What Implicit Bias Isn't?

We just had two great weeks (10 different 8 hour sessions) of completely interactive training with the Joliet Police Department in Joliet, IL where we taught the entire department about implicit bias. While almost everyone attending the training did not necessarily want to be there (They were all "volun-told" to attend), they were kind enough to give me a chance and the evaluations were terrific. Turns out, people can be surprised by what they learn....especially if exercises draw out biases to which they were unaware.

As we discussed implicit bias, though, there were a few common misconceptions that people associate with implicit bias. Therefore, please understand the following:

• Implicit bias does not equate to racism (Hence, if you show implicit bias; you are a racist). Racism can be a component of implicit bias, but while it is a nefarious and dangerous bias, it is not the only bias that affects you and your thinking.
• Going through implicit bias training does not remove your implicit biases. A good implicit bias training starts you thinking not only about yourself, but also how you filter the world around you. If you truly want to remove some of your implicit biases, you have to commit to thinking differently and trying to generate as many different perspectives as possible as you seek gradual change of the natural stereotypes you have developed over your lifetime.
• Since implicit bias is in everyone, it doesn't really affect my organization. This statement couldn't be further from the truth. Not only do these unconscious biases affect team harmony, but they also stifle creative thinking, innovation, and profits. People in an organization who perceive that implicit bias is not being addressed are also more likely to seek other employment.

Can your organization afford to ignore the impacts of implicit bias?

Since retiring from the FBI as a leadership and ethics instructor at the FBI National Academy, Bret has won numerous awards as a public speaker often rated as one of the top speakers at hundreds of conferences. What separates Bret's classes from other instructors is how Bret integrates the participant's experiences with dynamic learning that is completely interactive. Bret follows the "show and don't tell" teaching style so that participants can not only learn new concepts, but also mold the learning into actionable changes that improve their ability to interact with internal and external stakeholders. Here is what one person had to say about Bret's implicit bias class, "This was a class that I dreaded attending. No one wants to hear they are biased, but from the start of the course, Bret was able to make everyone comfortable by getting people to engage in difficult conversations without feeling guilty about expressing their views and opinions. By the time I left the course, I had learned so much different things about how I view myself and others. It was one of the best courses I have ever taken."

With a number of public and private sector entities already booking this course, contact Bret before his schedule fills up so that you, your colleagues, and your followers can benefit from better understanding yourself as well as the people around you!

Bret is a founding partner in 21st Century Learning & Consulting, LLC, a group that offers leadership, ethics, interviewing, diversity, & financial crimes training, investigative consulting and expert witness services. Bret is also the author of the critically acclaimed leadership books, Eat More Ice Cream! A Succinct Leadership Lesson for Each Week of the Year, and Get Off Your Horse: Fifty-Two Succinct Leadership Lessons from U.S. Presidents, available at www.amazon.com.