Unconscious Bias & Mindful Inclusion

Managing unconscious bias is a critical component of an employer’s efforts to create a diverse and inclusive work setting where all employees contribute fully to work processes.

Overview

Unconscious bias training seeks to motivate participants to engage in controlled mental processes to override their automatic tendencies. Using experiential ‘a-ha’ activities that ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ participants their biases, workshop participants develop an awareness of their own and others’ biases. They also learn when they are most susceptible to bias and proven techniques for overriding ingrained bias and monitoring and adjusting their automatic responses in the workplace. In addition, participants learn evidence-based techniques for responding to bias in others without triggering backlash or defensiveness.

 

Content & Flow

    • Defining diversity and inclusion
    • Business drivers
    • Defining bias and understanding the difference between explicit vs. implicit/unconscious bias
    • Social judgements and categorisations (e.g., first impressions, affinity bias, stereotypes)
    • The implications of bias for formal decision-making over the employee life cycle
    • The implications of bias for interpersonal interactions and group dynamics
    • The implications for bias for individual performance, professional aspirations, engagement, and wellbeing
    • Strategies for mindful inclusion
    • Upstander strategies

Learning Outcomes 

    • Knowledge of the business drivers for inclusion and diversity
    • Understanding of the meaning of inclusion
    • Awareness of one’s own and other’s biases and implications for work settings
    • Respect for and willingness to embrace individual differences and diverse perspectives
    • Appreciation of the value of the contributions of all employees
    • Skills for managing bias in oneself and others
    Workshop participants leave with a personalised action plan for managing their own and others’ unconscious bias

Approach 

Consistent with research on adult learning, we believe that the best learning outcomes result when participants engage holistically with program content. All Culture Plus Consulting learning and development programs incorporate experiential learning techniques, including opportunities to reflect on and apply learnings to the real-life challenges facing participants.

Participants

Individual contributors and people managers working in diverse settings. Because the content of diversity and inclusion training can be personal and emotive, the best learning outcomes result when participants feel psychologically safe. Where feasible, we recommend that participants do not attend the same workshop as their direct line managers.

Recommended workshop size is 10-24 participants; however, larger groups can be accommodated. 

Delivery

Developing an inclusive mindset requires commitment. The recommended length of the workshop is a half-day (3 hours); however, shorter sessions are available on request. 

Unconscious bias training can be delivered virtually or face-to-face. 

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