Reflections on "Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work" by Stacey A. Gordon

In this month's edition of the Diversity Be Like Book Club, we will be discussing Stacey A. Gordon's book Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work. In this book, the author explains what bias is, how it affects us in the workplace, and how to properly address it so that it enhances the work environment for everyone. Here are my top takeaways from the book.

Unconscious Bias is Something That Affects Us All

One of the things that the author notes several times in this book is that we all have unconscious biases and such biases are from how our brain works. According to the author, we get millions of pieces of information every second, and the vast majority of it is processed by our brains at the unconscious level, which affects our decision-making, attitudes, and behaviors. She notes that these biases are influenced by societal norms, which at times can be problematic, especially if your society normalizes things like race and gender in a hierarchical manner.

Also, while many of us have heard of bias when it comes to things like race and gender, many don't realize that there are far more categories of bias. She notes that there are more than 150 types of bias, which can include things like hair color, accents, height, weight, and many more.

In other words, we all have some form of bias, so we shouldn't act like having them makes us "good" or "bad" people (see last months reflection on Dolly Chung's book for a further discussion on the labels "good" and "bad"). She also notes that statements like "I don't see color," are problematic, because it is untrue and is particularly problematic for leadership in the workplace because such a lie from a supervisor can foster a relationship of mistrust with their subordinates.

Additionally, the author notes that there are a few tools that can be used to help us become aware of our unconscious biases, the most popular one being Harvard's Implicit Association Test, where you can test your level of bias in 14 different areas. The author also notes her own Unconscious Bias Course, which can be found on LinkedIn.

Leaders In Organizations Need to Be All in When It Comes to Properly Addressing Biases in the Workplace

The author notes that the killing of George Floyd in 2020 brought racial bias to the forefront of the conversation last year in many workspaces. However, she notes that many times the desire from those who lead the companies is to appear to be doing something on the subject, than actually addressing the underlying issue of racial bias. She notes that only addressing appearances is not a wise course of action, as many who are affected by such biases will likely see through such superficial efforts. As such, everyone from the top of the organization down needs to be fully committed if they have any true desire to address issues like race. This full commitment includes things like giving the human resources department or the Chief Diversity Officer all the tools they need to properly address racial, gender, and other biases in the workplace.

The Benefits of Addressing Unconscious Bias Are Huge

With all the headaches that appear to come from addressing biases in the workplace, many may (and sometimes do) ask, "Why bother?" Well, a quick answer is money. The author notes that companies that are more diverse earn 19% higher revenues and are 70% more likely to capture new markets. She also notes that gender-diverse and ethnic-diverse companies outperform their peer companies by 15% and 35%, respectively. Additionally, she notes that studies show companies labeled "inclusive" had 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over a three-year period.

When you think about it, it should make sense. People that are comfortable in their work environment are more productive and as a result, give you more productivity and a better work product. Also, people who are comfortable where they work are less likely to leave, which causes costly things like vacancies and having to train someone new.

Conclusion

I highly suggest that you read the book, especially if you are in leadership at your organization. The book addresses many issues that go unaddressed at work, and are many times uncomfortable conversations to have, but a necessity to ensure the best work environment.