BIAS
Later this month, I will be working with Caterpillar Inc in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa.
As part of the preparation for this trip, I’ve had to review all my slides, materials and the stories and anecdotes that I tell. Will the examples I share that work so well in Australia work as well on the other side of the world with people from Senegal to Switzerland?
Looking at the slide deck for my course there were three things that stood out.
While there wasn’t a bias towards male or female (I’d worked hard to remove this in the past) there was a bias towards a white audience. Being in Australia, historically it’s not surprising that this is present.
Looking for a bias is hard. By definition, we don’t realise we have a bias. We think that what we put forward is balanced to everyone, but it’s not usually – at least in the beginning
Removing bias makes for a better product. Removing the bias from my slides has forced me to think more deeply about my message, identify what I’m trying to achieve and look for another way to convey that message. Deeper thinking can only result in a better product.
Over the last few times that I have conducted the course, it has made for a better program. And this makes sense – after all Australia is a multicultural country.
What biases do you have?*
As always I’d love your thoughts on that here.
Cheers
Darren
—————
I love talking all things #behaviouralscience. People who engage me often start by reaching out to discuss issues they have with their teams and how they can increase their #influence and ability to #lead. If this is you, please feel free to send me a direct message. More than happy to have a chat or coffee next time I’m in your part of the world
*And before you say you don’t have any biases, if you’ve ever opened an email with ‘Hi Guys’ that is a bias right there.
#Leadership #relationships #bias
