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The Lens - May 2022
City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 05/23/2022 01:28 PM CDT
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May 2022 |
The Lens, a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, justice, and human rights.
Ways to Mitigate Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias happens when we form stereotypes or make
assumptions about something or someone without realizing it
because of our background, culture, or personal experiences.
Humans tend to place people and things into familiar categories.
Common examples can include assumptions based on gender
bias, ageism, culture bias, and affinity bias, which all impact how
we judge others. We all have unconscious bias whether we intend
to or not. If it goes unrecognized, however, unconscious bias can
lead to discrimination and poor decision-making.
When someone is called out for their unconscious bias, they might feel uncomfortable or that they’re
being labeled a “bad person,” even if they made a simple mistake. Yes, bias can truly be unconscious,
but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be addressed, especially by organizations. Labeling discrimination
as “unconscious” doesn’t mean it is inevitable and cannot be fixed, and it is never an excuse for not
tackling it.
Although many organizations try to combat unconscious bias with training, it is largely ineffective and
“near-impossible to debias humans,” Joe Caccavale writes for Be Applied, “A study of 829 companies
over 31 years showed that bias training had no positive effects in the average workplace.” Instead,
Caccavale states that the best way to mitigate bias is to change the environment in which decisions
are being made. For example, researchers held ‘blind’ orchestra auditions where bias-triggering
information, like photos, names, addresses, and dates of birth, was removed. As a result, double the
amount of women were selected. Hiring systems could similarly adopt more bias-free practices for
better outcomes, rather than focusing on trying to change human nature with ineffective training.
Do not use unconscious bias as an excuse for discrimination. If you are called out, resolve to do better
as you would with any other mistakes you make. This involves reservation, reflection, and education.
Stacey A. Gordon, a DEI Strategist and Executive Advisor, provides three steps to follow when
recognizing and overcoming unconscious bias:
1. When you are called out for unconscious bias, reserve your judgment – both of yourself and
the person who called you out.
2. Take the time to reflect on your own assumptions about others and how they might inform
how you think, work, and connect with others.
3. Educating yourself about unconscious bias will help you better identify and correct it.
Gordon also offers an unconscious bias course—LinkedIn’s most popular course in 2021. Visit the
website to take the class. Please note that LinkedIn Learning can be accessed through an Iowa City
Public Library membership at no cost.
Sharing Stories to Build Inclusion
To make real and lasting change, the focus of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should shift away
from metrics and towards a human-centric approach. DEI is not just about the numbers; and while
implementing programs that track demographics rates, and statistics are beneficial, alone, they can
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deemphasize the most important qualities of inclusion: awareness,
connection, empathy, and mutual respect.
Inclusion consultants Selena Rezvani and Stacey A. Gordon
discuss the ways sharing stories helps build inclusion, specifically
at professional organizations (Read their article for Harvard
Business Review here.) “In our attempts to create more awake and
aware environments, we’re forgetting that numbers typically don’t
inspire us to change our behavior – people and stories do,” they
state. When an organization implements approaches that
encourage sharing experiences and listening to those of others, its
employees feel more represented. Personal conversations that build connections are more likely to
inspire positive change than mathematical systems.
So, how can an organization begin implementing a story-based DEI approach? The Academy of
Management published a study that found most newcomers at organizations prefer hearing stories
from their peers rather than the CEO. However, without facilitation from organizational heads,
employees aren’t given the opportunity to openly share their stories. If they do share, they tend to be
passed over and disregarded, especially women and people of color.
Rezvani and Gordon stepped into an organization and facilitated a session with its executive team and
non-executive staff, presenting themes for discussion. Afterward, a member described it as “the most
raw, honest dialogue they’d experienced in years, thanks to the unfiltered stories and voices of
employees.” Representative, perspective-taking conversations are what truly drive change. A study
found that “taking the perspective of others may have a lasting positive effect on diversity-related
outcomes by increasing individuals’ internal motivation to respond without prejudice,” as shared in
Rezvani and Gordon’s article. DEI is about the people, and their experiences should not be overlooked
by abstract statistics. Sharing unique and personal backgrounds, despite the false narrative of being
“unprofessional” in the workplace, fulfills everyone’s desire for authenticity and transparency with
others.
Facilitating shared experiences will help organizations that prioritize inclusion. Rezvani and Gordon
share some ways for executives to encourage storytelling with team members:
Do a round-robin question in a meeting
Hold listening sessions
Host book clubs that lead to discussions
Schedule storytelling town halls
Include stories in blogs, videos, celebrations, promotions, and onboarding
Be transparent about surveys and focus groups that show negative perceptions and harmful
treatment
Have social forums and meetups
Develop dynamic social media campaigns that share stories
Human Rights Commission Holds Strategic Planning
Sessions
In early April 2022, conversations were held with five individuals
who are involved with the Iowa City Human Rights Office and
Commission. Topics for the conversation included the following:
Each person’s path to working on human rights
How well each thinks the commission is currently functioning
What the commission does that has the biggest positive impact
Areas the commission should consider working on
Local human rights issues anticipated to be noteworthy in the next five years
Who in the community the commission should seek input from via a survey
What should and should not change in what the commission does
Between April 18 and 29, 2022, a survey was distributed to City of Iowa City employees, City Council,
Human Rights Commissioners, members of other City commissions, staff of Iowa City community
organizations, and staff within the Iowa City Community School District, the University of Iowa, and
Kirkwood Community College. There was nearly equal representation of the government sector, the
nonprofit sector, and community members among respondents, with roughly 40% of respondents
classifying themselves as one of these. (Note: respondents had the option to identify themselves in
more than one category.) About 15 percent of the respondents were from the education sector. The
two duties perceived to be fulfilled to the highest degree by the Human Rights Commission based on
the responses are: making recommendations to City Council for further legislation concerning
discrimination, and working with and supporting other agencies and organizations in the planning and
conducting of programs designed to eliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup tensions.
To follow up on the input from the interviews and surveys the Commission held two work sessions in
mid-May to further evaluate themselves and their plan for the future. The Commission is redefining
itself and its goals in preparation for its 60th Anniversary on August 20, 2023. A symposium will be
held on September 15, 2023, in recognition of this historic milestone. The theme is “Defining Our
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Future and Celebrating Our Legacy." Other Human Rights Commissions in Iowa that will also mark
their 60th anniversary in 2023 are Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Dubuque.
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