To start with basics – the meaning of unconscious is “done or existing without one realizing” and that of bias is “inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair”. The fact remains that unconscious bias is automatic and unintentional, and it can have a huge impact, both on people and organisations.
The mind conjures up thoughts faster than we speak or hear. Only a fraction of the information around us is captured by our mind and of that only a fraction is processed – so a lot of our decision is influenced by the unconscious part of the mind. Our conscious mind is very small compared to the unconscious part of it. This unconscious part affects what we think and the way we behave.
Our life experiences leave their footprint on our mind and so do the deep-rooted belief systems, our background, ethnicity, religious beliefs, childhood, environment, all have an impact on our belief system. Therefore, a good place to start is by recognising that we all have biases, be it in varying degrees. Our background, cultural context, societal stereotypes and personal experiences all help in forming these biases. Harvard University has developed the Implicit Association Test to help people identify their biases.
To simplify the neuroscience behind this, we need to understand that the brain categorises people as part of its “in-group”/ “like me”/ “friend” or “out-group”/ “different”/ “foe”. It was an evolutionary advantage to be vary of the perceived out-group for our own safety, but this can be an issue in the modern world, especially in the workplace. As a species, homo sapiens have outgrown the prehistoric survival issue, but our brains are still wired in the flight/fight mode.
There are different biases – gender, affinity, halo, confirmation etc the list could be endless and post Covid, people are now worried about “presence” bias – i.e., the remote versus the office workers. When unconscious bias creeps into the workplace, employee morale gets eroded and diversity suffers, and we cannot leverage the benefits that we know diversity brings to teams. Such bias can influence recruitment, retention, performance management, promotion and the allocation of work assignments.
For the workplace to be inclusive and harmonious and the companies to prosper and grow, it has become important to tackle such unconscious bias, be it at work or outside it. So, while the bad news is that the brain is structured to very quickly and unconsciously define the newly encountered person as a friend or foe, the good news is that the brain also has the plasticity to restructure and change a person’s behaviour which can come about when we work in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Some key steps to tackle this issue:
- Recognise – Unconscious bias is prevalent in some degree in all of us, the first step to tackle this is to accept this fact. It’s neither good nor bad, it is just there and once we accept it we can work on it and make sure that it does not negatively impact our behaviour or actions.
- Build awareness – once you are aware of it, start talking about it within your teams, colleagues, friends and start building awareness. It is noticed that companies which have unconscious bias trainings, see reduction in such incidents. Champion the change.
- Pause – Rather than let our flight/fight mode brain take over, if we pause and react, thus letting our conscious and logical mind come into play, our reaction would be more measured and constructive.
- Listen and don’t assume – Refrain from drawing up a stereotypical image when you first meet a person and listen to them to get a full view of their issues and circumstances before jumping in with your own conclusions which might be miles away from reality.
- Widen your social circle – Meeting and interacting with diverse people gives you a wider perspective of cultures, behaviours, thought processes which in the long run help you grow as an individual.