In June, the U.S. Justice Department made headlines when it became the first federal agency to mandate implicit bias training for its employees. In the coming months, more than 23,000 agents from the ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, and some 5,800 prosecutors, will receive the science-based coaching.
The goal is to better understand the “hidden,” or unconscious, characterizations and stereotypes—particularly pertaining to gender, nationality, social class, and race—that unknowingly affect agents’ decisions and actions in law enforcement situations. The Justice Dept. wants its employees to become more aware of their subconscious prejudices and learn how to shun them altogether.
Skeptics view the move as a knee-jerk reaction to the headline-grabbing, riot-sparking police shootings in Baton Rouge, La., Chicago, Cleveland, Ferguson, Mo., and North Charleston, S.C. But Justice Dept. officials cite successful implicit bias training programs at the local law enforcement level—in Baltimore, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, and Seattle, to name a few—as the impetus for the directive.
“This program has been so well-received by our state and local counterparts, we thought it was something we should be offering to our federal agents, frankly, to get our own house in order,” Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told Reuters.
Before writing off implicit bias education as the 21st century’s version of sensitivity training, consider this: Some of the world’s largest and most progressive companies—including Coca-Cola, Facebook, and Google—have implemented formal unconscious bias training programs. And other corporate and tech giants—Apple and Intel included—have invested heavily in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
These companies are tapping into the latest research in psychology and sociology not only to advance their diversity and inclusion efforts when it comes to hiring, promoting, compensation, and high-performance teaming, but also to gain a better understanding of the tendencies of their employees, colleagues, and customers. In short, they believe diversity and inclusion make good business sense, when done right.
“It’s not enough just to throw people together,” says diversity consultant and author Howard Ross. “People need to learn how to interact with each other appropriately. They need to learn that the more diversity we have, the more work we have to do.”
Ross says implicit bias impacts almost all facets of business: hiring, recruitment, mentoring, performance reviews, supervisory decisions, client service, marketing. It affects how business professionals view their market: what they see and hear, what they don’t see and hear, how they solve problems, how they interpret situations, how they set norms and expectations.
In November, at BD+C’s first annual Women in Design+Construction Conference in Dana Point, Calif., implicit bias expert Sally Jue, of consulting firm Cook Ross, will explore ways that unconscious bias affects the AEC industry, particularly women in the profession. Jue will lead a talk and workshop in which participants will examine their own background and identities so that they can interact more authentically with their employees, colleagues, clients, family, and friends.
For more on the WiD+C Conference, visit: www.BDCnetwork.com/WIDC.
David Barista, Editorial Director
dbarista@sgcmail.com
Related Stories
Products and Materials | Feb 14, 2022
How building owners and developers can get ahead of the next supply chain disaster
Global supply chain interruptions that started at the very beginning of the pandemic are still with us and compounding every step of the way. Below are a few proven tips on how to avert some of the costly fallout should we be faced with similar commercial disasters at any time in the future.
Urban Planning | Feb 14, 2022
5 steps to remake suburbs into green communities where people want to live, work, and play
Stantec's John Bachmann offers proven tactic for retrofitting communities for success in the post-COVID era.
Urban Planning | Feb 11, 2022
6 ways to breathe life into mixed-use spaces
To activate mixed-use spaces and realize their fullest potential, project teams should aim to create a sense of community and pay homage to the local history.
Senior Living Design | Feb 11, 2022
Design for senior living: A chat with Rocky Berg, AIA
Rob Cassidy, Editor of MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction, chats with Rocky Berg, AIA, Principal with Dallas architecture firm three, about how to design senior living communities to meet the needs of the owner, seniors, their families, and staff.
Architects | Feb 11, 2022
How computer simulations of vision loss create more empathetic buildings for the visually impaired
Here is a look at four challenges identified from our research and how the design responds accordingly.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 10, 2022
Respite for the weary healthcare worker
The pandemic has shined a light on the severe occupational stress facing healthcare workers. Creating restorative hospital environments can ease their feelings of anxiety and burnout while improving their ability to care for patients.
Architects | Feb 8, 2022
Perkins Eastman and BLT Architects merge
Expanding services in hospitality, education, and mixed-use sectors to better serve clients.
Architects | Feb 3, 2022
SmithGroup elevates Mark Adams to lead workplace practice
In his new role, Adams leads the firm’s practice devoted to the design of corporate and commercial facilities.
Architects | Feb 2, 2022
Steven L. Pliam joins LEO A DALY as Design Technology Leader
Pliam will oversee the deployment and use of technologies such as computational design, parametric design, digital practice, reality capture, visualization, virtual/augmented reality, GIS and AI/Machine Learning.
Architects | Jan 31, 2022
Heatherwick Studio proposes new public waterfront site for Seoul
Heatherwick Studio was recently selected as part of the team by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to create a new sports and cultural district for the city.