Unmasking Bias: How Unconscious Judgments Shape Our Decisions

Ever wondered how your hidden biases shape your daily interactions? Join me, Joanny Ortega, in this enlightening episode of "Have a Cup of Johanny," where we unpack the profound impact of unconscious biases on our communication and relationships. By sharing personal stories, I reveal how deeply ingrained biases can cloud our judgments and stifle genuine connections. We begin by recognizing that everyone carries biases, and I provide actionable tips to identify them in our reactions and thoughts. This episode is your first step toward understanding these mental shortcuts and transforming how you engage with others.

The second part of our conversation dives into practical strategies for mitigating biases to enhance communication. Learn how to question your assumptions and adopt a more open mindset, leading to more authentic and humanistic interactions. By fostering curiosity over judgment, we can break down barriers and build more meaningful relationships. Tune in to discover how to embrace shameless learning and self-awareness, paving the way for better connections in every aspect of life. Don't miss this journey towards more empathetic and effective communication.

Transcript

Johanny Ortega: 0:00

Oh we could, we could fly. Welcome to this new season of Have a Cup of Joan podcast. In this season, we are embarking on an exciting journey, one of shameless learning. We're tossing out the fear of judgment and embracing curiosity with open arms, whether it's exploring new ideas, tackling challenging topics or learning from our missteps, we're doing it all without shame or inhibition. Can't wait for y'all to listen to this. Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of have a Cup of Joani podcast. I am your host, Johanny Ortega, and this month we are digging into all the lessons that I've learned when it comes to communication.

Johanny Ortega: 0:55

Today's episode is about a critical topic that affects how we interact with each other, and that is understanding our biases. Are you ready? Of course you are. Of course you are, because I mean, why else will we be here listening to one another, or are you listening to me? All right, let's go.

Johanny Ortega: 1:25

Our biases, whether conscious or unconscious, can significantly hinder our ability to communicate effectively. When we let assumptions get in the way, we miss out on truly listening and understanding someone else's perspective, because those biases are cluttering our brains and our ears. And today, in this episode, we're going to explore how recognizing and having a strategy to mitigate our counterproductive biases can lead to better, more open communication and, if you ask me, more genuine connections. And we're going to have a few steps here. Let's begin. The first step in overcoming our biases is the recognizing that we all have them Literally, we all have them. Biases are these shortcuts that we have created and they're rooted in our upbringing experiences and the society, the environment that we live in. They shape our perceptions and judgments about others, often, often, without us even realizing it. We don't even know that we're doing it, we don't even know that it's there, but they're there. And here's a good tip for you, so that way you know, you can recognize that they're there because they are. Notice when you have a strong reaction to someone or something and ask yourself why do I feel that way? Are there assumptions that I'm making about the person based on their appearance, background or something that they said right? For example, if you immediately feel uncomfortable around someone who dresses differently, take a moment to question whether your discomfort stems from a stereotype, which, that is, a bias.

Johanny Ortega: 3:23

Folks, for example, let's say, like I, come from a household where it was taught to me that we must always dress in our best when we step out of the house just because, if we don't, it will be harsh judgment that will come not just to us but to our family. So, growing up, I thought that people that were not dressed in their best just didn't care or they were lazy, and I never took into consideration that perhaps they just they didn't have the means, they didn't have the resources or they didn't want to. They didn't have that same belief as me, but because I grew up in that household and I understood this to be very important to dress in our best when we will step out of the house I immediately connected the dots and created this bias that followed me for a long time, meaning that when somebody didn't dress in their best and their most fanciest clothes when they will come out of the house, that they were just either a bad person, a person that didn't care, or a lazy person. You see, and based off of that bias, then my treatment of that person will be different. That means that I will treat that person poorly in comparison to someone who I thought was dressed better, who I thought was dressed better. But I was able to assess that I had that bias when I went inward and understood the reaction that I was, having acknowledged the reaction first and understood where that reaction came from and assessed it as is this good to have or is this bad to have Assessed it? As is this good to have or is this bad to have? And I assess it as being something that is bad to have because it was erroneous and it was keeping me from engaging with other people in a friendly, humanistic way. Okay, now the second step, right beyond knowing that these biases are there, is to understand how it affects the way that we communicate and connect, because biases can create this wall, this barrier in our conversation. When we approach a discussion with preconceived notions, we filter what we hear through those biases and this can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication and a lack of genuine connection, and it can even affect a team.

Johanny Ortega: 6:17

So just imagine you're a manager at a company, you're in the HR and you are in charge of hiring a new team member and you're the one looking at resumes, right? And you're looking at these two resumes. While the other has a name that sounds familiar, Stacey. Without even realizing it, you may feel more comfortable with the candidate who has a familiar name, Stacey. Both are equally strong in terms of qualifications, but one candidate has a name that sounds foreign, like Johanny or Johanny how do you even pronounce it? That's easy to pronounce, right. Why do people have to be so complicated and name their kids these weird names? Right? And you might unconsciously start to favor Stacey's Resume, assuming they'll be a better fit for the company culture. Because you can pronounce their name, you're more familiar with their name and, believe it or not, this could lead you to give Stacey's resume and her experience more weight. And then this will like translate into the interview process as well and you will probably like scrutinize Joannie's resume like more harshly.

Johanny Ortega: 7:41

And, as a result, you might end up hiring Stacey because Stacey has the familiar name, but because of an unconscious bias that influenced our decision making, we're going to say no, Stacey is just more qualified. Stacey fits better into the culture. I can see Stacey as part of this organization, while I cannot see Johanny or Johanny or Johanny how do you even say this name, you see? So the impact of this bias means that you could have overlooked a highly qualified candidate who might have brought in valuable diversity and perspective to the team. Because, let's be honest, right, we want the team to be diverse and to be divergent, because then that will push the team to surround themselves with various views and learn from those views and collectively become better. And it is studies out there While a group of homogeneous people at the beginning they do really good because everybody kind of has the same brain, the same wavelength right, everybody kind of thinks similarly or under the same umbrella, a diverse group where people have different perspectives, different backgrounds, at first they're slow in coming together because the storming, norming and forming of that group will take a little longer, just because it's so diverse. Everyone is different. But once they do, that group usually surpasses the other one. Why? Well, because of divergent thinking, which pushes everyone to just be more creative, think outside the box and really just be on their toes and push people competitively to do better.

Johanny Ortega: 9:36

But back to biases in communication. This bias right here, this example of the manager with two resumes, doesn't just affect the individual candidates, if you notice in the example. It's going to impact the team. It's going to impact the company. By allowing biases to influence hiring decisions, you may miss out on bringing diverse talents and perspective that can drive innovation and creativity and affect that bottom line innovation and creativity and affect that bottom line. Over time this can lead to a less inclusive work environment and a narrower range of ideas and solutions within the team. See like that one team where everybody has the same brain. Who does that right? That's horrible. Just think about it. In this example, the impact of bias is significant because it affects an entire organization and the potential for growth and success. However, recognizing and addressing the biases can lead to more equitable decisions, a more dynamic, inclusive workplace and more denatal. We're not doomed. I mean we're not doomed. We can strategize. Even though we know that biases are part of everyone's life, we can still strategize to mitigate those counterproductive shortcuts or biases. That does us no good To communicate more effectively. We have to actively work to mitigate these counterproductive biases.

Johanny Ortega: 11:07

Here are some tips, and some of these tips you may have heard me talk about quite often. Self-reflection is the first tip I will give you. I do this through journaling. I have the Clearful app Clearful. If you're listening, go ahead and sponsor me. They are amazing. I do my gratitude journal on the Clearful app. If you're listening, go ahead and sponsor me. They are amazing. I do my gratitude journal through them. They have different formats and they're one where I can insulate a stressor in my life or a worry in my life and really just dive deep into it, which helps me greatly to see a worry in front of me or a stressor in front of me, and doing that just takes the weight off of it. So that's kind of how I do my self-reflections. Other people can record themselves through audio only, or through video, or can actually jot it down analog in a notebook or an actual physical journal that they have. But self-reflection just means that we are identifying and reflecting on our thoughts and behaviors to identify potential biases.

Johanny Ortega: 12:13

The next tip I'm going to give you is to seek diverse perspectives, engage with people from different backgrounds and listen to their experience. If you're in a group where everyone looks, talks and acts and thinks like you, you're not going to get divergent thinking that's one and you're not going to get constructive feedback that's two Because more often than not, in a group that is just like you, everyone will think just like you and they won't be able to give you feedback that can challenge the perspective that you already have, you see. So that's why it's very important for not just our work environment but our social environments to be diverse and, like I said, this diverse environment that you're in is going to challenge your assumptions. It's going to question those assumptions and make you open to new information, because they're going to be different from you. So, therefore, some of the things that you may be thinking about, those people will challenge and contradict that, which will push you to see it in a different way, through a different lens, as opposed to your own lens. And that, right there, is where you will grow.

Johanny Ortega: 13:32

Lastly, practice empathy. Oh, my goodness, I don't know why. This is something that I have to say quite often, but the phrase of what would that person feel? Can you put yourself in that person's shoes? Now tell me, what would it feel like if you were in that person's shoes? And I repeat a version of this quite often in my interactions with people, because I feel that lately I've encountered people that lack empathy, and I don't know why that is. I don't know if it's COVID related or whatnot, but I feel that we've become less empathetic. Or maybe it's just the people that I'm around. Oh God, I need to change my circle. But yeah, put yourself in other people's shoes and try to understand their point of view.

Johanny Ortega: 14:33

That is the whole trick here, because, to me, biases are just like these selfish, very self-centered viewpoints and shortcuts. They're there strictly for us. They're there because we thought we may have needed them at one point, because it was passed down from our family line, from our interactions, from our environment, and we made it into ours. But when we challenge these preconceived notions, we can practice empathy because we're challenging our preconceived notions with other people's beliefs, other people's values, other people's way of thinking. So for the ego, that is horrible. That is the worst thing that can happen to the ego when you challenge the self with an idea that comes from others. You see that. So it's a hard thing to do, but it's something that must be done. Practice empathy. I charge you, I challenge you to do that.

Johanny Ortega: 15:43

When you are engaging with somebody, think about that person you know and try to conceptualize how that person feels during that interaction. And sometimes that helps you to tailor your words, to tailor your tone, believe it or not. It has helped me a lot because I used to be very egocentric. I still am. For some parts I'm a Leo for crying out loud. So that is an ongoing work in progress for me, where I take myself from myself and put myself into somebody else that I'm interacting with so that way I can tailor my actions and mitigate counterproductive behavior that can damage that communication, conversation or connection that I have with that person.

Johanny Ortega: 16:36

But practice that. Ask yourself, hey, how do I think that person is feeling right now? You know, and give them the benefit of the doubt, right? I think that is so important. Don't go into a conversation thinking that that person has malicious intent, that that person is a bad person. More often than not those thoughts they are grounded in a counterproductive bias that you have. Because if you go into a conversation thinking that, particularly when you don't know that person all that well, or when you only know that person from work or another superficial aspect of your life, then more often than not you are looking at that person through a bias lens and that right there should tell you that more likely you are wrong. Therefore, you need to mitigate that, you need to change that. But when we actively work to recognize and mitigate our biases, we open the door to more meaningful and authentic conversations. This not only enhances our personal relationships but also fosters a more inclusive and understanding community. In conclusion, understanding and mitigating our biases is essential, essential, crucial for effective communication. By recognizing our assumptions and working to overcome them, we can truly listen and connect with others on a deeper level. Remember that.

Johanny Ortega: 18:06

Thank you for joining me today, folks on Have a Cup of Johanny podcast. I hope this episode encouraged you to reflect on your own biases, some moments that may not have been your best moments, and that it prompts you to take steps to improve your communication. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your friends, because sharing is caring. And, as always, stay tuned for more discussions on how we can navigate the complexities of life and relationships. And until next time, I am Johanny Ortega, reminding you to listen without judgment and embrace diverse perspectives. Take care and see you on the next episode. Bye. Thank you so much for listening. I want to hear from you, leave me a comment, do a rating if you can on the podcast, share it with somebody you love, but, most importantly, come back. See you next time. Bye.