Unconscious Bias: A Quiet Performance Killer
Dr. Tyrone A. Holmes, Ed.D.
When YouTube launched its first app for Apple’s iOS, they found that 5-10% of the videos appeared upside down. Why? Because they had inadvertently created an app for right-handed users. When used by southpaws, phones are usually rotated 180 degrees, so without realizing it, YouTube had created an app that failed to work effectively for left-handed people. That’s a classic example of unconscious bias. In this case, the bias was toward right handers and created a problem for left-handed users. The primary purpose of this session is to describe unconscious bias, to identify the ways it can diminish our effectiveness and to identify steps we can take to reduce bias and its impact on our performance. Specifically, because of this highly interactive session, you will be able to do the following:
- Define unconscious bias and describe the different types of bias that can impact your interactions with others as well as your performance (including affinity bias, beauty bias, confirmation bias, conformity bias and the halo/horns effect).
- Identify the specific ways unconscious bias can affect your personal and professional relationships, as well as your work performance (including recruitment, interviewing, selection, employee development and evaluation, and problem-solving and decision-making).
- Identify specific steps you can take to reduce your unconscious bias and diminish the negative impact it has on your life and performance.
About the Facilitator...
Dr. Tyrone A. Holmes is a professional speaker, coach and author who has spent more than two decades teaching thousands of people to build powerful relationships in diverse settings. He has a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Education and master’s degree in Counselor Education from Penn State University, as well as a second master’s degree in Business Management from the State University of New York, and doctorate in Counselor Education from Penn State. As the owner of T.A.H. Performance Consultants, he has facilitated more than 1,000 paid keynotes, training seminars, webinars and classes that have taught participants to connect with others despite their differences, to effectively articulate their messages and to connect with diverse audiences and groups. His most recent book is Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage: 70 Tips to Improve Communication, which is a tool we can use to build powerful connections in diverse organizations. Dr. Holmes is a Past President of the Arizona Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and he loves to facilitate fun, interactive sessions that provide useful tools and techniques for participants!
