Elise Ahenkorah, PROSCI, CCIP

Did you know that if you have a brain – you have biases?

Have you heard these types of statements before?

- “When I look at you, I don’t see colour. / I am an ally, I am colourblind.”
- “I’m surprised Sam is gay because he doesn’t act gay.”
- “Josh’s wife is pregnant, but he won’t be taking parental leave because he is a man.”
- "Christine wasn't smiling in the meeting. She seems aggressive."
- “Caleb has a heavy accent; he couldn’t possibly be a leader.”

Most of us will say, “I see people for who they are,” — but do we? Unconscious biases affect and impact daily decision-making in our workplace and leadership behaviours.

First impressions, positive or negative, are made in seven seconds or less. The human brain can process 11 million bits of information every second. But our conscious minds can handle only 40 to 50 bits of information a second.

Curious to learn more? Contact Elise for more details on learning outcomes and client testimonials.

For diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) or LGBTQ2S+ inclusion efforts to be truly impactful, we all need to better understand and apply the concept of intersectionality to our workplaces.

When some people face prejudice, the targeted characteristics overlap. This makes the experiences of discrimination or oppression unique.

For example, a woman with autism, a woman of colour or an older transgender person can face prejudice due to their overlapping social identities. Another example is how racialized women experience gender discrimination differently from how a white woman will experience it.

Therefore, teammates and leaders must make room for intersectionality within their DE&I, LGBTQ2S+, or belonging practices. If you ignore intersectionality, you’re overlooking the reality of your employees’ experiences at work and in communities.

Curious to learn more? Contact Elise for more details on learning outcomes and client testimonials.

Microaggressions are subtle behaviours that reveal our biases. A new study, Race Relations In Canada in 2019, conducted by Environics Institute For Survey Research, has found that one in five Canadians experiences discrimination regularly or from time to time.

Microaggression in the workplace has an 'othering' effect, which can impact retention, employee engagement, psychological safety, productivity, and team performance.

A key part of championing DE&I in the workplace is identifying microaggressions. Understanding they exist is the first step to being able to spot, challenge and mitigate these behaviours. Our training will equip teammates with the confidence to do this.