How to Not Suck at Unconscious Bias Training

So your company decided to jump on the unconscious bias training bandwagon. Maybe this is your company’s first major milestone towards creating a more inclusive and aware workforce. Super exciting!

But wait, did you know doing an unconscious bias training can actually backfire and have a negative effect? Wtf, right?!

You didn’t just spend months convincing your boss to invest in diversity and inclusion education just to have it fall flat on its face and create more problems!

6 Common Reasons Why Unconscious Bias Training Can Backfire

1. The Nay-Sayer Problem

When Unconscious Bias Training is made compulsory without proper messaging or executive sponsorship, some people might feel forced to attend and become resentful. These salty people may end up clouding the entire training with their resentful attitude and push-backs.

Think people with their arms crossed, leaning back, rolling their eyes, asking combative “devil’s advocate” questions from the back of the room. #ugh. This attitude can make learning difficult for everyone, and the negativity can spill onto others in and outside of the training session. Remember, cynicism is contagious.

2. Normalizing Bias

Many workshops fail to educate people on the harmful effects of unconscious biases. This leads to normalization of unconscious biases (“well, I guess we all have biases!”) without provoking any meaningful change in people’s behaviors.

3. Detached from Social Justice Issues

This is the most frustrating part about crappy Unconscious Bias Trainings. Too often, Unconscious Bias (and many other Diversity & Inclusion topics) is treated as some scientific / academic concept that becomes an “interesting thought exercise” detached from all the oppressions (e.g., racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, etc.) we experience in our society. In order to create real change, we need to understand Unconscious Bias as a fundamental social justice issue that gives birth to all kinds of -isms in our society, not some standalone intellectual concept that is nice-to-know.

4. Lack of Practical, Actionable Strategies

Awareness alone is not enough to create culture change. Workshops that focus solely on concepts and theories may be intellectually stimulating but without actionable recommendations, people will go back to their old habits of relying on their unconscious biases to make important decisions.

5. Boring As F*** Lectures

There’s no cure for boring lectures besides JUST NOT DOING BORING LECTURES. In the age of endless giphys and memes that make us feel whole again, why the hell would people pay attention to stuff that makes them depressed AND bored because someone is reading off text-heavy PowerPoint presentation written in Times New Roman and using way too many animated transitions!? Why?? Say no to boring lectures. We can do better.

Boring lectures make me feel like:

6. Silver Bullet Bandaid

Too many organizations think conducting a one-time Unconscious Bias training will solve all of their diversity and inclusion issues. While it may give some people the satisfaction of having “checked the box,” there is just no silver bullet for creating lasting behavior and culture change.

You need to get this right on the first try.

Unconscious Bias still seems to be the hottest topic right now and the most likely topic to get you started on your organization’s Diversity & Inclusion journey. Its universal and approachable nature (vs. talking about racism or privilege in plain terms, for example) might just be the key to opening many other doors to advance inclusion in the workplace.

There’s tremendous momentum behind rolling out Unconscious Bias Training right now and now is NOT the time for you to experiment with untested curriculum or pick vendors that do anything but knock people’s freaking socks off. Don’t set your inclusive culture building effort back another year.

Ok, now that you’ve been sufficiently warned, here are some best practices to keep in mind, whether you’re looking to build your own curriculum or hire a third party vendor (screen them as if you’re hiring a new Head of Sales).

9 Unconscious Bias Training Best Practices

1. Secure Experienced Facilitators

Having skilled facilitators is the most important when it comes to conducting any type of D&I workshops. Look for people who are knowledgeable about a broad spectrum of D&I topics and can navigate challenging questions swiftly while demonstrating both compassion and criticality.

Great facilitators know how to manage a room filled with people with varying degrees of awareness, desire, and knowledge and can create a safe(r) learning environment to encourage learning that is relevant for everyone.

2. Get to the “Why” First

Why is learning about unconscious bias important? Why should we focus on unlearning them? What happens if we don’t? Get people on the same page on the “why” so people feel emotionally and personally invested in learning.

These “why” questions are important to ask and answer even before the training session, to align everyone on the reason why you’re having the training in the first place: “Why is this important for our company? Why now?”

Being real about the material, negative impact unconscious biases can have on the workplace culture and society at large will set the stage for the rest of the session.

As a part of the “why,” acknowledge that understanding unconscious bias is a social justice issue, not just an intellectual thought exercise.

Don’t discuss unconscious bias as some isolated concept detached from what’s happening in our world today in and outside of the workplace (this is exactly why so many “Diversity & Inclusion” workshops are failing, IMHO). Like, how are you not going to talk about the Cycle of Socialization and Institutionalization of Bias (granted, you don't have to use these words to explain the concepts -- making the learning accessible is also important) when talking about Unconscious Bias? Come on, now!

Remember — at the root of all institutional injustices are unconscious biases that went unchecked.

3. Set Ground Rules

At Awaken, we always begin our workshops by setting some ground rules. We like to call them “Community Agreements.” These are a set of collective agreements we make to each other in order to make the learning environment feel safe(r), compassionate, and effective for everyone. In a way, we are modeling how we want the culture of the room to be.

Simple reminders about confidentiality, being present, or assuming positive intent can go a long way in designing a compassionate space for conversations that could potentially feel uncomfortable or risky.

4. Lecture Less, Discuss More

From experience, we know real learning happens when people share their stories, ask questions they have been too afraid to ask, or successfully navigate the inevitable tension arising from differing perspectives.

It is imperative to provide ample time to allow for these types of dialogues to happen. Lecture less. Minimize slides. Ask thought-provoking questions and guide the group through tough conversations. Provide time for self-reflection and group shares. Encourage vulnerability and make learning personal.Create the container in which personal growth can happen through discomfort.

5. Incorporate Interactive Activities and Movement

No one likes to just sit and listen to someone blab for two hours. You don’t need to do “trust falls” (watch the video, it’s hilarious) to make things interesting. Get creative! Incorporate activities that encourage physical movement (but make it accessible to all bodies) and group work. At Awaken, we love activities that incorporate role playing, fish-bowl theaters, post-its, flip charts, group work, and trust falls (just kidding).

Learning should be experiential, not didactic.

6. Provide Practical, Actionable Strategies

Don’t just talk about what unconscious bias is and where it comes from. Being mindful about our own biases is a great first step, but it’s not enough to create lasting, sustainable organizational change.

Discuss tactical strategies people can employ right away to overcome them.What are some actionable steps for individuals, teams, and companies can take to overcome and minimize the negative effects of unconscious biases? What are some potential immediate, short-term, and long-term goals we can have to make progress?

7. Manage Nay-Sayers

Depending on the company culture and how the workshop was messaged prior, you may have some nay-sayers in the room. Be prepared for determined haters who may try to derail the conversation. Understand that if you don’t manage them effectively, not only could it impact the learning experience of others, but it can also further harm people who may already be marginalized in the workplace (e.g., do you know how to respond to questions like “isn’t that reverse racism?”).

Hold detractors accountable — this is where having skilled facilitators will play a critical role. Prioritize those who want to learn, while quickly understanding what the detractors need to stay focused and engaged.

To minimize salty people, work with the exec sponsor(s) to craft the right message prior to the workshop, so people understand the importance of the session and can respect the learning space.

Some of Awaken’s favorite moments, though, have been watching initially cynical and annoyed people completely turn around and leave the workshop feeling inspired and motivated. Now that’s when you know the workshop kicked ass.

8. Agree on Next Steps and Commit to Action

Don’t just leave the workshop with some vague promise of increasing diversity and inclusion. What are people actually committing to do with the knowledge they just gained? Dedicate time to brainstorm action items as individuals, teams, or as a whole company. Make sure to take notes and follow-up with the group afterwards with reminders or progress updates.

9. Continue the Discussion

It takes time to learn. It takes practice and intentional effort to sustain behavior change. In order for the learning to stick, the dialogue must continue. Schedule recurring small discussion groups after the initial workshop to unpack, digest, and reinforce the learning.

So what now?

Whether you’re looking to develop your own internal curriculum or hire an external vendor, be thoughtful about the goals you’re trying to accomplish with Unconscious Bias training. It’s a great starting point and an awesome conversation starter. Start right — this is a great opportunity to set the right tone for the rest of your inclusion roadmap.

Want to chat about hosting an Unconscious Bias Workshop at your organization? Contact us via our website: www.visionawaken.com

Share your feedback, questions, and comments below and don’t forget to share with your network!

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About Michelle Kim

Michelle is an entrepreneur, activist, speaker, and a coach passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to create positive change. She is the Co-founder and CEO of Awaken and Owner of Michelle Kim Consulting.