How to reduce bias in your workplace | The Way We Work, a TED series 

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they made us watch this at work today and I can assure everyone cringed without bias.

Ok, what? First, using essentially a safe word similar to what submissive people can use in BDSM situations is a little funny, but maybe they simply weren't aware of this. Purple flag! Secondly, the blind spot is a biological phenomenon that every person has, not a visual impairment or disability. It's not bias if literally everybody has it. Thirdly, using the phrase "master" is not a slavery metaphor per se. Master was a title which denoted ability, responsibility and power. Master of the house. Master of a craft. It does not merely mean "owner". In fact, we still use it as a title for a certain level of degree: Master of science or Master of the arts. When I was a child, teachers were called "masters", it went out of fashion but it had nothing to do with slavery, masters traditionally were guildmembers of a craft who taught apprentices who served under them. A member of a household might serve the master of the house. Its meaning is far closer to "employer" or "teacher". Fourthly, ignorance of another culture's schedule is not bias because ignorance alone is not an assumption. We can't be realistically expected to know every individual person's cultural details and habits. We're supposed to accept them as valid expressions of culture that have their own value to people who hold that cultural identity and give them the freedom to express them like we do our own cultural habits. That's ignoring the fact that inviting somebody to lunch is a social event and if you're fasting you can simply indicate that you aren't eating right now but you can still "have lunch". The intention behind this talk is great, and the methods they suggest sound worthwhile and effective, but their examples make no sense. The only one that did was the receptionist/executive one at the start.

There's a difference between intentional bias and prejudice and something unintentional. It looks like that distinction is not given much importance here.

There are two kinds of TED talks that bother me: 1) Consultants/salespeople using the TED platform as free advertising, 2) Condescending finger waggers "educating" us on their new Orwellian Doublespeak. This one managed to tick both boxes.

calling those examples "bias" is asinine. If you ask someone to lunch ( a kind gesture) and THEY GET OFFENDED because they are fasting, that is a problem with THEM! They are the ones who need to adjust to living in society and interacting with other people. They need to learn to say "no thanks, I am fasting" and NOT be offended. This idea that normal/friendly/good people need to walk on eggshells as to not offend the most overly sensitive people among us IS INSANE!!!! It would be more helpful to wave a flag when someone gets offended by something ridiculous (like getting asked out to lunch), and then sit that person in the corner and have everyone explain to them how stupid they are being.

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?

When they said "The team should commit to disrupting bias at least once in every meeting" I was expecting them to follow it with "Pros like us are usually able to find biases in every second or third sentence uttered at our workplace meetings".

I do agree that bias needs to be avoided. But I dont see the examples as biases. For example, not knowing if someone is fasting is just one's ignorance about the other. Why dont you just state that you are fasting and move on. How can one expect to know who all are fasting, who all are vegetarians and so on. What I think is that you have too little problems in your part of the world that you think too much about what little you have.

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.

So treat people differently according to their religion/culture/race aka be biased, the exact opposite of what they are apparently promoting.

I came here for Ted Talks not Bad Talks

Blindsided isn't meant to be about blind people it's a reference to something happening in your perifery or outside it that you don't spot. This is bullshit.

Just so no one forgets, this had about a 30/70 like/dislike ratio.

This is being presented in such a condescending way

Imagine working at a place where they make you watch this.

Hope that bias training kicks in when picking up that suspicious looking hitchhiker on a mountain road.

This is asinine on multiple levels. Grow up, be an adult, and stop playing the ultimate victim in life.

So cringe. TED really has fallen on hard times.

This can't be real, this must be satire

Thumbs down is about to defeat thumbs up…

Oh so even when there are no bias detected there are still biases, fantastic. You know what? Humans will always be biased no matter what. It's pointless to try to neutralize them all. The best you can do is get a lot of People from different horizons and walk of life that will all have different bias and in the end, the biases just average out.

- *rolls eyes* -

I didn't know TED shares SNL sketches.

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.

Wouldn't a blind person taking offense to the term "blind spot" be like an obese person taking offense to a butcher saying "this cut of meat is particularly fatty"?

The way you're giving an example of being seen as a receptionist vs an executive is biased in itself. So you're saying that a receptionist position is inferior to an executive in terms of value as a human, in your point of view? Sorry but you're being biased yourself by giving that as an example, by looking down on that position. That is wrong in so many ways.

Why she was flagged for asking a colleague for a launch when he had Ramadan? Not sure if that’s a bias

'Why was I using a slavery metaphor' You people are insane.

This is for kids, right? RIGHT??

If only everyone in the workplace can focus on doing a good job. Everyone has biases. Lets recognize our own and promote an environment where others recognize theirs.

Miss the time when TED was for smart people

I think this video is more about accidentally offending people (and how to react on that) than it is about bias.

Oh yeah because master is only used to refer to slavery...*sigh*

Instead of attempting to teach how to "reduce bias", how about teaching to increase resilience. Teach people to not read into ulterior motives in every interaction and not taking everything personally.

Guess I'm done with this channel

Wow. Blind spot is offensive? People need to get a grip.

This is not practical for very long in real life... too disruptive, too difficult to sustain. It's in vogue right now but won't be for much longer as more come to realize this. And grownups understand that in real life, people can be jerks. Mature people don't try to eradicate this; they learn strategies to deal with such situations, and more importantly, to master their own reactions, like choosing to not be offended. The world does not owe anyone a life free of all risk of offense or discomfort.

How can a blind person make an "eye statement?" There is no way for any human to speak without offending someone somewhere at some point. I understand the philosophy, but is this actually helping production? I can't imagine having to check yourself every minute because you used a *potentially* offensive word is very good for ensuring products go out the door, which is what a company's primary focus should be, should it not? Also, ask a blind person if they think being blind is "a good thing."

Wait, saying "blind spots" is offensive now? For crying out loud

Is it just me or does this seem a bit extreme? Is it not true that bias can just be personal preference? Seems there are infinite possibilities for how virtually any word could trigger someone, potentially any and all language could, probably does contain a modicum of bias. Maybe it’s just the examples that were used. Not against sensitivity and obvious bias , discrimination or prejudice based on age, identity, sexual orientation, gender etc no place in a workplace bit this seems extreme at least the examples set forth in the video.

This is so beyond unhelpful to anyone in any way...its a basically the Onion News Network come to life

You lost me at blind spot

It is good to recognise bias and to stop it. It is also good to have a culture that allows people to express their hurt or discomfort at something with no recriminations. However, it is also a good thing not to make a mountain out of a molehill. To bear with grace and patience the small errors that others make. The examples that are given in the show seem rather small to me. Personally, it would not be worth the time and effort to combat such tiny offences. Yes, there are times when one must confront bias and stop hatred growing. But most times it is better to give people the benefit of the doubt and move on. As the Bible says, Love covers a multitude of sins.

One step closer to becoming 1 efficient mass of productivity

Here's an idea: Let's look at character instead of skin color!

I'm all for recognizing bias in our interpersonal interactions at work and in our personal lives but these examples are silly. Sure, if either of these examples were a part of a string of slavery related comments or repeated veiled digs at a person's religion, then yes, they'd be bad. But taken in isolation we have to go out of our way to feel upset about them. Instead of advocating for a healthy workspace this video ends up trivializing what we should all take seriously. But maybe the message I should have walked away with has gone right over my head?

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.

Never hit unsubscribe faster in my life

How silly. I really don't think so poorly of blind people as to think they'll fall apart at hearing the common phrase "blind spot". Why do we think treating adults like children will help anything at all?

This video is fantastic! I love how practical the tips are. Thank you so much!

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?

Great techniques pushed and strained to reach ridiculous ends.

Glad I reviewed this video before adding it to my implicit bias presentation for work. As a Muslim woman in a corporate environment, I’ve never felt offended or the urge to flag a bias when a colleague invited me to lunch while fasting. Even when it was done after me presenting on diversity for Ramadan.

This entire video is one huge purple flag for me...

This video is very important. It shows what NOT to focus on! People are dying around the world and these entitled women talk about how offensive it is inviting someone for lunch?? How narrow-minded are you? Oh, sorry, that must have been offensive to people with a "narrow head" (??? idk)

Unreal that this is not satire. Imagine having to pre-screen everything you say for potential subtle biases and imagine the effort consumed screening others for the same thing. You'd literally not pay attention to the meeting. What gets me the most really is the vicarious offense. "Blind spot": Show me the hordes of blind people offended by this popular term and I wont use it anymore. But having two privileged women tell us that "on behalf of everyone else thou shall not speak that way", is a small step for TED but a giant leap for 1984.

O wow what a waste of time. This is what we are focusing on as a nation. What a massive distraction versus actually being helpful. We are so worried about how people “feel” it’s pathetic

I really object to some of the examples of implicit bias in this video, which we were required to watch for work. First of all, "serves three masters" is part of a quote from Sigmund Freud: "the poor ego...serves three Masters...". It is a general idiomatic expression. Secondly, "masters" could refer to many things, not necessarily a slave master. The second example is that someone was called out for bias because they asked someone out for lunch! It turns out this person was fasting during Ramadan. Seriously? I don't think I am responsible for knowing the Islamic calendar or any other calendar for that matter. All the invitee has to say, as an adult, "oh, thanks, but I can't. It's Ramadan and I'm fasting." To which the inviter responds, "oh ok, let's do it after Ramadan then."

I was going to dislike this but since it made me laugh I won't 🤣 This awkward skit reminded me of the "Muskrat" safety word scenes in the movie Meet The Fockers Am i a bad person ?

I don’t work in the office so problem solved.

What an absolute load of.........

I think this serving 3 masters is not a bias. We have the identical phrase in German, and Germany had never any slaves, and the same phrase is used in Dutch, not a slave country either. One can overdo sensitivity, and create an oppressive speech environment

What crap. These people are crazy.

Also, who polices the bias-checkers? This sounds awfully like a Kafka trap. If you have been accused of a bias and deny it, you're just confirming that bias and you are guilty as charged. If you accept the bias, you're guilty as charged as well.

Unconscious bias again older workers often gets overlooked as needing tackling and gets missed off lists of biases

This gives me a strong "new speak" orwellian vibe.

I absolutely love the increasing awareness of bias and making people more comfortable at the workplace, but I think the purple flag for using the word "blind" might be the most ridiculous thing I've heard all year. It's a little too far. You should want people to be involved and committed, not annoyed.

Pure insanity...

How bout, just do your job and stop taking EVERYTHING wrong!

As a left-handed man named Kim, I am pretty comfortable taking an authoritarian position on this: if someone mislabels/misgenders/misnames/misunderstands you, and you take offense at it, the failure was not theirs for operating with a limited data set. The failure is yours for taking offense that their data set was incomplete. Now, if someone has met me and we have already done the obligatory "Ms. Roberts . . . Oh, sorry. Mr. Roberts. Your name is Kim? Huh . . ." dance (my absolute favorite) and they STILL persist in calling me Ms., then and ONLY then do I have cause for offense. Because only then are their actions possibly intentional or malicious. Whatever they do in semi-ignorance is the fault of their ignorance and limited data set, not some bias or unconscious prejudice against me. And since blind strangers will never have any other option than working together within initially limited data sets, the readiness of some individuals to take offense at that is really just a reflection of their own bull-headed insistence on taking offense, and has little to no bearing on whatever biases the other person might hold. In fact, this readiness is, in itself, quite a glaring and harmful bias itself. It is a bias towards taking offense at the innocent or non-malicious actions of others. But if you do this and know you are doing it, you are not innocent. Because you know you are doing it, your offense is actually malicious. You are guilty of taking offense where none was intended. You did that. Not them.

Easy: Pick employees randomly. Solved.

I think the fasting example is kind of unfair lol. it can just be a habit of wanting to spend time with someone when there's free time.

We need to have stronger skin. In the “real” world the flag is Not gonna work. Its bias to have biases. Its a catch 22. I can be sensitive to the letter A. No words with letter A cause im OCD. So the whole company cant speak or write letter A?

Wow.

Disappointed in this video

I have a huge, raging "purple flag" whilst watching the video

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.

This just got shoved on me at work too... not ok

Very helpful message, but the example of "HR serves 3 masters" is a bit ridiculous. You can have a master without being a slave. Unless HR is understood as a slave, in which case ok.

This is comedy gold 😂

If you’re offended by words like lunch, masters, or blind spots, you should probably just wear ear plugs and bubble wrap out in Public.

What does an executive look like oppose to a receptionist!? If you are implying that executives look like they are in charge but receptionist look sloppy...maybe you should take your appearance more serious, considering how sensitive you about other people's opinions!

More wokeness from TED.

My very old school boss used to call me "hun" or "babe". I didn't take it personal bc I knew he wasn't intentionally trying to be disrespectful. Later on a woman chewed his @%% at the local diner. I explained to him that no woman really likes being addressed that way. Lol He understood, took note and quit it all together. He is almost 70 so no one is to old to understand these things. But a nice decent conversation as they are pointing out is key. Any innocent mistake should not be shamed.

This video is so condescending and treats adults like children. So much of it is the presenters assuming on someone else's behalf that they will be offended by someone else's normal use of accepted language like blindspot FFS. This is an example of them convicting others via their own bisase.... Unconscious bias is perhaps the most useless, undefined and pointless concept that there is. It looks like the result of an academic study looking for a victim. One gets biases through living... everyone gets them you can't help it. Some are good and some are bad. In its extremes, if I think of a tree I picture an oak tree or if i lived in a country where a certain, easily identifiable, demographic is responsible for over 50% of violent murders, each time i meet someone who i can identify as someone coming from that demographic I am going to be very cautious and assume that they are going to be violent. Biases are a result of living and in context, these two options are both correct and not wrong or bad.. Who's bias is considered to be the 'right one'? and who says? and through what bias lens are they looking through and whose bias training materials was the training material was used? We would all have to be robots programmed to some set of rules... Where is humanity in that? People like these have good intentions but suck the life out of humanity where one walks around scared of losing one's job/livelihood/family/life because someone not from your culture/humour/age group/race/ history (pick one) doesn't like something you have said, due to their own unconscious biases.... Also, it is very easy to be corrupted as it is very very hard to define what it is and I have found that often the person deciding what is a bad bias is the last type of person who should have that kind of power. Who would check them? Deciding if a bias is good or bad is often dependant on the recipient's feelings and not the intention of the person accused. There are man areas in the UK where calling someone love, darling etc is considered affection and a good thing.

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.

Here's a better idea... Grow up

Thoughtcrime? Unsubscribing.

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.

I am waving the maroon (red+purple) flag on this video!

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.

Its true, I first thought these women were very intelligent and had a inspiring message...

I thought it was gonna be a normal workplace sensitivity training type video but... saying "blind spots" is harmful to the visually impaired?! You people are not well...

Anyone else think that they will ever try and know everything about everyone and every situation before speaking so that no one could possibly be offended?

Crazy people

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

Weeeeeeell. I wasn't prepared for that much White Fragility in the comments section. And I'm White. I guess I think about work place bias in a different way. This video used some very mild examples, but the strategies they talked about could be useful for actual examples of bias I've seen negatively effecting academic and professional settings. Example 1: I wish I'd had a "purple flag" kind of tool at my university. I had a professor who thought was okay to ogle female students, classmates who discussed sexual fantasies about some students to other students, and several professors who generally favored male students over female ones regardless of academic performance. It would've been really helpful to have an agreed upon way to openly address these things, like a "purple flag". I didn't want to make my professors or classmates feel bad, I wanted them to treat me and others with the same kind of respect all people deserve. Schools and universities do better when students know they're going to get treated like students rather than pressured to deal with other's sexual fantasies. Example 2: I wish I'd had a "purple flag" kind of tool when I worked for an emergency preparedness organization. There were times when the unfair treatment I got for being female genuinely hindered my work and my organization's ability to make progress. At a professional event, a man from another organization handed his business card to a volunteer I was supervising, but then did not give me one even though I was standing right next to him and would have been the point person between our two organizations. At the time, I realized that if I asked for his card and explained why it made sense for him to give it to me, that he likely would have been embarrassed or even offended. And so what should have been the beginning of a relationship between the two organizations got hindered because he acted in a biased way. Similarly, within my own organization, a male supervisor brushed off my requests for program support from me only to have his male supervisors berate him for how his inattention negatively impacted my program. One male co-worker insisted on taking up precious time during a difficult-to-schedule meeting to explain my own program to me even though he knew I was the director of that program and had successfully fulfilled this role for a year. If my organization had a "purple flag" agreement, I might have been able to gently point out that we could spend the meeting time better discussing matters at hand, or that my program genuinely did need additional supports AND that they needed to re-evaluate their evident bias. In case you think I was alone in this, nope. Fellow female students and co-workers have experienced this, too. And in case you think I should've just spoken up... while that could've been worth the risk, my male supervisor had threatened to fire me for asking him to please be clearer with how he communicated directions. So you can imagine how fast I would've been fired if I'd attempted to bring up his bias. But in an organization with a "purple flag" agreement, it can become much harder to fire someone for doing something that the entire organization has agreed is okay for them to do. That's the point.

Better solution, don't wear your feelings on your sleeve. Think with your brain and not your emotions. Good grief, stop whining. Remember you choose to be offended, so change your choice.

Auntie how much they paying you, really