Equity and Communication

Chapter 1: Breaking the bias habit

Case Study: What is in a name?

• For Discussion: The effects of a name

Implicit bias is pervasive

For Discussion: What are the inequities anyway?

Implicit biases can be reduced with sustained effort and strategy

• Callout: Implicit biases are not just an individual problem
• Exercise 1.1: Take two implicit bias tests
• There are evidence-based strategies for reducing implicit bias
• For Discussion: Visualize yourself using the bias reduction strategies
• We need external structures as well as internal change

Advocating for organizational change means persuading others to reduce bias

• Focus on actions rather than mindsets
• For Discussion: Mindsets vs. Actions
• Appeal to values other than equity when advocating for actions
• Exercise 1.2: Appealing to values other than equity
• Distinguish between action-based and philosophical arguments
• For Discussion: Action-based versus philosophical arguments
• Callout: Limit “controlling” arguments that make people feel pressure to comply

Is this book for me? 

Summary

• Exercise 1.3: Keep a bias-breaking diary

Chapter 2: Overcoming Inequities in Conversations and Meetings

Intrusive interruptions reinforce power dynamics

• Callout: Not all interruptions are intrusive

Implicit biases determine whose ideas are heard

• Exercise 2.1: Analyze a meeting

Conversational inequities are bad for organizations

Individual actions you can take to serve as an ally

1. Practice counter-stereotypic imagining before meetings
2. Use your voice to include others
3. Manage your own interruptions
4. Reflect and follow up after the meeting

For Discussion: Structural changes to make meetings more equitable

• Institute a “no interruptions” rule
• Take turns
• Adopt decision-making rules
• Use polling, text-based discussion, and other tools
• Collect post-meeting feedback
• Callout: When people resist structure
• For Discussion: What if you are the one being interrupted?

What to say: Scripts for reducing conversational inequities

• For Discussion: Advocating for equity

Summary

• Exercise 2.2: Reflect on your own conversational interactions
• Exercise 2.3: Disrupt conversational inequities

Chapter 3: Making Evaluation and Feedback Fair and Equitable

Case Study

Evaluation and feedback are pivotal to our growth and development

Common biases in evaluations and feedback

• Stereotype fit governs who we perceive as competent
• Callout: In-group biases

People with low stereotype fit have their personalities criticized

People with low stereotype fit receive inflated feedback relative to their evaluation scores

Underrepresented individuals receive less actionable advice

Ambiguities accelerate bias

• Exercise 3.1: Generic Performance Evaluation

Creating a system: Actions that can make evaluation and feedback more equitable

• Exercise 3.2: Rewriting criteria to be less subject to bias
• Collect data
• Exercise 3.3: Considering evidence
• Evaluate one criterion at a time across all individuals
• Equalize feedback
• For Discussion: Actionable Feedback
• Exercise 3.4: Communicate that your standards are consistent for everyone
• Conduct feedback reviews and hold reviewers accountable

What to do if you are on the receiving end of biased feedback

• If you believe that you have received inflated or vague feedback…
• If you feel that you have received a biased evaluation or biased feedback…

Advocating for change in organizations

For Discussion: Arguments for change

Summary

• Exercise 3.5: Reflect on a recent evaluation

Chapter 4: Biases in hiring, promotion, and salary negotiations 

Inequities in networking, sponsorship, and mentoring

• Steps institutions can take to reduce inequities in networking
• Steps job-seekers can take to navigate inequities sponsorship and networking
• Exercise 4.1: Attitudes towards networking and mentorship

• Steps institutions can take to reduce inequities in negotiation
• Steps job-seekers can take to navigate inequities in negotiation
• Exercise 4.2: Reframe the focus 

• For Discussion: Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets
• Institutions can describe the position and organization to attract diversity
• Job-seekers should apply for “stretch” jobs
• For Discussion: Words and phrases to attract diverse individuals
• Exercise 4.3: Language of job postings

Inequities in job interviews

• Institutions can conduct structured interviews and resume reviews
• Job-seekers can try to redirect unstructured interviews

Other communication strategies that those with influence can adopt

• Tailor rejection notices with care
• Be an advocate

Advocating for organizational change

• For Discussion: Advocating for equity

Summary

• Exercise 4.3: Reflect on your job search and negotiation strategies

Chapter 5: Reducing Bias by Improving Cross-Cultural Communication

Callout: World Englishes: A Case Study

Common Biases Affecting Cross-Cultural Communication

• Accentism
• Grammar and Style Bias
• Cultural ethnocentrism
• For Discussion: Reducing implicit biases based in cultural ethnocentrism

Listening through cultural differences

Realize that you will quickly become a better listener

Learn how to ask for clarification

Research common pronunciation challenges and substitutions

Exercise 5.1: Research pronunciation patterns

Pick an environment where you can see body language

Use writing to help supplement speech

Practice patience, understanding, and respect

Reading and writing across cultural differences

• Common cultural differences in writing and organization
• Exercise 5.2: Cultural differences in document design
• Co-authoring with someone from another culture

Speaking and communicating across cultural differences

• Avoid idioms and slang
• Exercise 5.3: Idioms
• Use gestures and visual stimuli
• Callout: Avoid emblematic (or symbolic) gestures 
• Exercise 5.4: Gestures
• Speak slowly and reword if you see signs of confusion
• Check in frequently
• For Discussion: Practice checking in

Minimizing cross-cultural miscommunications

• Research nonverbal communication
• Research politeness norms
• Research your audience’s culture
• Surface disagreements
• Exercise 5.5: Research politeness norms

Communicating as a non-native speaker

• See the benefits of your accent
• Callout box: Be cautious about calling attention to accents, even to compliment them
• Give people permission to ask for clarification
• For Discussion: Communicating as a non-native speaker

Advocating for organizational change

• For Discussion: Advocating for equity

Summary

• Exercise 5.6: Reflect on your cross-cultural interactions

Chapter 6: Communicating with Ability in Mind: Overcoming the Deficit Mindset

Improving access adds value

Designing meetings for universal communication

• Amplify speech and minimize distractions
• For Discussion: Making live events accessible

Designing documents for universal communication

• Use built-in headings and styles
• Anchor links with descriptive text
• Provide alternative text for images
• For Discussion: Captions and alt text
• Exercise 6.1: Crafting captions and alt text for three non-decorative images
• Do not rely on color alone to convey information
• Avoid ALL CAPS

Simplify content and style

Use accessibility checkers

• Exercise 6.2: Designing accessible documents

Normalize accommodating difference

Callout: The Limits of accommodations

• Be proactive in asking if people need support 
• Ask about accommodations when scheduling events

What if you need to advocate for your own accommodations?

Advocating for organizational change

• For Discussion: Advocating for equity

Summary

• Exercise 6.3: Reflect on a public meeting or event
• Exercise 6.4: Reflect on an accommodation you could have benefitted from

Chapter 7: Cultivating Psychological Safety

Case Study

Psychological safety is good business

Psychological safety lays the groundwork for equity

• For Discussion: Laying the groundwork for psychological safety

What you can do to make peers feel psychologically safe

• Callout: A note on authenticity
• Practice active listening
• For Discussion: Discuss mistakes analytically by exploring root causes
• For Discussion: Role-playing root cause analysis
• Raise complaints and issues using a positive, future focus
• Exercise 7.1: Crafting positive, future-focused statements
• For Discussion: Root cause analysis vs. Positive, future-focused complaints
• Provide support if you notice someone treated unkindly or unfairly

How team leaders and managers can create psychological safety

• Seek out difference
• Share your own past mistakes with your team
• For Discussion: Sharing past feedback
• Be transparent and open about decisions
• Measure psychological safety

What if you do not feel psychologically safe?

• Recognize that feeling out of place is normal and temporary
• Get to know people
• Learn strategies for raising issues diplomatically
• Exercise 7.2: Advocacy-Inquiry Statements
• Suggest that your organization measure psychological safety

Advocating for institutional change

Summary

• Exercise 7.3: Keep an accountability diary 

Appendices

Appendix 1: Median salaries by race and gender

Appendix 2: Self-reported happiness and suicide rates by race and gender