Attack Bias

Teams that see diversity as a lever to drive innovation have been proven to be more successful. So convening diverse perspectives should be at the top of every innovative leader’s agenda.

What stands in the way of harvesting the potential of a diverse set of collaborators?

Bias.

Bias is defined as “partiality that prevents objective or alternative consideration of an issue or situation,” which is to say, it’s hard to imagine a more dangerous threat to the innovation potential of a team than unconscious bias.

How can a leader create an environment that’s hostile to bias, and one that cultivates the emergence of new perspectives, connections, and ideas? In short, you’ve got to attack it head on. I had the privilege of learning from Trier Bryant, an expert in this space.

Trier is the former CEO of Just Work, seeking to equip professionals with tools to address workplace injustice. She spoke candidly about experiences she has had serving as a leader in sectors ranging from tech, to financial services, to the military. She shared a simple framework for disrupting bias, which is to say, a framework for preserving the diversity of perspectives that are so instrumental to the formation of new ideas:

Shared vocabulary. Leaders who want to disrupt the biases which threaten their teams need to establish some universally acknowledged way of identifying bias, and calling it when you see it. Some teams “throw a flag,” or put up a peace sign, or say “stop light.” The Just Work team waives a “purple flag.” Whatever you do, creating a shared vocabulary — where everyone knows what words to use, and what those words signify — is the first step to disrupting bias.

Shared norms. Once a flag gets thrown, or waived, there should be a simple protocol for what happens next. The goal of putting up a stop light is not to call someone out, but to call someone in. A simple “Thank you” got modeled in our session, and I found it incredibly sufficient in acknowledging the call-in while averting defensiveness.

Shared commitment. At the end of a meeting, take stock of any bias that was noted. This is especially important if no flags got thrown, as a commitment to review bias normalizes the conversation, and reinforces the goal of being proactive about disrupting it.

The only way to address bias is to attack it head on.

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