August 2005 Issue: "Positive Biases – More Dangerous Than You Think"

What do you think of these statements?

1.“All Latinos are experts in Latino culture.”
2.“All Gay men are artistic.”
3.“All women are naturally nurturing.”
4.“All Asians are good at math.”
5.“All black people have rhythm.”

I don’t know about you, but I’d love to be an expert in Latino culture and even a tiny-shred of artistic ability would come in handy since I am contemplating redecorating my living room. My daughter sometimes complains that I could do a little better in the nurturing department and my math skills? I don’t even want to go there. As for rhythm, one glance at my pathetic efforts at Salsa dancing at my step-daughter’s wedding will answer that question.

In short, I would love to have any of these qualities – most of us would. Because of that desire, it is tempting to look at statements like these as compliments that anyone would enjoy. The unfortunate truth is that, because they are inflexible generalities as opposed to factual comments about the nature of one human being, each of these statements clearly reflects a biased attitude.

No where does it say that biases are confined to insults and beliefs in the inferiority of a group. In fact, positive biases are just as apt as negative ones to interfere with our ability to lead effectively. This is because any type of inflexible belief can prevent us from seeing an individual for who he or she is and for what he or she has to offer. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the examples from above and see the problems that even the most positive bias can create.

The Case of Harry and Hector:

Harry, a manager at a large California bank, has a bias that goes something like this: “All Latinos are familiar with their culture, speak Spanish, and regard it as an honor to work with ‘their own.’” As a result of this inflexible belief, Harry transferred Hector—a promising branch manager who happens to have a Spanish last name-- to a region where most customers were Mexican immigrants. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable decision – match Hector’s heritage to the culture of the customer.

What Harry failed to realize was the Hector, despite his Latino background, had little affinity for nor interest in his heritage. As Hector put it, “There’s more to me than having Mexican grandparents. I barely understand much less speak Spanish, and, quite frankly, most ‘things Mexican’ don’t interest me much.”

Because of discomfort with his new work setting, Hector quit to work for another bank. As a result of Hector’s decision to leave, Harry gained the reputation of being unable to retain valued employees of diverse backgrounds. Ironically, this reputation grew, not from a negative attitude toward diversity, but from a positive bias that prevented Harry from seeing Hector as a valued individual with unique interests and unique skills.

The Case of Michael:

Michael is a gay man who has a passion for baseball, 1950s rock and roll, and Italian food. As much as he loves these things, he has an equally strong aversion to flower arranging, talking about women's clothing, and could care less whether his couch matches the wallpaper. Michael, in short, in no way conforms to the popular bias: “All gay men are artistic."

This harsh reality came as a blow to Michael's supervisor who asked him to redecorate their small offices. The boss was angry when she learned that Michael had hired an interior decorator and couldn’t understand why he hadn’t just done it himself. Michael ended up looking inadequate, not because his boss held a negative view of gay men, but because she had the positive bias that Michael would be interested in redecorating the office himself and would possess the skill to do the job.

The Case of Rachel:

Rachel, a woman who is married, well off financially, and physically sound, found herself in a similar position as Michael. She is a good woman with a good marriage and a great fondness for the nieces and nephews who form an important part of her life. Despite her love of children, however, she and her husband have chosen not to have any of their own.

This life choice is fine for Rachel except for the fact that people look at her just a little bit funny when they learn of her decision. “What’s wrong with her?,” they seem to be asking, “She must be awfully selfish not to want kids when she has so much to offer.” Rachel, like Michael and Hector, is the victim of an inflexible belief that, although positive, causes her to be lumped with other women and judged harshly when she fails to conform to what bias dictates is expected of her sex.

Workplace Application:

As managers, look for opportunities to identify positive biases that interfere with the productivity of your workplace. Perhaps, for example, positive biases are causing people to be hired, not on the basis of their actual skills, but because of a pre-supposition about what members of their group have to offer (“All women are good at building workplace relationships,” “All Asians are good with computers.”)

Perhaps you are failing to coach certain team members because you assume, because of a bias in favor of their group, that they must be doing a good job (“All people with disabilities work extra hard to compensate for their other challenges,” “All baby-boomers value punctuality and hard work.”) Of course each of these examples certainly applies to some individuals and, indeed, to a great many individuals, but they do not apply to everyone and that is where the bias, and the trouble, begins.

Next Month's Topic: "Five Fast Factors for Making Diversity Work"

Sondra Thiederman is a speaker and author on bias-free leadership, diversity, bias-reduction, and cross-cultural issues. She is the author of Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Reducing Bias in the Workplace (Chicago: Dearborn Press, 2003) which is available at her web site or at www.Amazon.com. She can be contacted at:

Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.
Cross-Cultural Communications
4585 48th Street
San Diego, CA 92115
Phones: 619-583-4478 / 800-858-4478
Fax: 619-583-0304
www.Thiederman.com / STPhD@Thiederman.com

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