Becoming Aware of the Brain’s Unconscious Bias, So You Can Do Something Different
For Part 3 of our series that takes you behind the scenes in some of SHAMBAUGH’s executive training sessions about inclusion and bias, I’d like to share some steps that SHAMBAUGH recommends to stay one step ahead of your unconscious bias to outthink your brain’s primitive, instinctual response:
Notice that bias can go both ways. Often when we think of bias, we assume it’s one-way, assuming that men may be biased against women in leadership roles, without seeing ways that women can also fall into unconscious bias. One example that I’ve seen in coaching executive women is that they may miss out on opportunities for gender-balanced partnership because women may assume men aren’t interested in being part of the conversation around women’s leadership. Men may show up and be ready to participate, yet women may miss out on bringing them in and leveraging valuable sponsorship opportunities based on bias. Once you recognize this type of bias, you can encourage men to engage and participate.
I’ve noticed that the Me Too movement has accelerated the gap between men feeling comfortable showing up and engaging their women colleagues. While I’m not suggesting that the weight should all be on women, I do think that women can work on gaining greater awareness of these types of biases to avoid getting mentally hijacked. Step back and show up with an open view of your intentions, recognize when your fears and unconscious bias are running the show, and redirect your focus to becoming your best self.
Be alert for the first hints of bias. We all can take shortcuts based on what’s familiar. The first step to changing this is gaining awareness that it’s happening. The reason that it’s called “unconscious bias” is that we’re initially not aware of our brain’s proclivity for it. I recently saw a TEDx talk by Valerie Alexander that spoke to this point, where gave an example that when most people visualize a tech CEO, they visualize a man, not a woman.
The reason this happens is linked to our brains. Research has proven that when we encounter a social situation that is unfamiliar to us—or someone who is fundamentally different than us—the amygdala part of our brain elicits a stronger response than when we see something (or someone) that is more familiar or that we think of as “normal” and expected.
Recognizing this neurological reality can become a life-changing ah-ha moment if you use the insight to gain awareness of your own unconscious biases. Alexander refers to this as “outsmarting” your bias, and I agree that this is an excellent way to frame it.
Notice when your brain is “filling in the blanks.” Now that you know what the amygdala does automatically when you see something outside of what you perceive to be “the norm,” you can take note of when your brain is “filling in the blanks” for you about what you expect to see versus what’s actually there.
If you automatically imagine a male CEO when you hear the phrase “tech CEO,” then this is a good place to start challenging your preconceived notions and expectations based on traditional roles, particularly concerning leadership. While you can’t stop your brain from it’s natural, age-old response, you can challenge that response and expand your definition, for example, of what leaders look like or do, once you recognize your own assumptions.
Recognize bias against other women. Problems can also occur when women hold unconscious biases against other women. When women fail to support one another and try to hold each other back from success rather than promoting each other, it limits women’s collective power and influence. The key is to be vigilant for bias in all of its forms, and make a conscious effort to change your behavior when you notice it’s guided by bias. Women need to take the lead, and while lifting other women around them, they need to engage men as well.
In summary, while your brain is just doing what comes naturally when it fills in the blanks and falls back on bias, you don’t have to accept this first response as your final destination. When you start becoming aware of your brain’s unconscious response, you can choose to think—and lead—differently.
At SHAMBAUGH Leadership, we’re on a mission to develop high-performing and inclusive leaders who transform workplace cultures so everyone can thrive. As experts on building inclusive and high performance cultures, we partner with companies and executives to address the whole system of an organization, unlocking and leveraging the full potential of the entire company. Rebecca Shambaugh is an international speaker on how to disrupt traditional mindsets and create a roadmap for driving greater levels of innovation and performance through a unified voice for leadership. Rebecca is Founder of Women in Leadership and Learning, a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, and blogger for the Huffington Post. She is author of the best-selling books It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor and Make Room for Her: Why Companies Need an Integrated Leadership Model to Achieve Extraordinary Results.
To learn more about SHAMBAUGH Leadership’s trainings and customized programs in leadership development that help create inclusive, high-performance cultures, contact Rebecca at info@shambaughleadership.com.
Find out more about us at: www.shambaughleadership.com
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