NACM MID-YEAR CONFERENCE

KSA for Leading and Managing a Diverse Workplace

Tasks Beliefs

Court Managers-Supervisors

Skills/Abilities Knowledge

Court Managers-Supervisors

Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies

Individual Awareness and Self-Management(Take Stock)

Embrace the Paradox of Individuality and Group Identity (Open mindedness)

Envision and Frame Positive Change(Roadmap)

Foster True Meritocracy-- (Policy to Practice/Intentionality)

Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies

Individual Awareness and Self-Management(Take Stock)

An Overview of Decision-makerBias

7

Social Cognition Research

Categorization of and preference for people based on group identity is a normal, fundamental process of the human brain.

Our ability to categorize our experience is an “indispensable cognitive device for understanding, negotiating, and constructing our social world.”

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The Brain Identifies

Race

Age

Gender

within a fraction of a second

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Schemas

During the process of categorization, our brains encode information about groups of people into our memories, along with favorable or unfavorable impressions or values.

These mental constructs are sometimes called “schemas.”

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Akin to Computers

These mental processes can be likened to computer hardware. What goes into that hardware will differ from person to person, but we all process, code, store, and retrieve the data we receive similarly.

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In v. Out Groups

This research shows that we are, by nature, prone to prefer most strongly persons in the social categories to which we ourselves belong (“in-groups” as opposed to “out-groups”).

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Particularity/Sameness

We also tend to perceive persons in our own groups with PARTICULARITY (as unique individuals).

BUT, we view “out-group” members as homogeneous, or ALL THE SAME.

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For Example

When we are faced with information inconsistent with our beliefs, we revise our beliefs under certain circumstances, but we are more likely to create a subgroup category (an “exception”), leaving our belief intact.

This is especially true when the “out-group” is large and the stereotype negative.

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Implicit Biases

Cognitive scientists also believe that these early stereotypes or beliefs (“implicit biases”) about groups of people continue to exist at an unconscious level, despite our brain’s increasing ability to reason, understand, and exercise judgment as we mature.

So What?

Interviewing, Hiring and Promoting

Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies

Foster True Meritocracy-- (Policy to Practice/Intentionality)

Emily and Greg v. Lakisha and Jamal

Curricula Vitae Study Steinpreis, Sex Roles, 1999

43.3%

63.5%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Percentage of Hires for Menvs. Women

Women

Men

CV Study also showed evaluators were more likely to report that male applicant had:

• Adequate research experience; • Adequate teaching experience;

and• Adequate service experience.

CV Study further showed that evaluators were 4X more likely to write cautionary comments in the margins of the questionnaire for Female candidate:

“We would have to see her job talk”; “It is impossible to make such judgments

without teaching evaluations”; and“I would need to see evidence that she had

gotten these grants and publications on her own”.

Play the “Interview”

Interview Behavior Can Differ

• Interviews were cut short by 25%

• Interviewers sat further from African American candidates than from Caucasian candidates

• Interviewers increased the number of mistakes in grammar

Behavior Can Differ

• Interviews were cut short by 25%

• Interviewers sat further from African American candidates than from Caucasian candidates

• Interviewers increased the number of mistakes in grammar

Solutions

Solutions

Current research in social cognition shows that an intentional thought process can be used to avoid unconscious bias.

The first step in the process is to understand the impact of engaging in a deliberate thought process and affirmatively deciding to go through a conscious thought process to eliminate bias.

The next steps are concrete.

• Make the unconscious conscious by:

• Consciously noting the category of the person being evaluated

Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies

Embrace the Paradox of Individuality and Group Identity (Open mindedness)

Consciously noting the stereotypes associated with the category (even if you do not agree or are uncomfortable with the stereotypes)

Consciously reserving judgment until all of the information has been gathered (much like a juror or judge)

Maximize accountability because without accountability we cannot easily maintain the regimen of decision-making free of implicit bias.

Orchestra

Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies

Envision and Frame Positive Change(Roadmap)

Task

What is a diversity or inclusion project that you will champion and what is the first step needed to move it forward? Who are your allies? What are your resources? What is your timeline? How will you know when you have succeeded?

Dial Co.CEO

Identified a lack of women in leadership roles and directed managers show increase representation the next year.

Reference

The Inclusion Dividend, Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan

Hidden Leadership, Harvard Business ReviewRead about leaders