My posting about hidden bias and its impact on who should be invited to what meeting sparked me to seek research on the topic.  I was struck by a story on the radio earlier in the week about decision making.  The NPR story was talking about the role of the subconscious in people’s decision-making ability.  I stumbled upon several online assessments which uncover what is buried in our subconscious, and the result that has on our actions.

The consistent theme across the various sites is no matter how much we think we are committed to egalitarianism or a meritocracy our “mental residue” as one site names it prohibits us from consistent actions.  No matter what our intentions are, our behaviors diverge.  This may explain why we eat when we are not hungry.

Psychologists at Harvard, the University of Virginia and the University of Washington created “Project Implicit” to develop Hidden Bias Tests — called Implicit Association Tests, or IATs, in the academic world — to measure unconscious bias. The website Teaching Tolerance (A project from the Southern Poverty Law Center) http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html  offers a variety of resources including an IAT. 

These tests whether you believe in them wholeheartedly or not are useful to discover the values of the dominant culture within an organization.  In many cultures there are tacit values informing people’s behavior–sales or marketing engineer or research.  If you do not possess the traits of the dominant culture there may be hidden bias for or against.  The use of a third-party instrument neutralizes the initial charge often associated with this type of inquiry.  I encourage you to take the test yourself, and be open to the results.  Even if you do not think it tells the whole story, it may illuminate things worthy of consideration.

Despite what we may think, far too often we are prone to include people in projects, meetings, discussions, and events who think like we do, act like we do, and even look like we do.  Don’t get me wrong, there may be someone who makes the cut who doesn’t share our taste in fashion, but dig under the personality hood for a moment to discover the thinking and the acting of a kindred spirit.

I make this point because there the literature is filled with articles talking about our hidden bias.  Most leaders I work with today don’t even refute the premise which was not the case a decade ago.  What is disheartening is not the admission of this bias, but the impact on systems thinking regarding the issues of our day.  I was at a recent community event on the West side of Chicago where I live.  The event was an inter-active panel discussion about food policy or lack thereof for neighborhoods like the one I live.  Over the past 50 years we have become accustomed to thinking out food comes from a supermarket rather than from the ground.  The recent economic crisis has brought the notion of sustainability to a new level as people confront the impact of scarce resources beyond money.

What struck me about the discussion was the hidden bias at work.  The panel while diverse in race, gender, and role, all shared a similar perspective about the issue.  The audience also diverse in race, gender, and role although not as much exhibited a similar convergent thinking.  I left wondering where were those who disagree with the hypothesis presented by the organizers.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of the recent credit meltdown was the interconnectivity of humankind.  When in the past did a mortgage servicer in Sioux Falls impact a sovereign debt investor in Dubai?  What we have not been able to get past is what this interconnectivity means to us in terms of our ability to find an elegant solution for all.  I am not asking human beings to stop acting like human beings.  There is comfort in being with those who have shared interests.  However, we must open the door to all views, and learn how to authentically engage with those who think differently.  This sounds like a platitude espoused from an ivory tower above our heads.  I prefer to think of it as a pragmatic suggestion necessary if we are to determine root causes for the most significant problems we confront. 

On the mundane level simply ask yourself who else needs to be in the room the next time you discuss a contentious topic.  You may find the list longer than you originally thought.