Organisations are being challenged to open their doors to 'people of difference', both from the top down by way of government initiatives and the bottom up with the changing workforce demographics. And with difference comes not only innovation, creativity, diversity of thought but also conflict, politicking and exclusion. These negatives are a workplace reality and not surprisingly are often cited as the reason that equal opportunity initiatives haven't had the impact they were expecting.
Working with many organisations within the Professional Services and Banking sectors, it's promising to see diversity and inclusion very firmly on the agenda in a way it never has been before. The focus is no longer only about supporting underrepresented groups but instead on creating more inclusive cultures where difference is truly leveraged and the acceptance that it's time for majority groups to change.
This concept has led to the dramatic growth in popularity of 'unconscious bias' training. Most often targeting managers, unconscious bias training aims to improve awareness of your underlying biases and stereotypes to enable more effective and objective decision making. And with more effective and objective decision making comes 'good conflict', increased meritocracy and inclusion where equal opportunity for success exists across all talent.
Whilst sound in concept, there are many practical considerations to address first. Practitioners have often been criticised for jumping on the latest fad, and with many organisations looking to run large scale, 'sheep-dip' unconscious bias sessions, some could say this is just that. A fad that makes it easier to not discuss the core issues of representation and equality in the workplace.
Kenexa's research also demonstrates that the least developed behaviours globally in leaders are flexible thinking, collaboration and empathy. Therefore, surely heightening someone's awareness of particular biases isn't hugely helpful if one doesn't know how to behave or use this information once back in the workplace? Recently working with a senior group of managers, we identified a level of bias towards heterosexuality. This is not uncommon and some great work is being done in the UK to ensure equal rights regardless of sexual orientation. Yet if for religious reasons someone is opposed to homosexuality, one would have to question the validity of sending this individual on a short unconscious bias workshop and the expectation that awareness of this bias will influence their future decision-making processes when it involves people of a different sexual orientation.
Arguably, to sustain any change, individuals need to have an appetite for change and realise the personal benefits they'll receive from changing. If someone identifies a bias that may impact the odd recruitment or promotion decision, how can organisations personally incentivise people to change when in the most part, people pride themselves on being good at making decisions? On top of this, on-going research argues that it takes 21 separate occurrences to change a habit. So should we expect Mr Murdoch to reference disability in a way he isn't used to 21 separate times before we criticise him for poor performance? And if we add a cultural context, should we expect him to do this 21 times in 21 different countries where different language is considered acceptable?
I'm not saying that there isn't a place for this type of programme or content, but organisations need to consider how this aligns to other strategic initiatives and ensure expectations are realistic. It's a fact of life that people are drawn to people who share the same interests and hobbies, with similar experiences and backgrounds. But one cannot control for this in the workplace and the challenges of working with people from different cultures, upbringings, and with difference experiences and values are set to increase.
What's important is that people are empathetic and understand the difference between intention and impact. It is easy to jump to criticism of Mr Murdoch and the use inappropriate language in society today. But in organisations where 'banter' happens on a daily basis, shouldn't the conversation be extended to what do we value as a business such as empathy and collaborating with others? The trend towards unconscious bias training should certainly not to be ignored, but instead be incorporated into existing management and organisational processes. By understanding your biases, both conscious and unconscious, the experts believe people gain more objective perspectives and heightened empathy when dealing with others. And this is incredibly important when working with people who are fundamentally different to you.
Peta Steele (pictured), head of diversity and inclusion, EMEA at Kenexa
