PR&LA Winter 2018

OVERCOMING BIAS Act as if the bias doesn’t exist. “Fake it ’til you make it.” It’s not advice to give a crane operator or surgeon, but it can come in handy when attempting to proactively overcome an unconscious bias. The more you behave as if your bias doesn’t exist, the more likely over time that it won’t. Invite colleagues and staff to share their experiences with you. There’s power in personal stories to help diffuse bias. Be forewarned, however. It’s not enough to say the right things. Simply telling your employees, “Oh, I don’t have any biases or prejudice” when your actions say otherwise will only make your workers distrust what you tell them. People can feel bias when it is directed toward them if it comes out in other ways called micro-aggressions, and it will affect your business. Micro-aggressions can be as simple as off-color jokes, quips, or comments, or as complex as body language, tone of voice, or facial tics. Speaking deliberately with authenticity and compassion helps minimize these kinds of expressions of bias. 4 Make real connections in the community. If you live or operate your business in an area with a high percentage of Black, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTA, or other marginalized people, do you know who the community leaders are for each group? Have you reached out to them to welcome them to your business? In other words, have you engaged customers of different backgrounds and ethnicities proactively and purposefully? It should be part of your community building as a small business. High profile customers, vendors, and even friendly competitors can be important allies if or when your business faces a charge of bias. Having someone prominent from within the community willing to stand up for your brand and assist with a resolution, if needed, can be more helpful than you imagine. Ultimately, so much of managing diversity worries among your staff and management boils down to following a few basic, common sense rules that really transcend racial or cultural divides. 5 ➔