Speaker 0 00:00:00 From Romano Leadership, I'm Oscar Romano. This is Learn, reflect Lead Leadership and D E I A development for mission-driven individuals and organizations. This episode is titled, is It Because You're Not White Tackling and Perceived Bias? This episode is for you if you are a person of color who has dealt with perceived bias in the past. If you're a person of color who wants strategies on how to address perceived bias, or if you are a person in power who wants to avoid projecting any perceived bias. Today we're gonna focus on how you can tackle perceived bias. Picture this, you didn't get a promotion, were turned on for a job, or were passed over by a potential client. Even though you felt you were qualified, you've experienced situations that may not have been overtly racist, but still rub you the wrong way where they microaggressions. You might ask yourself, you don't wanna overreact or be, you know, overly cynical.
Speaker 0 00:01:07 Then when you look around at the people getting the promotions, the job offers and clients, you, you see that they're all white. You can't help but think that there might be some bias involved and ask yourself, is it because I'm not white? Let's talk about bias triggers. Conscious or unconscious. Racial or ethnic bias can be triggered in different ways. You know, for example, physical features. I'm talking about the color of your skin or facial structure, or speech characteristics like accents, language proficiency and vocabulary. Then you have cultural characteristics like the way you dress or tattoos. There's an internal impact of perceived bias that we need to talk about. What can plague people of color is not knowing the truth behind the decisions being made Behind the scenes, a while back, a friend told me about how they saw a need in the organization. They proposed a role to fill that need.
Speaker 0 00:02:02 They interviewed for that role, and they didn't get the role. Just because they didn't get the role doesn't mean that bias played a factor in the decision making process, but the lack of feedback, right? That left the door open for bias to be a possibility in their mind. They were so frustrated about the whole process, and they needly quit their job because of it. They believed that they met all the qualifications for the role that they proposed, and they didn't get any feedback. To the contrary, from then on, my friend didn't trust the people who made that decision, and it was only a few years before they moved to another organization. The truth is that race or ethnicity can be a factor. So what science might push you to wonder if your race or ethnicity is a factor, and what can those empower do to avoid these perceptions from playing out, I want you to put yourself in the frame of mind of somebody applying for a promotion or a new job. Here's some signs that might push you to think that race or ethnicity could be a factor in the decision making process, along with suggestions for people of color and those in power on how to deal with it.
Speaker 0 00:03:11 Number one, you don't get any specific or relevant feedback when you don't get any specific or relevant feedback. After receiving of rejection, it's easy to assume there weren't any legitimate reasons for the decision. So suggestions for people of color. At the end of an interview, ask them if they have any feedback about your performance. It's okay to take initiative and suggestions for those in power. Make sure you provide specific and relevant feedback versus something like, oh, you're not a good fit. Number two, they probe you about your relationship to their network. It seems like they're looking for somebody who has already vouched for you, rather than evaluate you based on your knowledge and skills. So suggestions for people of color, right? Pivot the conversation in a way that allows you to highlight your qualifications and experience and suggestions for those in power. Ask yourself why their connections matter so much and make sure you have a better answer than it's good to know that they were vetted by somebody I trust.
Speaker 0 00:04:09 Number three, they already seem aloof in your conversations with them. You're fully engaged anytime you have conversations with those in power, but it seems like they're, there's always something else on their mind. They don't seem interested. Suggestions for people of color, demonstrate your engagement in conversations by asking for their perspective or assistance on a specific topic and suggestions for those in power. Remember that every interaction is an opportunity to build relationships, so fully engage in your conversations with others. Number four, you haven't gotten feedback ahead of time. You didn't get any constructive feedback anytime prior to an interview for a promotion leading you to think that you were doing everything right. Suggestions for people of color, make a request to your manager that you dedicate some time during your check-ins to receive direct feedback on your performance and suggestions. For those in power. Take time to learn about your staff's aspirations so you can consistently provide others with feedback on their progress towards their goals.
Speaker 0 00:05:07 Number five, you see the same type of people different from you in the roles you are aiming for. When you don't see people who look like you in the spaces you're aiming for and don't see any plans to address it, that can leave you disillusioned. Suggestions for people of color. Reach out to a trusted figure in the organization with whom you might feel comfortable talking about your potential future there. See if diversity is something they're working toward and digest and suggestions for those in power regularly. Conduct an equity audit around the staffing in each level of your organization to help you determine where additional representation might be needed. You know, even if you're able to handle perceived bias in the moment, it doesn't mean that you can get over it that easily. Here's how to rebuild yourself after experiencing perceived bias. So what should you do in these situations? Like how, how do you get past it?
Speaker 0 00:06:00 Well, for me, I, I've learned to focus on my mentality. First and foremost. I haven't found any point in dwelling on a situation. Instead, I push myself to strive toward making others regret passing me over. It's easy to think you're not good enough when the complete opposite is true. So how do you build yourself back up? What does a focus on your mentality look like? First, review your qualifications and accomplishments. In a previous video, I brought up the idea of champion yourself by owning, knowing, and sharing your accomplishments. The strategies I brought up there could serve well in this situation too. When strategies simply involves keeping a running list of all your accomplishments to help you remember all the successes you've already had in your life, this can help you gain perspective. Second, lean on your mentors and friends. Outside perspectives can help ground you if you find yourself amidst an internal negative spiral.
Speaker 0 00:06:51 It's important not to let yourself stay in your head too much, recognize that you have a lot of people around you who care about you and can give you an honest takes on the situation. Third, lean into areas where your value is appreciated. True appreciation and recognition can do wonders to your self-image, so lean into that by spending time with people or in areas where your value is appreciated. This practice can help you remember the different ways that you provide value to others. And fourth, focus on getting results. It can be really hard to argue with data, so rack up as much data in your favor as you can. People won't have any legitimate arguments that they'll be able to make against you in your progression when there's a significant amount of data in your favor. Now it's time to commit. If you're a person of color, what actions will you take when experiencing perceived bias? What rebuilding strategy works for you? And if you're a person empowered, what commitments do you make to avoid projecting any perceived bias? Let me know how it goes. Thanks. That's it for this episode of Learn, reflect Lead. Thank you for watching on YouTube or listening via podcast. If you're interested in more, you can find
[email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn at Romano Leadership.
Speaker 0 00:08:20 If you like this episode, please share it with your friends. Subscribe and leave a review. I'm Oscar Ramona. Until next time.
