Is unconscious bias training a strategy or a tactic?
Every day, all of us either hear from a consultant pitching the newest version of unconscious bias training, or a company adopting unconscious bias training to overcome issues of bias and discrimination in the workplace. Unconscious bias trainings have become the go-to for every diversity-related issue that organizations are facing. But why, after all the money spent, very little seems to change.
We think that’s because training puts the cart before the horse. Training, like many other initiatives in organizations like employee resource groups, are means to an end. Not an end unto themselves. Let me explain.
Most organizations have some form of a strategy which dictates where and how they’ll play in the marketplace, and with whom. At a minimum, a strategy identifies a hole to be filled, seize an opportunity to address that need, justifies the investment through ROI, and has a goal.
So here’s a question, “Shouldn’t we be taking a step back and make sure we have the right strategy in place before we start rolling out initiatives?”.