TrainingBriefs® I’m Not Biased

Biases are the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, perceptions and decisions. Going deeper, bias also refers to the persistent, harmful, and unequal treatment of someone based solely on some characteristic they possess or their apparent membership in or identification with a particular group. Stereotype is often defined as a generalized belief about a particular category of people. An example of a stereotype might be “All Asians are good at math.”

Biases and stereotypes can come into play in just about anything… including individual people, groups of people, companies, sports teams, and even the kinds of ice cream that we think are the “best.” We don’t like to think of ourselves as having biases toward others. The fact is many of these biases exist in our society and in our memory and are sometimes expressed unknowingly.

By being self-aware and willing to engage with others when bias is unintentionally implied or expressed, we can better resolve problems and promote more effective working relationships.