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
High-rise Construction | Apr 16, 2015
Construction begins on Seattle's Tibet-inspired Potala Tower
Construction on the 41-story Potala Tower in Seattle finally kicked off following a ground-breaking ceremony seven months ago.
Architects | Apr 14, 2015
Jeanne Gang, Bjarke Ingels among participants for inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial
Some big names include Bjarke Ingels Group and Studio Gang Architects
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 13, 2015
USTA breaks ground on what will be the country’s largest tennis complex
The 63-acre facility is being positioned as a cornerstone for a sports innovation and performance district in Lake Nona, Fla., a 7,000-acre master planned community that continues to expand.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
14 projects that push AEC teaming to the limits
From Lean construction to tri-party IPD to advanced BIM/VDC coordination, these 14 Building Teams demonstrate the power of collaboration in delivering award-winning buildings. These are the 2015 Building Team Award winners.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
Prefab saves the day for Denver hospital
Mortenson Construction and its partners completed the 831,000-sf, $623 million Saint Joseph Hospital well before the January 1, 2015, deadline, thanks largely to their extensive use of offsite prefabrication.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
Anaheim’s soaring intermodal hub
Anaheim's Regional Transportations Intermodal Center is the largest ETFE project in North America.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
Virtual collaboration helps complete a hospital in 24 months
PinnacleHealth needed a new hospital STAT! This team delivered it in two years, start to finish.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
New arts venue reinvigorates Virginia Tech's campus
The STV-led Building Team creates a world-class performance and arts venue with learning and entrepreneurial dimensions.
BIM and Information Technology | Apr 9, 2015
A carboard box by Google can bring virtual reality to architecture
The global search engine giant has launched a new product, Google Cardboard, that easily allows users to experience virtual reality.
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
Multifaced fitness center becomes campus landmark
A sloped running track and open-concept design put this Building Team to the test.