The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias by Pamela Fuller

Author:Pamela Fuller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2020-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

ANNE

Several years ago, I was hosting a group of technology chief information officers and other senior executives over dinner. In attendance were both female and male executives, as well as their guests. We got to talking about talent and the importance of supporting next-generation leaders. The executive sitting next to me by all external measures was a successful, well-known leader who even spent some of his time teaching at a top university. He said, “You know, I’ve had some amazing young women on my team, but then they get married and have children.”

Wait… what? Did he really say that? What was additionally surprising was that his wife was sitting right next to him, and he had daughters! I felt I had to speak up. I graciously pressed him on why he felt that amazing women contributors became less amazing after they got married and had kids. He shared his rationale that women who got married and had kids could no longer stay late at work, having to leave early. Their schedules were impacted by the fact that they became mothers.

Well, suffice it to say, we engaged in a very lively debate about his biases (note that I did not use this word with him), and I tried to gracefully reframe his perspective. I asked him why he believed men didn’t become less amazing when they got married or became parents—and we had a robust discussion about differences, similarities, communications, and expectations. I’ll admit that there was one small moment when I thought there might be some risk in pushing him, as he was a very large client of mine, but I realized it was more important to have courage and engage in the discussion. The good news is that this dialogue did not in any way harm or derail our relationship. Rather, because of its authenticity, it served as a solid foundation for our interactions and growth going forward.

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