The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/480238
BEST PRACTICES PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 16 with the gender I was assigned at birth, and living and functioning in this way was limiting me on all levels. Fortunately, I worked for one organization and volunteered for another that both honored and supported me. In coming out as a transgender woman, I experienced the paradox of simultaneous vulnerability and strength. I can now clearly observe biases that play out in the ways people are treated because of their differences. I still have biases that need to be challenged; after taking a good run at one, the others will become a little easier to overcome. All leaders must do this internal work to deliver the results our organizations need. Anything less is a disservice to all those who look to leaders for guidance. In a recent White House press conference, the President selected eight female reporters to ask questions. This almost melted the Internet, as it was deemed so vital a report. A similar briefing with eight men would have had fewer views than a YouTube video of cute kittens. This was a wonderful display of talented women journalists, but it proves that biases can only be altered by active leadership that disrupts the normal flow of bias. This kind of leadership takes courage, especially if biases are strong in an organization. SOLVE FOR X For leaders to recognize what organizational biases need disruption, they need to confront their own. Therein lies the rub — it is hard work to become aware of your unconscious biases, or to dispel those of which you are conscious. In my experience, a personal commitment to bringing awareness to each time a bias is encountered — running toward it and the feelings it evokes — becomes part of the practice of rooting it out. If you desire innovation for your organization, it will only flourish by beginning at home, in your own heart and in your mind. Returning to the formula (Di + Ic) * L = In, let's update it to include the variable X, which is affected by the quality of your leadership. (Di + Ic) * L(X) = In The results you reap are directly tied to the strength you bring to rooting out biases every day, with unwavering consistency. Take on the inclusion imperative, and create an environment that fosters innovation. NAVIGATING OUT OF BIAS Everyone has biases, many of them unconscious and seemingly hardwired. Many of our workplaces have (hopefully) moved beyond overt biases, which means we now have the more pernicious problem of subtle, unexpressed or unconscious biases to root out. As Verna - Myers so eloquently pointed out in a recent TED Talk, in order to navigate out of our biases, we have to "walk boldly toward them." Biases exist because, at some point in our brief time on this planet, they conferred some form of evolutionary advantage. In a modern, diverse society they are no longer useful, and they have no place in a modern workplace. Here is a reading list to help you think through questions around bias and diversity: Towards Diversity in Law Firms by Jordan Furlong Can Intel Make Silicon Valley More Diverse? by Vauhini Vara Do Women Take As Many Risks As Men? by Doug Sundheim Hacking Tech's Diversity Problem by Joan C. Williams Help Your Employees Be Themselves at Work by Dorie Clark and Christie Smith Global Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering Innovation Through a Diverse Workforce by Forbes Insights Recognizing My Own Biases by Jenn Steele Why Aren't Women Advancing at Work? Ask a Transgender Person by Jessica Nordell Verna - Myers Consulting Articles