By: Key4Women
We all have unconscious biases that are often invisible to us, but they influence our actions, decisions and behaviors which impact our perceptions and interactions with others. But there’s good news, as Kim Manigault and Suzette Silk explain: Business leaders have the unique power to drive societal change by acknowledging unconscious bias in the workplace and finding ways to address and mitigate it. Kim and Suzette are pleased to share their experience and expertise in regard to how KeyCorp continues to maintain and improve its status among the top companies for diversity by facing unconscious bias head on.
Are You Biased?
If asked that question, most of us – probably the vast majority – would say no. We believe we are fair-minded and earnest in our desire to treat people as individuals, not stereotypes. We want to see ourselves as thoughtful and compassionate. However, research shows we have unconscious biases that are often invisible to us.
Making Quick Decisions and Judgments
Our understanding of how our brain works when making decisions has advanced markedly over the last several years. In particular, research has helped us become more aware of unconscious biases, defined as stereotypes about certain groups of people that we form outside of our own awareness. To simplify and help our brains process massive amounts of information on a daily basis, we categorize and make assumptions about people and things which can lead to unconscious bias. These biases are formed from our backgrounds, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context. We all have biases that are invisible to us and impact our perceptions and interactions with others.
