Own Your Bias: Transform Feedback into Positive Change
Biases can be found in every person, in every culture, and every organization. Simply put, biases are a natural part of how our brains operate and process the world. And biases can be negative or positive—they can help us develop camaraderie or help establish relationships with people similar to us. However, can also cause us to behave rudely or coldly towards an individual or groups of people based on assumptions.
Either way, bias prevents us from fairly judging people.
In that respect, it is important to learn to recognize and acknowledge our own biases. Of course, this can be challenging, and is even more difficult when someone else—especially someone affected by our biases—points them out to us, leading to some uncomfortable moments and conversations. But it’s important to remember that learning how your biases affect the people around you is a valuable opportunity for personal growth and further developing inclusive, safe spaces.
So, want to know how to react when your biases are pointed out? We’re here to help guide you through it.
In this article we’re exploring:
What Is a Bias?
To understand how to respond appropriately when an individual or organization points out your bias, it’s best to start by defining what bias specifically means.
Bias can be described as “a natural inclination for or against an idea, object, group, or individual”. Oftentimes, these are learned assumptions and behaviours that sprout from a person’s socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, education, and more. When it comes to expressing bias, it is described as either conscious bias (also known as explicit bias) or unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias).
Conscious or Explicit Bias is:
Biases that happen intentionally and that the individual is aware of.
Are typically characterized by negative or exclusionary behavior.
Also known as prejudices, and are weaponized to discriminate and act maliciously towards individuals or groups of people.
Unconscious or Implicit Bias is:
Beliefs and attitudes that happen outside of a person’s control or awareness.
An individual may not even be aware of their biases and how they affect others.
Can be difficult to identify despite their heavy influence on an individual’s actions and behaviors.
Unconscious bias is also divided into a number of different categories, including confirmation bias, attribution bias, and affinity bias. You can learn more about the types of unconscious bias and how they can be expressed in the workplace in our blog post, Unconscious Bias in the Workplace.
Addressing Bias and Making Changes
Regardless of where your biases lie, we all have them. In all likelihood, we’ve expressed opinions or beliefs that don’t align with our true self, or with people around us. Maybe we’ve even been called out on it! But how do you react when situations like that happen? Do you get defensive or angry? Do you pull away and not acknowledge bias?
Below, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on how to respond to this exact scenario, while keeping in mind the challenges and difficulties of acknowledging bias.
Responding to Bias: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Take A Pause and Take A Breath
It sounds simple, but allowing yourself a moment to breathe can be the best way to prevent yourself from becoming defensive or angry. Remember, it is natural for us to feel hurt or uncomfortable when we’re told our actions are hurting others—especially when we don’t know we’re doing something wrong!
Taking a deep breath can be the adjustment you need to be able to choose your next words kindly and carefully.
What To Do Next:
➡️ Pause before responding
➡️ Using your abdominal muscles, take a deep, calming breath.
Why Does it Matter?
Deep breathing is linked to reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and sends oxygen across your body. All of these physical changes result in reduced stress and anxiety.
Step 2: Acknowledge Feedback
While your initial reaction may be one of defensiveness, denial, or even embarrassment, the person who is informing you of your bias may also feel uncomfortable, especially if they are speaking to a manager or leader within the organization.
What To Do Next:
➡️ Acknowledge feedback with a simple, non-defensive reply, such as:
➡️ “Thank you for bringing this to my attention”
➡️ “I appreciate you taking the time to let me know”
Why Does it Matter?
By acknowledging the feedback we are given, we showcase our ability to listen and value other people’s perspectives. It also assists in establishing trust, especially when it comes to tough conversations, and enables us to continue to discuss these topics more comfortably in the future.
Step 3: Listen Without Interrupting or Defending
There is no doubt that conversations surrounding bias, especially ones you are at the center of, are emotionally charged.
This is especially the case for the person giving the feedback. They may have been hurt by your words or actions, or they may have experienced similar feelings and scenarios before through microaggressions or the use of exclusive language. On top of that, when giving negatively-perceived feedback, employees open themselves up to aggression, anger, and dislike, and can result in backlash.
In the moment it can be nearly impossible to recall the burden and difficulties that come with speaking up. Even so, it is crucial to let them speak before you respond and give them the space and opportunity to fully express their feelings and the challenges they have encountered.
What To Do Next:
➡️ Show you are engaged by nodding and making eye contact.
➡️ Avoid interjecting with justifications or defensive statements.
➡️ Focus fully on understanding the offered perspective rather than preparing your response.
Why Does it Matter?
Listening quietly demonstrates respect towards the speaker. It creates space for an honest dialogue or discussion, and sets the groundwork to establish immediate and long-term changes that can be made.
Step 4: Take a Break and Reflect
Once you’ve actively listened to the concerns being expressed, you will likely need some time to process feedback. On top of that, taking a day or so to reflect on your actions and words, how they may come across, and the specific pain points presented, can help you fully absorb and understand the information and feedback from a more objective point of view.
What To Do Next:
➡️ Thank the person giving you feedback, and make sure to emphasize your appreciation for their candidness.
➡️ Express your need for some time to reflect on the information presented.
➡️ Set a specific time in the future to meet, ideally in the next few days.
Once you’re given the space to reflect, ask yourself questions, including:
⭐ What assumptions have I been making that have affected my treatment of others?
⭐ How has this impacted the person who provided feedback, and what can I do to change that?
⭐ What actions can I take to change in the short-term, as well as in the future?
⭐ Are there any resources, such as training or coaching, that can help prevent similar issues in the future?
⭐ Does our organization require a wider examination of our diversity, equity, and inclusion practices?
Why Does it Matter?
Have you ever, in the heat of the moment, written and sent an angry email or text that you regretted later? Now imagine a scenario where you did not send that message and instead took the the time to process your emotions. In all likelihood, your response would be much different, and likely more constructive rather than aggressive.
Taking time to reflect allows you to respond thoughtfully and maturely without critiquing the other person, becoming defensive, or causing further unnecessary harm.
Step 5: Take Accountability
Holding yourself accountable is a crucial part of the process of dismantling our biases and healing our relationships with others. But what does accountability even look like? And how do you ensure that it comes from a genuine place?
What To Do Next:
Forbes outlines a some ways to show accountability in action, including:
➡️ Being willing to examine communication styles that have been harmful.
➡️ Refusing to make excuses for what’s happening.
➡️ When making apologies, avoid the use of words like “but” or “if”, which often negate the apology and further damage the relationship.
Why Does it Matter?
By holding yourself accountable you demonstrate a willingness to learn from mistakes, build trust and reliability, and create a space where coworkers can be open and honest about their experiences.
Step 6: Commit to Change
This is where growth begins!
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to change. However, there are methods to create sustainable shifts in attitudes, behaviors, and actions.
What To Do Next:
➡️ Craft a step-by-step plan to address feedback, create sustainable change, and set up long- and short-term goals.
➡️ Collaborate with a DEI consultant to create a DEI policy that aligns with your organization’s mission and values. Outside of addressing any feedback, policies can extend towards hiring and overall workplace culture.
➡️ Leverage DEI resources to help establish measurable outcomes and an overall plan, including books, training, workshops, and more.
➡️ Set up accountability frameworks to track progress, such as regular reporting, feedback loops, and employee resource groups (ERGs).
Why Does It Matter?
Once you’ve taken these steps, the goal should be to establish a foundation for lasting change. Part of this includes committing to actionable and measurable improvements. Additionally, it is important to aim for goals that are sustainable. By doing so, you attract diverse talents, build further trust, and create a workplace that empowers and values its employees and their overall wellbeing.
Final Thoughts: Embrace Growth Through Action, Reflection, and Accountability
Addressing bias is not easy, but it is essential to further your personal and organizational growth. Like any long-term change, the journey can be uncomfortable, but discomfort is often the seed in which true change begins to grow.
Remember: Change is not an overnight process, but an ongoing effort to move towards inclusivity throughout your workplace. With each step towards dismantling bias, we move beyond assumptions and stereotypes and cultivate stronger relationships and respect.
Together, we can create spaces where everyone feels valued and heard.