Check your baggage at the door and move beyond Unconscious Bias
No matter how open-minded you consider yourself to be, you have biases. We all do. We’re humans who come with baggage, with pre-conditioning that cause us to experience the world through a lens that can distort reality.
The word “bias” doesn’t strictly refer to the “-isms” that society works to overcome: racism, sexism, ageism and more. Bias also refers predispositions, often unconscious ones, which can hamper your effectiveness and your ability to relate to others.
In your work environment, maybe you’re biased about some job functions (“sales people make me crazy!”) or personas (“he’s introverted, so he must…”) or skills (“I can’t relate to technical people”).
These unconscious biases are a form of self-protection. They serve as internal guidance systems to make sense of the unfamiliar, to make you more comfortable with unknowns. But biases get in your way. They distort situations; make you more reactive, less open to what is actually occurring.
Salespeople make you crazy? Then you might not take in the valuable customer insight they have to offer on your new product idea. So how do you get these preconceptions out of your way?
If you can make an unconscious bias a conscious one, you’ve started to overcome it. Acknowledging the bias helps you predict how you might react—and then you can choose how to behave. You can look beyond your biased lens to the bigger picture and choose to respond accordingly.
Let’s say you often find yourself getting aggravated in meetings with higher-ups in the company. Let’s also say they’re reasonable, capable leaders who haven’t earned your aggravation. Perhaps you have an unconscious bias against authority figures. (Yes, this might go back to a domineering parent, the coach who kept you on the sidelines, or a series of bad bosses.)
How does your unconscious bias against authority figures get in your way? In addition to pre-meeting dread, you might resist their advice and miss valuable input. You might miss the opportunity to learn from people with more experience. You might be perceived as unreceptive or inflexible, not leadership material.
Now, suspecting you have a bias toward authority figures, how can you choose to handle the meeting? “OK, I have a grudge against authority figures. But what can I learn from them? How can they assist me in what I’m trying to achieve? ” Be open to the possibility that they’re people who truly want to support you.
The key is to acknowledge the bias, recognize that your lens may be flawed, then look beyond to the bigger goal. Choose how you will behave and react. Go into the situation with imagination, open to the possibilities. Then, look for the next unconscious bias to conquer.