Axios HR had Will Osmun from the Urban League in Grand Rapids, lead a session on unconscious bias for our group internally. It definitely pushed me to be more reflective.
Our minds are amazing. We form judgements so quickly, and unconsciously. These small formations aggregate into assumptions and those lead to decisions. Who to hire. How to coach someone. Where to focus. Who has a halo…
I know I have blindspots. Places where my assumptions come more quickly than other areas, and carry a bit more of a burden with them from my past either because I have had specific experiences or I have not had any experiences that influence my perspective. These experiences make me feel anxious, familiar, awkward, or irritated. These feelings are like the driver of the car, and the decision in the back-seat is along for the ride.
Business leaders have it rough. We need to be decisive in a fast-paced world. We also need to be data-driven in a world filled with data. This is true, but more than ever I am clear that we have to be present to our feelings. Be able to recognize how we feel and why we feel that way. And try very hard to remember how these feelings are influencing us. Without that self-awareness we forget about our blindspots and don’t see that other car in the lane next to us…
I was once told in a performance review, I had a native impatience. It was an artful way to say how I behaved. I was driven to compete a goal with urgency! That is a good thing right? Well, a few times it caused me to crash into things. Assumptions, bias, missed steps, all of the above caused those missteps. As I have aged, I now pump my brakes a bit more. I often like to give myself 24 hours to think. Most decisions can afford 24 hours. And I try to put the decision down and pick it up when I am in a different mode. What is different? What is the same?
There is no silver bullet on striking this balance. My best thoughts are to be self-aware, that while I value fairness and always think i am impartial - I’m not. I continue to work on my blindspots, and pump the brakes when I feel pushed or triggered. That may be the best i can do.