Unconscious Bias: Life Choices & Their Impact on the Workplace
Posted on September 14, 2019 by Gina DeRosa, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Career Coach Gina DeRosa shares some editorial thoughts on unconscious bias about life choices and how this impacts employment prospects.
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey
When I was in college, my friend Kate wrote a Sociology paper on the subject of bias and stereotypes. She used me as an example of someone who could be perceived by strangers as an immature, unintelligent, non-contributing member of society – all because I had my lip pierced at the time. She wrote so kindly in her paper about how, despite my facial bling, I was the opposite of all of those negative labels and assumptions.
When I was wrapping up sophomore year, I faced (pun?) a difficult decision between standing up for what I believed in or getting an internship, because that was the dichotomous nature of society at the time. I don’t think society has come very far from that way of thinking, but it has improved a bit, thanks to advocacy blasts on social media as well as progressive, non-traditional employers.
I took out my lip ring and moved to Kansas City, MO for the summer to intern at a cool organization in the human services field (well, cool despite the fact that they did not allow facial piercings). I chose the internship because at that point in my life I placed a higher value on my career than I did on keeping a rad piercing, though I certainly struggled with giving up on my own principles to then reinforce the stereotypes about people with body art.
Fast forward to three years later, when I decided to get my first tattoo. Having learned a bit more about how to integrate my unique self into The Workplace, I compromised with a “tasteful” tattoo on my left wrist.
In all of the years since then, the only employer that made me cover up my tattoo was The Disney Store, where I worked a part-time retail job during the winter holidays one year. I was the only person in the store made to wear a long-sleeved shirt AND I was instructed to cover up the tattoo with a bandage. Nevertheless, as my friend Jack would say, “I was young and I needed the money.” Obviously, I made the choice to work there, and again, placed a higher value on employment than my own principles. (Also, I tend to get cold easily, so the long-sleeved shirt was actually a bonus!)
Clearly, I was going to damage children’s lives by reaching for stuffed Mickeys and sparkly princess dresses if I didn’t conceal my bad-to-the-bone tattoo….of my initials.
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I am keenly aware that I do not meet the criteria for any protected class, so the experiences I shared above are but feathery examples of unconscious bias, and my heart goes out to everyone who has faced classic discrimination and prejudice because of their personal attributes. That said, we should never minimize our own experiences given the impact they have on our lives; it’s all relative, as I discussed in my blog post about apologizing at work.
Unconscious bias/confirmation bias have become buzzwords in the past dozen years, leading to astronomical sales of computer-based trainings and academic workshops, pledges for CEOs to sign, and all sorts of other resources that many people and organizations have promoted. I’m not completely cynical to think that many people have not benefited from such; however, the true experts in unconscious bias are those who have been subject to negative, differential treatment as a result of it, and I personally would much rather hire them to facilitate a workshop that involves deep dialogue on the subject.
Employers:
Keep it real, because when it looks like you’re just “checking a box,” the core message and lasting impact get lost, and your company is not better for it fiscally or otherwise.
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Unconscious bias seems to be a symptom of lack of self-awareness, specifically how our brains have learned to compartmentalize the vast amount of information that we encounter in this complex world. Perhaps this stems from deeper insecurities and vulnerabilities, with which we operate as a way to cope with the struggles of accepting our own selves for who we are and finding the places where we feel like we belong.
As a result, we act disingenuously, either outright brute or simply reserved. When we are unable or unwilling to BE our true, best selves, we lose the ability or willingness to ACCEPT others for who they are. And if they are acting disingenuously, too? Then it’s time for a reset, and I encourage you to be the one to lead by example.
#buzzwords #unconsciousbias #leadbyexample #seeGseeYou
