Suppose you are the only woman in a business meeting of 10 people. The vice president running the meeting is known for laser-sharp eye contact at his presentations. However, in this meeting, not once does he make eye contact with you. You begin to feel invisible and wonder why you were invited to the meeting. You become self-conscious and unable to focus on the discussion.
Everyone has biases, whether consciously or subconsciously. It goes beyond gender to affect pretty much everyone at some point in their careers. Accepting stereotypes and invalid assumptions can make it difficult for a team to thrive. Unfortunately, labeling is one of the simplest ways for people to process information. Getting people to see the end result of this way of thinking, though, is no small task.
However, now more than ever, it’s time to broaden the mind and look beyond the stereotypes and biases that can poison professional interactions. When working with others, each person should give their best, and in order to do that, they need support, respect, and motivation. Stereotyping prevents achieving these goals. If you want to truly innovate, reach soaring productivity, and surpass goals, it’s time to put biases to bed.
Fighting stereotypes is hard work that can involve uncertainty and conflict. For instance, let’s say you work at a newspaper planning to run a story about a Catholic family doing volunteer work. The photo appearing in the story shows an African-American family at an AIDS hospice. The editor-in-chief says the photo must be wrong because he doesn’t believe there are Catholic African-Americans. When you explain that this is possible, you get a look of disbelief.
Now what? You turn to your colleagues, but they seem unwilling to take a position. Do you try another tactic, or give up and say it’s just not worth it?
This is one small example of what happens every day throughout the business world. To make a difference for yourself and for others, be brave and stand up to discrimination. If one method doesn’t work, try again. Utilize support from HR, know federal and state discrimination laws, and spearhead diversity training efforts. The impact will go beyond your team, and you’ll feel great about making a difference.
