As a starting place take a moment to reflect and ask yourself, “What prejudices do I have?” If you say none, you’re not being honest. Everyone has them because everyone has a story where they learn what makes others different and what makes them the same. It is our collective experience as human beings that creates a common space to understand, relate, and empathize with each other.
Take a few moments to consider the following questions for yourself.
- When you were growing up, what biases, attitudes, and/or opinions did your parents or caregivers have about “others”?
- How did they express or demonstrate these perspectives, through words or actions?
- What biases, attitudes and/or opinions do you notice in yourself that you carry with you today from these early messages?
What did you learn about yourself by examining these questions? Is there anything you would like to adjust in your thoughts, words, or behaviour as a result of this self-reflection?
Everyone has biases, based on many factors such as culture, religion, social influences, education, family background and dynamics, age, gender, personal or family history, life experiences, etc. These biases focus on what makes us different instead of what connects us as human beings, which creates the foundation for empathy.
It is through empathy that we can revisit our perspectives and insert compassion, to drive a different way of relating to people who challenge our sense of comfort, right and wrong, and normalcy.
DEI training needs to push people who do not manage themselves in this empathic way, to consider silence before making a joke, derogatory comment, or worse, that cannot be taken back, and in that space consider the following:
- Who do I want to be?
- What legacy do I want to leave in each person I meet?
