Culture is shaped in the everyday moments – and so is bias.
It’s tempting to think of workplace culture as something fixed, especially if yours is guided by a clear set of values, a well defined mission statement, or built on particular theme. But culture isn’t static, it’s dynamic and constantly evolving. It lives in meetings, day-to-day conversations, and – crucially – in the decisions your people make every single day.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly where unconscious bias lives too.
Unconscious bias isn’t always loud or obvious. It doesn’t announce itself. It shows up in the everyday – in a silent preference for a familiar name at the top of a CV, giving one colleague’s opinion more weight than another’s, or failing to notice or, even worse, reward someone’s contributions in a team environment.
These micro-decisions often happen without intent, as part of the mental shortcuts we rely on when juggling tasks or processing the endless stream of information modern work throws at us.
But while these choices may seem small, their cumulative effect is huge. They shape our feedback, change who and how we mentor, and influence who we promote or select for talent management programmes. These are the building blocks of opportunity and the core pillars of employee development. Left unaddressed, they can create a culture of inequality, unfairness and suspicion – probably a miles away from the values you have written on the office wall or share on your website, that attracted your workforce and matter to your customers.
So how can you change something people don’t even realise they’re doing?
If you’re going to address unconscious bias with training and L&D support, it’s vital that you choose a proven provider, with experience of framing delicate topics in the right way for professional learners. It’s crucial to create a psychologically safe space, in which your staff can build awareness of their own, inevitable biases and an ability to position them within their day-to-day role.
There must be no blame attached, no fingers pointed, and an interactive blend of theory (i.e. “here’s the natural reason these behaviours happen”) and practical action (i.e. “here’s how to intercept them in yourself and notice them in others”).
Our virtual workshops are designed to meet your team wherever they’re working. They’re flexible, practical and focused, and will start an important conversation that you might have been putting off having, but you cannot afford to ignore.
We’ve helped a wide range of organisations to navigate this territory.
From Government departments to uniformed services and housing associations, our sessions are tailored to organisational values, include inclusion goals and a reflect deep understanding of workplace dynamics.
If you’re looking for unconscious bias training that doesn’t just tick boxes, it brings about real change – we’d love to talk. Explore our off-the-shelf virtual workshops or ask us about a bespoke solution, tailored to your organisation.
