Unconscious Bias

Unconscious or implicit bias is pervasive and universal- everyone has some form of unconscious bias. Unconscious bias may not result in overt or deliberate action, but it still informs decision-making processes and behaviors. Though the actions resulting from it may be small, the impacts to inclusiveness and fairness may still be large. The impact from unconscious bias can be a barrier to organizational effectiveness.

This course is designed to illustrate biases that an individual may hold and how those may influence their behavior and attitudes, and thus decision making, despite the individual not being aware of the biases. We will work to reduce and remove organizational inequalities by empowering individuals to avoid their biases when making decisions.

Learning Objectives:

Accurately define conscious and unconscious bias and the impact they both have on individuals and the organization.
Recognize the prevalence and consequences of bias in the workplace.
Identify the importance of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for everyone.
Define common types of biases like affinity bias, confirmation bias, and gender bias.
Recognize different forms of biases like stereotypes, ingroup/outgroup biases, neurodiversity biases, and sexual orientation bias.
Identify examples of bias in the workplace.
Define microaggression and recognize the negative impact it has on individuals and in the workplace.
Be able to identify your own biases.
Utilize tools and techniques to counteract biases in your interactions, behaviors, and decisions.
Recall best practices for inclusive collaboration, communication, and leadership.
Describe bystander intervention when witnessing inappropriate behavior, discrimination or microaggressions
Define strategies for building empathy and understanding different perspectives.