements or remarks about cultural or gender stereotypes.?
• Check the reasoning behind a decision to see if all the facts were taken into account or if biases crept in.?
• Slow down decision-making on purpose to lessen the chance of making a rash choice.?
• Invest in establishing a diversity and inclusion committee to create and uphold procedures and enforce cultural norms that are consistent with the organization's diversity goals.?

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Organizations should concentrate on developing diverse workplaces for a variety of reasons, including improved employee retention rates and more innovation. To ensure that your diversity program is more than just a platitude and that you make progress toward creating a diverse staff, set achievable and impactful diversity and inclusion targets.?

Strengthscape’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Champion Certification aims to enable those who lead DEI initiatives to lead by example and foster a culture of inclusion at work. The program is personalized to meet the needs of a global workforce and delivered by industry experts. Our certification uses a fine balance of conceptual clarity, insights from neuroscience and industry trends, peer learning, relatable real-time examples, case studies, and individual and group practice sessions to explain course content.?

To incorporate diversity and inclusion into your organization’s culture and enhance the effectiveness of your workforce, connect with us at https://bit.ly/div-in??

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