Best practices to make self-aware decisions
Unconscious biases exist and contribute to inequality in the workplace.
Whether you agree or disagree with Starbucks’s decision to close for a afternoon last spring for unconscious bias training, it exists.
We make approximately 35,000 decisions every day. Our brains are wired to use past experiences, knowledge, etc. to make quick decisions. This saves us from having to think about, and make, each and every one of those decisions. So, our animal brain take over and makes snap decisions on many things without our even being aware of it. But this can lead to unconscious bias in the workplace.
So, how do we practice making self-aware decisions?
We need to first be aware that an immediate knee-jerk reaction should be a reminder to pause and reflect.
For example, if you are interviewing someone and you immediately like or dislike the individual, you should ask yourself, why.
If you aren’t sure, make sure you have a data-driven model for the recruiting process. You need to focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) needed for the job.
One example that I read recently was that a hiring manager identified an older candidate as “rigid” but upon reflection realized that the candidate didn’t do or say anything that would have supported that stereotype. It was the manager’s own experience and background that led to the stereotype. Without taking the time to pause and reflect, the unconscious bias gave an incorrect perception.
You can also ask yourself if you would feel the same about an answer (or giving feedback in a performance situation) if the individual you were talking to was a different color or race or gender. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself and recognize that we all have unconscious biases.
Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.
— Sigmund Freud
Because we all make thousands of unconscious decisions every day, our brains have developed biases to make automatic decisions. The bias itself is critical for us to function through all of our daily decisions. But when it comes to the workplace, we need to be more self-aware. We need to make sure our decisions are based on workplace needs not on how we feel about a candidate or employee who may be different from us.
Having a job description can help make sure that you have identified the KSAOs for each position within your business or organization. Using the KSAOs for recruiting and performance discussions can keep you on the right track of using data for decision making rather than your personal gut feelings.