Eliminating Bias

ELIMINATION OF BIAS:
STEPS TO GETTING STARTED
BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF/ADMIT YOU HAVE

BIASES/RECOGNIZE WHAT THEY ARE.
All of us have some kind of bias; its part of learned behavior. The shame is
not in having bias, but rather in acting upon it. Once youve honestly
recognized what your biases are, you can then take a step back and begin to
realize how they influence your interactions, and the affect they have in the
ways in which you deal with people.
WATCH YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.

Having assumptions is also part of the way human beings are hard-wired.
Sometimes assumptions can be reasonable and correct. Other times they can
be colored by our biases and be dead wrong. The trick is to have your
assumption, but to keep it in check. Dont act upon your assumptions until
youve come to better comprehend the situation or individual that you are
dealing with.
ENGAGE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE YOU

NORMALLY MIGHT NOT.
In order to understand our differences, we must first find our similarities.
Once we find a common ground, we can build upon this foundation to learn
more about how we differ. Engaging people in SMALL TALK is the best
and most simple way to begin to find our commonalities. Asking people
(especially those you normally might not) what they did over the weekend,
or how their vacation was, are some examples of the small questions we can
ask in order to make big changes in our relationships, and therefore our
understanding of one another.
Elimination of Bias 1
BE EMPATHETIC.
Empathy, the ability to let go of your perceptions for a moment and put
yourself in another persons shoes, is a very powerful tool for understanding
others. Seeing things from anothers perspective, while for a moment
abandoning your own, can give you unique insights into the behaviors of
others.
BE AWARE OF GOOD-INTENTIONED BIAS.

Good-intentioned bias is when you hold people that you perceive as different
to lower or higher standards than you would those who you see as similar to
yourself. Examples of holding people to a lower standard would be not
giving constructive criticism to some one who is different because you
feel they would be too fragile and not be able to handle it. Examples of
holding people to a higher standard would be assuming that an individual,
because of his or her difference, is better at a certain skill, i.e. Asians are
better at math, African Americans are better at sports, etc.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MISTAKES.

When it comes to human beings and diversity, no one is infallible. Everyone
at some point is going to make a mistake and perhaps say or do something
that may offend the other party. When making a mistake, its important that
we dont slink away in embarrassment and avoid that person for the next few
months. Acknowledge that youve made a mistake, apologize sincerely and
move forward. Dont get stuck because youre embarrassed, overcome the
discomfort and continue the relationship.
DEVELOP THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO KEEP

THE DIALOG GOING.
If there is tension between you and someone who you perceive as different,
try to acknowledge the tension and discuss it. This takes a certain amount of
tact and the ability to communicate in ways that do not create barriers and
more tension. Practice active listening skills, use sentences that begin with
I feel, ask the individual what their thoughts on the situation are and
hear them out, let them have their say. Remember, listening attentively and
acknowledging another persons feelings does not necessarily mean that you
are agreeing with them. Experts concur that the only way well ever begin to
truly reduce bias is by mastering our fears of conflict and having that
sometimes-uncomfortable dialog about our differences. It may be scary at
first, it may have some awkward moments and bring up some difficult
issues, but it will also help us get a little bit closer to eliminating the biases
that interfere with our basic humanity.
REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE NO CONCRETE,

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SOLUTIONS TO HUMAN
BEINGS AND BIAS.
No one skill, solution or answer will work all the time with all the people.
Take all individuals one person at a time and one step at a time. Remember
the simple power of mutual respect and treating each person as a three-
dimensional human being.
The Price of Bias
Bias can sap American businesses of time, energy and in the end, money.
When we allow bias to distort our view of whom people really are and what
they are capable of, we all lose. The following will give you an idea of what
is at stake.
Litigation:
Discrimination suits are every companys nightmare. The figures paid out
are often in the millions, and when combined with attorneys fees,
Employment Practices Liability insurance, court costs, out-of-court
settlements, and tarnished reputations, the losses can be staggering.
Lost Employees:
Both the hidden and direct costs of losing good employees are very high.
These can range from 25 percent of an annual salary up to 250 percent and
beyond. These figures become even more disturbing when you consider the
specific loss of minority professionals. Recruitment costs for these
individuals include; referral bonuses to colleagues, money spent on
executive search teams, and the loss of creativity and innovation that is
characteristic of most diverse work teams.
Diminished Sales and Lost Clients or Customers:

The following facts show that professionals cannot afford to let bias interfere
with their ability to relate appropriately to diverse customers and clients:
The combined spending of African Americans, Asian Americans and

Native Americans topped over $1.4 trillion in 2007.
Latinos in the United State have a buying power of approximately 1

billion dollars.
Gay and lesbian consumers have substantially more discretionary

income than do heterosexuals.
Wasted Time:
Management uses dozens of precious hours each year mediating bias-related
conflicts. The loss of productivity as a result of these clashes is also costly.
This wasted time is a measurable drain on company resources. Multiplying a
managers hourly rate by the number of hours spent dealing with these kinds
of workplace conflicts illustrates the money wasted on these problems.
The ability to overcome bias is a virtue and skill we all need to acquire if we
are to convert workplace tension into a powerful force of productivity,
progress and profits. Different perspectives and points of view can create
conflict, but if conflict is managed in a way that is healthy and fair it can
produce new ideas and innovations that will result in the continued success
of any organization.
DIVERSITY AND BIAS
Diversity creates compassion, cooperation, understanding and innovation.
Organizations need these elements and will continue to benefit from the
value of having many different perspectives within their workforce.
Showing respect and valuing the contribution of all individuals is an
essential component in utilizing the positive forces of diversity. When
employees are overlooked, ignored, or disrespected morale is low. People
want to feel that they are important and that their contribution matters.
Recognizing and using peoples abilities and experiences involves them in a
way that builds rapport, ownership and loyalty. The higher the morale, the
harder employees are likely to work and better productivity results.
By learning the new perspectives brought by a wider range of employees, we

can provide better services to clients, customers and to departments within
our own organization. New perspectives will enhance our problem-solving
skills and allow us to make better and more inclusive decisions. We can
learn to ask better questions initially, to identify new areas of opportunity
and increase customer and client satisfaction.
Bias, within our colleagues and ourselves can greatly interfere with all the
positives that a diverse and inclusive workforce brings to the table. To make
sense of the world, we prejudge certain things. Our minds are not 100%
accurate, so we carry around biases and assumptions that are incorrect. Your
best defense against your own prejudices and assumptions is to consciously
seek out information to help you analyze and address them. As professionals
we all have the responsibility for creating a workplace culture that is bias
free and supports diversity and social harmony.
Remember that we all share the universal needs and desires for security,
social support and most of all DIGNITY. If we can focus on the simple rule
of TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO BE TREATED
we can begin to reach beyond our biases towards a better awareness and
acceptance of others.
ABOUT LIFE THEATRE SERVICES
Founded in 1992 by drama therapist Cynthia Cristilli, and professional
actress, Molly Goode, Life Theatre uses reality based dramatizations to
examine social and business concerns of all types. Allowing audience
members to interact directly with the actors, who respond as their characters,
Life Theatre has an exceptional track record when it comes to engaging and
galvanizing groups of all kinds.
Originally focusing on the corporate sector, Life Theatre has presented

workshops on a variety of topics such as sexual harassment, diversity and
bias, communication, ethics, and AIDS in the workplace. A partial list of our
client base includes Pacific Bell Telephone, Wells Fargo Bank, Charles
Schwab, The Gap, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, and The
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Academic Institutions including
Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles, University of
California Irvine and University of California San Diego have also utilized
Life Theaters unique services. Locally weve created programs for law
firms Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, Cooley, Godward LLP and Jones
Day as well as The SF Exploratorium and several of the leading biotech
companies in the Bay Area, including Genencor, Fibrogen and Fluidigm.
As our base has expanded, we have traveled throughout the country

performing for a wide range of organizations including: The National
Council for Negro Women, Glaxo Wellcome, Berlex Laboratories, Meeting
Planners International and IDEA Corporation. These performances have
explored such issues as conflict resolution, family dynamics, stress
management, living with AIDS, domestic violence and substance abuse.
In 1999 Cynthia Cristilli and Molly Goode won an Emmy Award for their
co-production with ABC/7 entitled Talking Back; Life Theatre Looks at the
American Family. Life Theatre Services also developed the first direct to
patient information pilot program for a pharmaceutical company using
interactive theater techniques, and was the subject of a feature article in the
San Francisco Examiner regarding our innovative work with HIV and AIDS
education. Life Theatre Services is a woman owned business and certified as
a Woman and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE).
Market Research analysis conclusions*, compiled over a three day period at

a Life Theatre performance series in 1996 stated: Life Theatres interactive
format was an excellent and original way to allow audiences to learn, discuss
and share ideas concerning the social problems that plague us... The actors
were described as riveting, and so realistic that some viewers were not sure
whether they were acting or just giving testimonials about their own lives.
Contributing to this positive commentary was the fact that the actors stayed
in character during the interactive portions of the performance, and were
very convincing answering the viewers questions and sharing views with
audience members in role.
*ELCOR Marketing Association, Inc. Washington D.C.

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ELIMINATION OF BIAS:

STEPS TO GETTING STARTED

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF/ADMIT YOU HAVE

WATCH YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.

ENGAGE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE YOU

BE AWARE OF GOOD-INTENTIONED BIAS.

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MISTAKES.

DEVELOP THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO KEEP

REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE NO CONCRETE,

Diminished Sales and Lost Clients or Customers:

The combined spending of African Americans, Asian Americans and

Latinos in the United State have a buying power of approximately 1

Gay and lesbian consumers have substantially more discretionary

By learning the new perspectives brought by a wider range of employees, we

Originally focusing on the corporate sector, Life Theatre has presented

As our base has expanded, we have traveled throughout the country

Market Research analysis conclusions*, compiled over a three day period at

*ELCOR Marketing Association, Inc. Washington D.C.

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