Stereotypes are not harmless, root them out

What will make you automatically prejudge someone you just know by name? You build perceptions about them that create shortcuts of wanting to know them better. Whatever little detail we get about them only seems to emphasise our predictions of their behaviour and attitude.

Haven’t we heard people say things like; tall men make excellent leaders? Or beautiful women aren’t always smart? We have dumb men and women! Do we even have to mention how millennials are presumed to be delusional and having a false sense of entitlement?

Why we make assumptions

Author Ashley Brown defines stereotype as “a fixed belief or image of a certain type of person or thing.” You may have a tendency to favour one thing over another.

We believe that our unexamined beliefs about other people are totally harmless. Some of them could, however, be completely wrong; only true as a coincidence.

The main problem with generalisation is the discrimination that accompanies it. We end up becoming blind to the uniqueness of people. We fail to see those around us for who they are, what they can offer and deny them the opportunity to prove themselves on personal merit.

How do they come about? Our discussions at dinner tables have somehow normalised the most common stereotypes. Unfortunately, any encounter with the prejudged behaviour confirms our bias and develops stereotyping into a habit.

“We tend to remember and pay more attention to information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs,” reiterates Esther Quintero.

Identify yours

The wrong assumptions you cling to inhibit your ideas about your colleagues. We ignore what is unfamiliar and it gets uncomfortable, we find out that were aren’t objective in our thinking. We build them up from our life experiences and blame the society at large.

One way to identify our biases is substituting them with self-awareness. Do some introspection. Watch what triggers you to confirm your biases and work on developing genuine interest in someone with unfamiliar background. Be cautious of language that tends to demean a particular group or individuals.

Appreciate the uniqueness of others

It is incredibly toxic for employees to feel devalued at work, especially due to preconceived notions. If you feel that you haven’t been fair to your colleagues, start by appreciating the positive impact they have been making at work.

Sometimes, you could be the problem. To overcome this, start by noticing what others are doing right. Appreciate yourself so that you can also appreciate others.

Author Tony Shwartz says: “Feeling genuinely appreciated lifts people up. At the most basic level, it makes us feel safe, which is what frees us to do our best work. It’s also energising. When our value feels at risk, as it so often does, that worry becomes preoccupying, which drains and diverts our energy from creating value.”

Address bias right away

Any form of stereotyping needs to be called out right away. Ignoring it will add to a habit that may seem harmless to some and utterly offensive to others.

Even when the offender doesn’t realise how negative their opinions and behaviours are, a one-on-one discussion may drive the point home for them.

Addressing bias discourages discrimination and initiates the process of gradual change and creating a more accommodative workplace environment.

Educate others

One advantage of working in a diverse team is that we get to broaden our ways of thinking. The workplace is becoming increasingly accommodative due to globalisation.

Making a deliberate effort to understand cultural differences will downplay any potential biases individuals may have.  Additionally, no one is immune from stereotyping. The ugly side of it is that bias and discrimination may have legal repercussions.

Our workplaces are filled with people with diverse talents and abilities. Some may be wired to only understand a particular way of doing business, often resistant to change.

To make the workplace more accommodating and institutionalise fairness, employers need to include change management as they make changes to the already well-established workplace cultures we may have.

Passion for diversity and eagerness to work in blended teams will also help employees become more aware of different perspectives.

It will be in the best interests for any organization to look for a cultural add on top of a cultural fit when hiring.

“The fact is awareness of unconscious bias is not enough. Real change comes from actionable steps—planning for change and identifying the focus areas for your business is key to progress. It’s useful to make commitment or to pledge to make change for the better, but to achieve those goals needs an understanding of how to change,” says comics creator Liz Prince.

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Stereotypes