We all have bias — especially the unconscious kind — and it’s preventing us from doing our best work. Gone unchecked, bias can make employees feel resentful, frustrated and silenced, and it can even lead to outright discrimination and harassment. These are the 3 ways to reduce bias at work, according to Just Work co-founders, author Kim Scott and CEO Trier Bryant.
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Transcriber:
Kim Scott: We all have our biases,
the set of assumptions that we make
and the things we don’t notice
about people’s race, gender, religion,
sexual orientation, appearance
and other traits.
They come from the part of our mind
that jumps to conclusions
that we might not
even be aware that we have.
Trier Bryant: I really can’t tell you
the number of times people assumed
I was a receptionist
when I was an executive at the company.
KS: That kind of bias gets in the way
of good collaboration,
performance and decision making.
TB: It creates an invisible tax
of resentment and frustration.
The more frustrated we are,
the more silent we are likely to be.
And the more silent we are,
the less we may be able
to do our best work.
The good news, though,
is bias is not inevitable.
[The Way We Work]
TB: So here’s how to disrupt
bias in three steps.
The first step is to create
a shared vocabulary.
Sometimes bias shows up in big,
embarrassing gaffes,
but more often it comes out in the little
words and phrases we choose,
which are packed with assumptions.
In meetings, especially, these often
go unnoticed or, even worse,
people notice but don’t know what to say.
That’s why we recommend coming up
with a shared word or phrase
that everyone agrees to use
to disrupt biased attitudes or behaviors.
Examples teams are using
are “bias alert,” “stop light”
or even throwing up a peace sign.
KS: Leaders often ask us
to give them the “right words,”
but the best words are the ones
your team will actually say,
not the ones that leaders impose.
So talk to your team.
My very favorite is the one
that you recommended, Trier:
“purple flag.”
When someone says
or does something biased,
we’ll say “purple flag.”
Maybe we’ll even wave a purple flag.
It’s not a red flag.
It’s a friendly purple flag.
TB: It helps us become more aware
of our blind spots.
KS: Purple flag.
TB: Purple flag.
Thanks for pointing that out.
I’ve been noticing lately
I use a lot of sight metaphors
that often portray disabilities,
like being visually impaired,
in negative ways.
But I’m committed to doing better
and working on it.
KS: I am too.
Another great shared vocabulary trick
is to ask members of your team
to respond to bias with an “I statement.”
An “I statement” invites
the other person in,
to understand things from your perspective
rather than calling them out.
Like, “I don’t think
you’re going to take me seriously
when you’re calling me honey,”
Or “I don’t think you meant that
the way that it sounded.”
Usually, when people’s biases
are pointed out to them
clearly and compassionately,
they apologize and correct
things going forward.
Usually, but not always.
TB: That brings us to the second step:
create a shared norm for how to respond
when your bias is pointed out.
KS: when my bias is flagged,
I can only be glad
that I’m learning something new
if I can move past the shame.
I hate the idea that I’ve harmed someone.
And when I feel ashamed,
I rarely respond well.
So it’s really helpful
to have that shared norm
so that I know what to say
in those moments.
TB: We recommend you start
with: “Thank you for pointing that out.”
It took courage for that person
to disrupt the bias,
so it’s important to acknowledge that.
Then there are two choices
on what to say next.
One, “I get it,”
or two, “I don’t get it.
Could you explain
more after the meeting?”
KS: The other day,
you and I were recording
a podcast and I said,
“HR serves three masters,”
and you waved the purple flag.
I knew what I had done wrong.
Why was I using a slavery metaphor?
We hit pause,
I thanked you, and we rerecorded.
It was no big deal.
The thing I love about the purple flag
is how efficient it is.
TB: Flagging the bias didn’t prevent us
from getting the work done.
In fact, it helps us
work together more honestly.
KS: It’s even harder
when I don’t know what I did wrong.
Once, I asked someone out to lunch.
Out came the purple flag.
I had no idea why,
so I was relieved to know
what to say next.
“Thank you for pointing it out,
but I don’t get it.
Could we talk after the meeting?”
Afterwards, the person reminded me
that they were fasting for Ramadan.
It instantly made sense to me,
and I discovered something
that I could be more aware of.
But to get to awareness,
I had to move through shame.
It was hard to say, “I don’t get it.”
The shared norm helped me listen and learn
rather than getting defensive.
The fact that there was a norm at all
reassured me that other people are making
similar kinds of mistakes
and that we’re all learning together.
TB: Disrupting bias may start off
feeling uncomfortable,
but with time and consistency,
we can build the stamina we need
to push through it.
When it becomes routine
for us to notice our biases,
all of a sudden,
they feel less threatening.
It’s hard to break bias habits,
yet we can change the pattern
with consistent effort.
KS: We’ve got to be patient
with ourselves and with others.
TB: Patient and also persistent.
Which brings us to our last step.
Once a team has come up
with a shared vocabulary
and agrees on the shared norm
for how to respond,
the team should commit to disrupting bias
at least once in every meeting.
KS: If bias isn’t flagged in a meeting,
it doesn’t mean there wasn’t any bias.
It just means either nobody noticed
or nobody knew what to say.
When we are silent about bias,
we reinforce it.
And it can’t be just the targets
of bias who point it out.
Observers and leaders
have got to speak up.
We all have a responsibility.
TB: By making a practice
of disrupting bias quickly and kindly,
we prevent it from metastasizing
into something worse,
like prejudice, bullying,
discrimination or harassment.
KS: Bias disrupters: a shared vocabulary,
a shared norm and a shared commitment
ensure that we notice and learn
from the mistakes that we are all making
so that we can work better together.
TB: When we collaborate,
we use our full capacity as humans
to get more done collectively
than we could ever dream
of accomplishing as individuals.
So let’s stop letting bias get in the way.
Big Dee
October 25, 2021 at 9:07 pm
Full time professional victims
Bruce Wayne
October 25, 2021 at 9:22 pm
Reduce your ratio lmao
Baluvideo
October 25, 2021 at 9:32 pm
This sounds like a minefield to me. For instance the two masters expression didn’t bring any association of slavery to me. Because slavery was never in our culture or history where I live. It does invoke a picture of serving two kings though. So I would have a hard time accepting a bias that is clearly not existent in me. (I do realise I have biases, this would not be one of them.) Also the thing about a blindspot. I think that expression doesn’t go against people with visual impairments either. One can have a blindspot without having a visual impairment. A driver has several blindspots while driving for instance.
J Smith
October 26, 2021 at 12:37 am
Exactly. Excellent points! We’ve gone nuts with this stuff.
-JF-
October 25, 2021 at 9:37 pm
I came here for Ted Talks not Bad Talks
z g
October 25, 2021 at 9:45 pm
This really isn’t that hard lol, the like to dislike ratio and the comments really show how unwilling and ignorant people are. Thanks TED for a great video and for giving these two speakers a platform.
ClockworkAvatar
October 25, 2021 at 9:50 pm
it’s not necessary either though, no one enjoys having their language policed.
Tom SK
October 25, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Purple flag. Belittling people with different opinions.
Tom SK
October 25, 2021 at 9:48 pm
I didn’t know TED shares SNL sketches.
K-dude45
October 25, 2021 at 9:50 pm
Yeah don’t hire leftists with pseudo intellectual degrees.
Jenn V
October 25, 2021 at 9:53 pm
Wow! I thought the point of the video was great but this video has almost equal likes and dislikes. And lots of negative comments. Interesting!
Señor Cheez•It
October 25, 2021 at 11:41 pm
nice low key like grubbing
rolled dice
October 25, 2021 at 9:56 pm
I feel sad that TED made this kind of video.
Charles Lott
October 25, 2021 at 10:20 pm
Jesus Christ is king. ✝️
The Trust
October 25, 2021 at 10:28 pm
Disappointed in this video
jonathan sawyer
October 25, 2021 at 10:46 pm
TED talks lol
John P
October 25, 2021 at 11:35 pm
What crap. These people are crazy.
hothamonggirl
October 25, 2021 at 11:37 pm
Thank you for the example of making that recording. I wish you would have kept that recording to serve as modeling how to do what you are suggesting.
CAN'T WAKE UP
October 26, 2021 at 12:12 am
‘Why was I using a slavery metaphor’
You people are insane.
psp785
October 26, 2021 at 12:23 am
this is fucking stupid you are going to have biases you gravite to different individuals for a variety of reasons that’s not the same for everyone. you focusing so much race is having the opposite effect this seems like a fucking skit. TED TALKS is TRASH
Monique Pryce
October 26, 2021 at 12:34 am
BOOOOOOO!
This is so unbearably weak.
J Smith
October 26, 2021 at 12:47 am
Purple is my favorite color. I’m so offended that you’d use it on a flag to point out a negative! 😉 Good grief, TED folks! We can’t go around looking for stuff to which we can be offended. Most people are good people trying to care about others.
J Smith
October 26, 2021 at 1:17 am
Oh, and to validate my right to have a “contrary opinion” to what is supposedly cultural improvement, I will reveal I am a part Cherokee, female receptionist who grew up in an abusive home, have visual problems that hinder driving, and I regularly fast for religious reasons. Few around me know any of that except the obvious female traits. Why is that? Because I listen to understand rather than to get to wave a purple flag. It isn’t all about me.
Mary Richardson
October 26, 2021 at 1:06 am
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October 26, 2021 at 1:12 am
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October 26, 2021 at 1:27 am
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Aubrey Sanders
October 26, 2021 at 1:19 am
Based on this video and the comments section, I think the first thing we need to do is agree on “what is a bias?” It seems self explanatory, but it is obvious that we do not all agree on what is bias/prejudice/etc. In a lot of ways it depends on personal experiences. Thoughts?
Kiers
October 26, 2021 at 1:25 am
I’ll work from home instead so I don’t offend anyone.
AnneJ D
October 26, 2021 at 8:17 am
Please try to live only for a second without bias. You can’t, because human language is sollidified bias, and there is no escaping. Every other word these nutty’s will put in place or invent will create new baises. My proposal is therefore that all these stupid woke figures keep there mouth shut. So they will be sure that they are not hurting someone. Greetings from Holland in which country the same stupidness is getting more widespread everyday.
Antonius Nies - Komponist, Pianist & Organist
October 26, 2021 at 8:51 am
This video seems to have triggered a lot of people, but I like the method. Reflecting discrimination in language is not only about respecting other’s feelings, it’s also about reconsidering your mindset that has a big impact on your actions.
I imagine the title was a bit misleading, because bias is a lot more than the source of discrimination, it also affects the content of your actual job and I missed that.
But it seems like the English speaking community has a bigger problem with retarded conservatives than Germany does. No wonder when I look at the elected governments
Antonius Nies - Komponist, Pianist & Organist
October 26, 2021 at 11:55 am
@Remy Lebeau You mean “retarded”? Then I guess you’re right to an extent. I don’t mean it as an insult to an individual’s disabilities, rather as a result of a society that doesn’t have much means to educate themselves and to reflect, and therefore fails to deeply understand the roots and purpose of the zeitgeist
Ashley
October 26, 2021 at 12:35 pm
I liked your first paragraph, but as for the second:
Purple flag: It is discriminatory to say that a particular group has a problem just because they speak a particular language.
Purple flag: Saying that conservatives are retarded is using biased language.
I should say I am not particularly offended by what was written. I am writing this with a smile on my face. But I could imagine someone might be! It is really hard to say or do anything without someone possibly taking offence.
Remy Lebeau
October 26, 2021 at 12:45 pm
@Antonius Nies – Komponist, Pianist & Organist No, I meant your use of the word “triggered”.
Antonius Nies - Komponist, Pianist & Organist
October 26, 2021 at 2:21 pm
@Remy Lebeau By triggered in that context I meant that many conservatives get offended by the idea that their habits could be the reason for someone else’s suffering and therefore dislike being reminded of it. Is that not what it means?
Antonius Nies - Komponist, Pianist & Organist
October 26, 2021 at 2:30 pm
@David How many words do you expect my English vocabulary to have, if you assume I can kick any word from my language that one random anonymous person on the internet read bias into?
Twuan Dixon
October 26, 2021 at 8:55 am
Stop overanalyzing it lol I personally think it’s literally these exact people who actually have the problem they’re referencing. 90% of the rest of us are absolutely fine and these types can’t handle that we don’t have to “check” ourselves. Woke idiocy….. again. These people have the problem.
Kolya Schweppe
October 26, 2021 at 9:38 am
Excellent explained, Thanks.
Oek Foh
October 26, 2021 at 9:45 am
– *rolls eyes* –
Wilhelm Wahlberg
October 26, 2021 at 10:22 am
Pathetic.
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October 26, 2021 at 10:34 am
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Tomás Gomes
October 26, 2021 at 11:21 am
Wait, saying “blind spots” is offensive now? For crying out loud
Lavender
October 27, 2021 at 1:57 am
If your blind you don’t see a spot?
John Arnold
October 27, 2021 at 5:15 pm
Ignore them
Judith Murray
October 26, 2021 at 11:25 am
I love this video. It is constructive, informative and shows examples of bias that are concrete and relatable.
Levi Efrauim
October 26, 2021 at 12:24 pm
How sad that people like this walk around all day saying, “Woe is me. Someone has bias. I’ll never get past it.” It’s crappy assumptions like this that hold you back, because you’re the only one holding you back. But then again, that’s the thinking of today’s modern progressive leftist- it’s someone else’s fault and I’m a victim because they think differently than me. Every word carries weight even when it’s likely unintentional. Of course, the victim mentality doesn’t allow that. It’s pitiful. Harden up, people. Get tougher.
Lorendrawn
October 26, 2021 at 12:43 pm
Whenever you take offense on behalf of a group that you’re very clearly not a part of, you’re being a self-centered spud and should be disregarded. Why are you doing this to yourself, humanity?
Jakub Sláma
October 26, 2021 at 12:59 pm
I agree with them, but blind spot, really? The blind spot has nothing to do with disabled people, literally all of us have it.
Jackson Lane
October 26, 2021 at 2:12 pm
This is absolutely pathetic.
Ciaran Dorney
October 26, 2021 at 2:37 pm
Maybe I’m being biased but this is a load of rubbish. Humans don’t interact like that, stop teaching this wokist tripe to the younger impressionable population. You should be ashamed of speading your ignorance and toxic victim mentality
Ρο Κάππα
October 26, 2021 at 3:26 pm
I have a better idea. How about not talking at all and just nod and wave your heads and hands. Maybe you can only growl at each other like the caveman era.
Ethan Soprych
October 26, 2021 at 5:49 pm
Maybe just don’t take things seriously
melanie hoyt
October 26, 2021 at 6:30 pm
How about people who lay eyes on each other and instantly dislike each other, both of whom are similar (no diversity)? This is from social psychology and it is real.
Rincewind Scheibenwelt
October 26, 2021 at 6:57 pm
Ladies and gentlemen. I think my brain just wanted to commit suicide. Luckily it has a blind spot.
Rob N
October 26, 2021 at 7:31 pm
For this to work, there must be some criteria by which a purple flag’s legitimacy can be judged, otherwise a mischievous person who gets fed up with the charade will start flagging innocuous words for specious reasons. It would be funny to watch.
cakebeary
October 26, 2021 at 10:22 pm
So, basically policing speech and creating a culture of fear and authoritarianism in the workplace? This isn’t how change occurs – it happens organically and slowly as society evolves. And just because someone says something that it “biased” doesn’t mean they are actually prejudiced in any way- I’m fairly sure research has shown this- implicit bias tests don’t tell us anything
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October 26, 2021 at 11:30 pm
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+❶ ❽❺❽(❽❽❽)❾❹⓿❹whatsApp
October 27, 2021 at 8:18 pm
Mrs Clara Austin
Katherine Chan
October 27, 2021 at 12:06 am
Being oversensitive could also be a kind of bias.
Tom SK
October 27, 2021 at 3:35 am
Thoughtcrime? Unsubscribing.
Fazoer
October 27, 2021 at 9:48 am
Everyone has biases. They are natural and not all bad. Not something to be ashamed about. They can however result in the worst of human behaviour and that deserves to be adresset. Some more focus on humor and celebration in learning about different cultures would be a much healthier aproach in my opinion. This focus on mistakes, hurting people, apologising and not to make offence is way to far down the rabbit whole for me.
HeinrichDerTote
October 27, 2021 at 10:49 am
Wait? Are you serious about the “blind spot” thing? XD
The blind spot is the point in every humans eye, where your nerves end. It is a biological fact in every human.
Anil Anvesh
October 27, 2021 at 11:49 am
It’s hard for employees to wave pink flag, because they are scared. It’s the job of top executives and HRs to create a work environment with less or no bias. 👍🏼
Alberto Baggio
October 27, 2021 at 11:57 am
It must a very relaxed place to work 🤦
I might be biased myself, but the point is there are so many cognitive biases we are falling for, that you might have serious shoulder pain at the end of the day of waving that flag. Plus, are people working there? Or spending their day waving a purple flag to teach others life lessons or simply calling attention about how they feel?
This is probably the most useless and unrealistic video I’ve ever watched about biases. This is more about hypersensitive woke and snowflake culture, nothing about bias. If we get to learn to respect other people sensitivity, we also must develop resilience to not get offended for every thing out there, as our individual feelings do not always represent a whole community, culture or group. Living with fear of offending every single human being is terrifying and the only idea to reach a point where nobody will ever get offended is beyond utopia.
Much easier to develop a good communication and if you don’t like something being said, you can simply pointed that out, without taking it personally and hence getting offended, because truth is that most of the times is not really personal. We have to stop considering ourselves special, we are not, we are special only for our loving ones, but pretty much meaningless for anybody else. Being constantly offended is just a childish way to claim to be important for someone that basically (and I add rightfully) doesn’t have to care about you.
Sad video, really sad video!
whosaidpie
October 27, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Apparently a ‘blind spot’ metaphor reveals a harmful bias against vision-impaired people, but saying something ‘metastasized’ isn’t a harmful bias against people with cancer?
Can you imagine being called out for your bias for saying something ‘fell on deaf ears’ or you were ‘struck dumb’? How is it problematic to say something ‘serves three masters’ and refer to slavery through language? Slavery exists, surely censoring any reference to it is more problematic than using it as a metaphor.
This is not being progressive. This is trying too hard to find problems in harmless behaviour.
As a disabled person, I would feel far more comfortable talking about my disability, or even making jokes about it (gasp), in an environment where others aren’t terrified of offending me.
Marianne Bb
October 27, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Seriously?
Why would you feel shame when you asked someone for lunch.
They’re fasting for Rahmadan…. the onus is on them to say ” no thank you I’m fasting “.
It’s like our society has become a bunch of top toeing tender flakes.
At this point it’s like we have to be angst ridden over every little thing that we speak.
Silly really.
Goolag Tube
October 27, 2021 at 10:03 pm
This is the left wanting to weaken everyone ELSE and drag them down to their level in weakness and willful stupidity.
Just say no to these demonic Karens!
Guccithrillah PSN
October 28, 2021 at 5:16 am
imagine someone watching this video like: WOW! this makes so much sense, i cant wait to put it to practice!
Ants Explore Sharing
October 28, 2021 at 10:28 am
Thank you so much for sharing this video
crulova
October 28, 2021 at 3:22 pm
and bias towards political opinions ?
I m conservative , I m not feminist, I m anti abortion and guess what, I sometimes have to hide it because “good people” ( such as leftists) would think I m intolerant, racist, homophobe, too old fashioned etc
No, I m not, but the can t just have a calm conversation
they judge me without listening
EighteenXVIII
October 28, 2021 at 6:20 pm
I’m not sure if this is a parody video or not.
Backlineguy
October 29, 2021 at 8:31 am
Yes, well…this reminds me of the folks at PETA, that want to change the name of the baseball ‘bullpen’, because it’s ‘insensitive’ to cows on the way to slaughter
wave a purple flag?…and you can’t use the term ‘ blindsided’?…
How are you folks able to get from the beginning to the end of your day without your head exploding?
I think TED talks are immensely informative and sometimes entertaining…but this?…this is…insipid.
Christian
October 29, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Definitely ratio
daicen z
October 29, 2021 at 3:16 pm
you can’t even say blind spot anymore????????????????