Transcript Introduction to unconscious bias workshop 14.4.15

The Employers Network for Equality &
Inclusion
Managing Unconscious Bias within the workplace
Warwickshire County Council
Tuesday 14th April 2015
Peter Hall
No Bystanders
Stonewall – No bystanders – video
What is unconscious bias?
“Unconscious biases are our unintentional
people preferences….
The nature of bias: The process of fast
and slow thinking
“The mental work that
produces impressions,
intuitions, and many
decisions goes on in silence
in our mind”.
Daniel Kahneman:
Thinking, fast and slow.
(2011)
The idea of two systems
Fast thinking – System 1
Slow Thinking – System 2
 Automatic and quick
 Effort & concentration
 Little or no effort
 Thought process
disrupted
 Actions are involuntarily
 Controls thoughts and
 Effortless impressions
monitors behaviour
Impulsive and intuitive
 Is lazy. (Thoughts and
 Jumps to conclusions
actions are guided by
 Cannot be turned off at
System 1).
will
Consider this puzzle:
A bat and ball cost £1.10
The bat costs one pound more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?



The correct answer is 5 pence!
This is an example of how fast thinking results in
cognitive errors or bias judgements.
People find cognitive effort at least mildly
unpleasant and thus tend to avoid it as much as
possible. Overriding fast thinking is hard work. It
demands effort!
Consider this puzzle:

In a lake, there is a patch
of lily pads. Every day, the
patch doubles in size. If it
takes 48 days for the
patch to cover the entire
lake, how long would it
take for the patch to
cover half of the lake?
_____days
The essential nature of bias



Human beings are ‘hard-wired’ to make intuitive
decisions about other people.
We do this through a process of rapid
categorisation that is both natural and necessary.
Acts as an unconscious ‘danger detector’, (Joseph
LeDoux).
Why do we love tall men?

The heads of big
companies are virtually
all tall (On average
CEOs were just a shade
under six feet)
Size ..
‘Overweight women are more likely to be
discriminated against when applying for jobs and
receive lower start salaries than their non overweight
colleagues’.
Aeron Haworth- Media Relation Faculty of Medical &
Human Sciences . University of Manchester
Fast thinking



Affects our attitudes, behaviours and decisions that impact
other people.
Leads to distinctive patterns of individual and
organisational biases.
Result from our implicit associations which are supported
by the processes of social categorisation and group
stereotyping.
Key points:


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System 2 – are often associated with choice, and
concentration.
However it is System 1, the home of our intuitive
judgements (our implicit associations and biases) that
really guides our attitudes, beliefs, behaviours.
Having an understanding of the working of fast thinking,
of rapid categorisation will help to us to fully appreciate
the nature of bias, stereotyping, prejudice and
discrimination.
Implicitly ® work based data
(Abrams & Houston 2006) Jones, P 2005 Implicitly 3000
The impact of Affinity Bias at work
Individuals and groups gravitate to people like them…
Commonality /
Likeability
Trust
Competence
•
•
•
Recruit in our own
likeness
Listen to people like us
Value the opinions of
people like us
Consider Impact
•
•
•
•
•
Who are we including & excluding?
Who are we encouraging and praising?
Whose contributions are we likely to recognise?
Whose mistakes are we likely to notice?
Is there anyone whose contributions we may
sometimes overlook?
Top Tips
Tip
Example
Accept we are all biased; learn to
mistrust your first impressions
Apply the two second rule.
Be curious: actively seek out and
value different perspectives
Team meetings and general discussions
Treat people as individuals:
Don’t be anxious about having conversations
about difference
Widen your networks
Sponsor/Mentor someone who is less like you –
Be open to people who are less like you
Avoid reinforcing biases
• Avoid and challenge the ‘banter’,
• Change your newspaper
• Challenge negative assumptions
Top Tips
Tip
Example
Recruitment
• Remove names from CVs
• Fair and objective scoring system
• Don’t interview on a Friday afternoon
Use exemplars and role models
Actively remember leaders from the group and
their positive contribution
Manage your stress levels
• Take regular breaks
• Avoid making people decisions when
competing work priorities
We don’t see things as they are.
We see things as we are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5s_-Nl3JE&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
One last puzzle ..
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes
to make 5 widgets, how long
would it take 100 machines to
make 100 widgets?
Contact me:
Peter Hall
Member Enagagement Manager
Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion
Tel: 0207 922 7792
Mobile: 07885976450
E-mail: [email protected]
#enei/ PeterMHall
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