Further reading on subjects covered in this issue of Dynamic

On the back of so many topics covered in this issue of Dynamic, here is some suggested reading if you wish to delve deeper into each subject

FURTHER READING…

‘INSTINCTIVE’ VS ‘LEARNED’ BIASES

How to spot the diff erent forms of discrimination that might be happening in your workplace…

Human beings face a fundamental paradox. We are inherently social and wired to connect. Co-operating with each other is crucial for our survival. Yet we are also hardwired to spot and react to diff erences, and we do so without really being aware of it or how it informs our initial perceptions of each other. Th ese are our unconscious biases at work.

Cognitive scientists have named several biases that frequently occur in all of us. For example, apparently the fi rst two things we generally notice when we meet someone new is their skin colour and gender.

The way decisions are made, selective invitations to meetings, in-groups and out-groups, the same faces on high profi le projects are a sign that bias is at play in a system

DISCRIMINATION AT WORK

This edited book brings together in one volume a review of the scholarly work on discrimination based on race, age, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, disability, and personality. The focus is on prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination in the workplace.

Discrimination at Work: The Psychological and Organizational Bases edited by Robert L. Dipboye and Adrienne Colella (Psychology Press, 2013)

Th is instinctive evolutionary bias is linked to our survival and whether or not we are in any danger. Th e brain is designed to keep us safe. However, we also have learned bias which we absorb throughout our lives from society, media, education, family, friends and so on. We have a tendency to discount or disregard information that disagrees with our assumptions, even if there are well-proven facts to the contrary and in spite of any risks associated with doing so. Th is is confi rmation bias, and one of the most challenging ones as it takes time and commitment to overturn.

In the workplace we need to be aware and mindful of both our instinctive and learned biases. Most people aren’t aware of their own biases. However, there are many clues which point to the existence of bias in the workplace. Bias can be experienced at an individual level; it can also be rooted in the wider systems in an organisation. Behaviours, processes and ways of working that lead to excluding others, stereotyping and discrimination.

Th e way decisions are made, selective invitations to meetings, in-groups and out-groups, the same faces on high profi le projects are a sign that bias is at play in a system. Other examples are where people are insistent on sticking to a plan regardless of the right outcome. Or where there is strong loyalty and conversation stuck in the past instead of moving to the future. Where ideas matter less than the person who is sharing and there is a resistance to changing rules and implementing new ways of doing things.

Intense hurry up cultures, overloaded and overwhelmed teams can lead to subtle destructive behaviour and triggering biased behaviour, especially if challenging this way of working would be construed as weak, underperformance and lacking in resilience.

Salma Shah is an Accredited Coach, the founder of coach training and leadership development platform Mastering Your Power. Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in Coaching: A Practical Guide by Salma Shah (Kogan Page, 2022)

TECHNIQUES FOR TACKLING RACISM

It is not a book of anti-racist theory but anti-racist tactics – tactics that anyone, of any race, can use to strike a blow against injustice. Anti-racism is not about what we feel but what we do, and there are specifi c techniques we can use to create a just world.

Tactics for Racial Justice: Building an Antiracist Organization and Community by Shannon Joyce Prince (Routledge, 2021) THE EFFECTS OF RACISM

The Trauma of Racism: Lessons from the Therapeutic Encounter is a pioneering refl ection on the psychology of racism and its impact on us all. With the intimacy of personal experience and depth of analytic exposition, the authors expose racism’s searing eff ects on personal, clinical, and community interactions while providing pathways for change.

The Trauma of Racism: Lessons from the Therapeutic Encounter edited By Beverly J. Stoute, Michael Slevin (Routledge, 2022)