Jeff’s latest article in Hispanic Executive, “Don’t Hide the Tortillas,” introduces a vision for the Hispanic community. “We are diverse. We are strong. And we belong.”
Woke-Faux-Ness is the tendency of leaders to spill ink about social justice, fairness, and respect but avoid putting these values into practice.
Freelance writer Arwa Mahdawi inspired me with her recent article on “woke-washing.”
The say-do gap can create cynicism and internal conflict, which heightens employee disengagement, presenteeism, and turnover. These silent revenue killers are among the highest costs businesses and nonprofits face.
You know about these problems and their consequences.
You are doing your best to avoid them (otherwise, you would have unsubscribed from my list long ago).
At the same time, you are probably tired of the divisive name-calling, blanket condemnations, and facile, self-punitive hype that Columbia’s John McWhorter calls a new racism.
On the positive side of the ledger, most high-functioning people grow uneasy about cognitive dissonance and take steps to reduce the say-do gap.
Behavior change tends to follow some form of what the military calls the OODA loop: Observe-Orient-Decide-Act.
Observation inspires thought. Thought sparks words, and words spur action.
Here are some positive steps you can take.
1. Address affinity bias. Affinity bias is the unconscious tendency to gravitate toward people who look, think, and act like you.
This tendency is a part of what Daniel Kahneman calls System 1 thinking, which is governed by the amygdala section of the brain that houses our fight or flight instincts.
Yes, everybody has an affinity bias.
No, it does not mean you are a closet bigot.
Those who convert affinity bias into a conscious attitudinal bias that claims superiority over another are bigots.
Once you know about the human tendency toward affinity bias, you can engage your System 2 brain – the analytical mind – to address it. Now, you know about it.
2. Walk the Talk. Model the behavior you want to promote and hold people accountable.
You know the importance of setting the example, and that “Do as I say not as I do” is not acceptable.
“Treat people exactly how I treat people” is what you want to promote. It starts with respect – the commitment to treating everyone with equal dignity.
The temptation can be keen to overlook or rationalize disrespectful behavior by high-performers, but holding them accountable (especially if they look, act, or think like you) is vital because of their outsized impact on the organization.
One way to check the levels of mutual respect in your organization is to see how people treat your newest- and lowest-paid employees, custodial staff, and other contracted support staff.
Also, check how people leave your common areas, especially the bathrooms.
People who respect one another tend not to leave messes for others to clean-up.
3. Set-up people for success. A problem with too many diversity programs is the lack of focus on putting people into positions where they are most likely to thrive.
This problem is part of the reason the first-rung tends to be the hardest to climb for non-majority employees.
Here are some ways to set-up people for success:
Our eBook, “Build your Winning Team,” takes you step-by-step to set-up people for success. Just send an email to chris@strategicleadersacademy.com and I’ll send it to you right away.
What’s your top takeaway?
Let me know with providing a comment below or by email.
P.S. Are you ready for your NSASO session?
NSASO means No-Sales, Action-Steps-Only. I set aside time each week for these calls. We’ll discuss:
Here’s what I’m reading about race in America.
Peniel E. Joseph, The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own
The Economist, Tackling racism: The new ideology of race and what is wrong with it.
John McWhorter, The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility, The Atlantic.
Ruchika Tulshyan, How to Reduce Personal Bias When Hiring, Harvard Business Review.
Sabrina Siddiqui, Majority of Voters Say U.S. Society Is Racist as Support Grows for Black Lives Matter, The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post, How John Lewis caught the conscience of the nation
I highlight these books and articles because they contain a range of viewpoints on this challenging and delicate subject.
One takeaway for business leaders is that there’s a difference between attitudinal and affinity bias.
Attitudinal bias is prejudice. It is a conscious choice to de-value someone based on race, sex, creed, color, or any other distinction.
It is disgusting, abhorrent, and pathetic.
Affinity bias, on the other hand, is a common, unconscious tendency to gravitate towards those who look, think, and act the way you do.
Both biases tilt the playing field for some groups over others. One does so intentionally; one does not.
Fifty-six percent of Americans, according to a recent WSJ/NBC poll, believe that Black and Hispanic Americans face discrimination.
Intentions matter.
Once you know about affinity bias and accept that you probably have it, you can do something about it.
And now you know about it.
What is your top takeaway from this article?
P.S. Do you want counter affinity bias as you nail your next 100 days? Here’s the free training that will help you do exactly that. It’s perfect for solo-entrepreneurs, consultants, and micro-business owners.
Sign up now while this article is in front of you. You are one decision away from nailing your next 100 days.
You would have to be an idiot not to take diversity and inclusion seriously.
Study after study shows the economic power of diversity.
A diverse, high-performing team is more productive, your leaders make better decisions, and you avoid the drama that makes for a toxic workplace.
The return on investment is such a no-brainer that companies spend millions each year on diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs.
The likelihood that these programs deliver diverse AND high-performing teams, though, is too limited.
A recent Wall Street Journal study shows that companies are doing well in hiring diverse talent, but not in promoting them.
The first management rung seems to be the hardest to climb.
What’s happening?
Systemic bigotry is part of the problem.
Another part of the problem is that companies set their employees up for failure when they fail to align work with people’s natural inclinations.
When your hiring focuses mostly on diversity-that-you-can-see, you heighten the risk of putting the round peg in the square hole.
You know the results: heightened frustration, less productivity, and faster burnout.
People who report using their natural inclinations – their superpowers – each day are two-to-three times more productive than those who do not.
Using your superpowers each day means higher engagement, better performance, and less frustration and burnout.
Aligning work with natural inclinations is the best way to set up your employees for success so that you are more likely to retain and promote them.
We’ve developed a straightforward and free tool that you can use to promote diversity of natural strengths and make your leaders successful.
Servant leaders come in four broad archetypes: Pioneers (innovators), Reconcilers (team-builders), Operators (implementers), and Mavericks (game-changers).
Your subordinates are more likely to thrive when you put them in positions aligned with their superpowers.
You will be a better mentor when you help each person be the best version of themselves rather than sub-consciously encouraging them to copycat you.
You will also avoid what my mentor Michele Flournoy calls the mini-me syndrome – the tendency to surround yourself with people who think and act as you do.
The combination of physical and cognitive diversity will power your growth, limit expensive mistakes, and make your company a better place to work.
Do your most vulnerable employees feel that they can contribute their best and most authentic selves each day?
Get the tool here.
What’s your top leadership takeaway from this article?
Add a comment or email me at chris@strategicleadersacademy.com
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