Page 37 - CCCA 243725 Magazine_Winter 2015

{ sPotLiGHt on… }

ect a strong, calm demeanour. Neither of enced by your bias? Ask the opinion of a ■ Broaden your horizons: Get to know
these workplace personalities is more ca- co-worker (who is different from you). people (both inside and outside of
pable or talented than the other, but you ■ Embrace and celebrate diversity: Fo- work) who are different from you. If
likely have a preference for one, largely this is not possible, read, watch and
informed by your own culture. cus on the positives that difference can listen to things by people different
bring, including new viewpoints and
5. Your own diversity dimensions: When it insights into the profession. from you (books, podcasts, articles,
blogs, etc.)
comes to aspects of diversity, how do you ■ Examine your organization’s inter-
identify yourself? We tend to like (and view guide and interview questions: ■ Avoid generalities in language: Don’t
therefore hire, mentor and promote) peo- Are they accessible and welcoming to use phrases that begin with “They
ple who are similar to us. are” or “They can’t,” etc., to describe a
all potential candidates? Are they bi-
The next time you recognize yourself ased towards a certain type of person whole group of people.
having a biased thought, try to refect on (white, male, extroverted, etc.)? ■ Don’t expect an individual to be a
where that bias may have come from and ■ Know yourself: Be willing to admit spokesperson for an entire group of
how trustworthy it actually is. people: For example, a colleague with
that you have biases and understand autism does not speak for the entire
How can we overcome our unconscious that you are not a bad person because autistic community.
biases? of it. Uncovering your own biases is a
In the legal profession, our unconscious learning opportunity. We all have a role to play in the fght for
equality. Armed with these tools, you can
biases infuence decisions around law ■ Evaluate your daily workplace inter-
school curricula and culture, interviewing, actions: To whom do you assign work? begin to make more objective, talent-
based workplace decisions immediately. ❚
articling and hiring, retention, mentoring, Whom do you take to important meet-
promotion, workplace social events, work- ings? Whom do you publicly praise or
place culture, employee reviews, fring, sal- recognize? Whom do you choose to Karen Sadler is the Marketing and Communications
ary negotiation, team dynamics, and more. mentor and sponsor? When you describe Coordinator at the CCCA. This article summarizes
If we really want to create a more diverse a candidate as “not being the right ft” for the tips and insights presented at a Canadian Centre
and inclusive profession, we must begin to your team, what do you mean by that? for Diversity & Inclusion event on unconscious bias.
dismantle our own biases. Easy and effec-
tive strategies for overcoming unconscious
bias include the following:
■ Question yourself constantly: When
interacting with someone different
from yourself, question your initial
perceptions. How do you feel about
this person, and more importantly,
why do you think you feel that way?
■ Ask for other people’s perspectives:
Not sure if your negative thoughts
about a potential hire or mentee are
based on their capabilities or just infu-

CAnADIAn COrPOrAtE COUnSEL ASSOCIAtIOn | CCCA-ACCjE.Org 37