In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to share this video of a discussion on the cost of assimilation at the workplace. When we create work environments where everyone can show up authentically, we build trust, productivity, engagement, creativity, and loyalty.
Studies show, though, that we are more likely to help and feel empathy for people who are similar to us, so it can feel dangerous to show up as our unique selves at work. How can we overcome that bias and create truly inclusive workplaces? One thing that I think helps is building small connections–that person might be of a different race than you, but he also loves crossword puzzles. That person may be of a different gender identity than you, but they also love kayaking. It turns out that even these small connections can be enough to overcome in-group biases–or really, to create new ones. We’re crossword puzzle people. We’re kayakers.
So: How are you connecting with those who are different from you? Can you find overlapping interests? Demonstrating genuine interest in who they are is a great way to show that they are valued, by you and by your organization.
The studies referenced here:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub…/2006-07/sp-pml070706.php
https://www.intechopen.com/books/empathy-an-evidence-based-interdisciplinary-perspective/a-less-attractive-feature-of-empathy-intergroup-empathy-bias
Montalan, Benoît; Lelard, Thierry; Godefroy, Olivier; Mouras, Harold, Behavioral investigation of the influence of social categorization on empathy for pain: a minimal group paradigm study, Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 3, 2013