Season 2, Ep 1, How to Break the Bias with Guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson
We’ve been called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic, and also connected with male allies at banana stands, and through these experiences, we have solutions for you to break the bias. Together with guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson, we offer nearly 20 ways that you can break the bias, the 2022 International Women’s Day theme.
You can read a transcript of this episode here.
Subscribe! Time-stamped show notes are below.
1:54 Introduction of Guests
2:15, Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah
Born and raised in Ghana
Plastics engineering degree from UMass - Lowell
Current position is an applications engineer at a life sciences company
Host of new podcast to be launched by SPE - Plastics and Beyond Podcast
2:30, 3:33 Aisha Johnson - she, her, hers
Moved 7 times growing up so she is accustomed to building relationships and starting anew
Currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and does CSR and Sustainability work for Amazon
Mother is a role model
Co-Host of The Core Intentions Podcast
International Women’s Day
7:37 2022 theme is #breakthebias - see IWD resources
7:50 We need more attention on unconscious bias
Stories of Bias
9:32 Interruptions during meetings and calls
9:40 Feeling of invisibility during meetings
10:45 Being called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic
11:36 Suggestion that men do the heavy lifting with the woman doing the simple task
14:25, 17:05 Male boss thinks you are pretty
17:32 Mindset of women as we dress for work
18:45 Women face a double bind: we need to show up with make-up at work but we can’t show up with too much make-up at work
19:10 Expectations of how women show up on camera during the pandemic
20:14 Intersectionality of Sexism and Racism
20:36, 21:20 Difficult or impossible to disentangle sexism vs. racism
21:40 Intersectional experience
21:48 Focus on what you can control
Tips to Break the Bias
22:42 Manage your own bias - start with the Harvard Implicit Bias test
24:00 Create diverse teams
24:35 Use diverse hiring panels and diverse pools of applicants
25:26 Educate yourself and others on unconscious bias - don’t try to solve the problem without understanding it firs
26:09 Bring men into the conversation - lean in male allies
27:00 Focus on inclusion and equity
27:30 Give everyone an opportunity to speak up
27:34 Create a culture of psychological safety
28:11 Lead with empathy - be emotionally and mentally open for change
28:41 Be an active listener
29:15 Build relationships with people who are underrepresented
30:14, 32:19 Be a mentor to someone who is underrepresented - give guidance and career advice
30:14, 32:26 Be a sponsor to someone who is underrepresented - be an advocate, help with promotions, say our names in rooms where we are not present, help move our careers, pull women up as allies move up
34:45 Male allies should first consider the possibility that a woman experienced bias
36:36 A women should develop a plan before discussing that she experienced bias
38:48, 40:43 When dealing with trolls, first protect yourself - consider blocking or reporting trolls when the comments occur repeatedly
42:50 Don’t feed the trolls
43:50 Remind people that DEI is about inclusion and not exclusion or throwing anyone out
45:40 Discuss bias after “the heat of the moment” - don’t turn the other cheek every time
46:50 Beware of bullies particularly during the early stages of a career
49:42 Don’t let the bully intimidate you or impact your work performance
50:09 Consider the power dynamic before taking on a bully
Where You Can Find Us
Website: www.par-ity.com
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
Co-Hosts: Deborah Pollack-Milgate and Cathy Nestrick
Email CathyAndDeborah@par-ity.com with questions or comments
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