The discussion about unconscious or implicit bias is not new. Most workplaces have been offering training on this matter and hoping that this would help make them more inclusive and diverse. However, most of these training sessions and the discussion so far have focused a lot on what biases are and how one can identify their biases. Little has been discussed on what to do with your biases and why it matters. No longer is it enough to be aware of your biases, but we need to take action to break through these. We refer to this as becoming Anti-Bias.

What are Biases?

Biases are the associations that a person makes between different qualities, characteristics, and social groups and they are judgements activated involuntarily without conscious awareness. Throughout human evolution, these associations and judgements have been important for recognising danger quickly and being able to survive. Now, biases can be formed by stereotypes and social expectations and can have a negative impact on our decision-making and our behaviour towards people with certain characteristics or belonging to specific groups.

On a good day our biases can limit our interactions and experiences with others, on a bad day they can present as discriminatory and go against the Equalities Act 2010. This can ultimately leave us open for grievances to be raised against us.

We all have biases, but we do not all have the same biases. Just this information can prove how biases can be learned and unlearned and how they are influenced by each individual’s personal experiences and beliefs, values and perceptions, by the people they are surrounded by, the media they follow, and more.

Taking the First Step

The first step to challenge your biases is to accept that you (and everyone) have them. Then you should start your journey by identifying your biases, understanding where they come from, the impact they have on you and other people, and then you need to take action.

This is a process of self-reflecting, challenging and understanding yourself. It is like putting a mirror in front of you and questioning who you really are, and committing to who you want to be.  You need to be open to the battle between the things you know and accept (“this is how things are”) versus what you can do to make things better for everyone (“this is how things should be”).

There are various tools and methods you can use for this process but none of this can work if you do not put in the effort and make challenging your biases a habit.  It is important that during this process you should not feel guilty as you go along and discover your biases; although these feelings should encourage you to continue your anti-bias journey.

What are Microagressions?

Of course, you are not alone in this. Everyone should be on the same journey for the purpose of achieving an inclusive workplace environment, but there are people who do not want to accept that they have biases, or do not want to challenge them which can lead to exclusionary, offensive, and discriminatory behaviours, that quite often manifest in the form of microaggressions.

Dr Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as “the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership” (Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation, 2010).

Becoming an Ally

In the workplace, microaggressions can have a negative impact on people’s daily work life and performance, as well as on team dynamics. In such cases, everyone has the opportunity to challenge others’ biases and microaggressions when they occur, to prevent the perpetuation and tolerance of such behaviours. This can be a challenging task but if you take the right approach, it can hopefully lead to a change of others’ mindsets and behaviours, and to a more inclusive environment for all.

Our masterclass on Allyship helps you to learn the skills to map out your approach in helping to minimise the damaging effect biases can have on people’s feelings about inclusion at work.  Get in touch to find out more.