Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
By: Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
Reviewed by: Colleen Jones
The Premise: Social psychologist and researcher Jennifer Eberhardt, PhD, takes her readers on a humbling journey of education and self-reflection as she helps us understand the implicit bias that is inherent to all of us. Leveraging decades of research, Eberhardt combines a scientific approach with her lived experiences to illustrate the racial bias that exists across all aspects of society, in particular, within the American criminal justice system. Eberhardt is inclusive in her perspective on bias, in that she understands it is not necessarily innately connected with intent, but also a product of neuroscience and the realities and environments we exist in.
Written in a compelling, narrative style, Eberhardt uses storytelling as an effective way to help even well-informed readers expand their perspective and connect to the topic of unconscious bias on a deeper, more personal level. Despite the long-standing and deeply ingrained realities of bias, Eberhardt rejects a defeatist approach and instead instils hope with the sharing of strategies for recognizing, and ultimately overcoming bias in the future.
The Bottomline: As a coach and talent management professional, I’ve been fortunate to have ample opportunity to delve into research on the topic of unconscious bias in the workplace over the years. Biased reminded me once again, that despite positive intent and knowledge, recognizing and managing unconscious bias is an ongoing effort that requires our constant attention. As leaders, being aware of and open about our own bias will help us be more intentional and effective when operating in situations where our bias shows up. Most importantly, acknowledging our implicit bias will help us build more inclusive and equitable workplaces of the future.
Recommendation: Highly recommend. Though provoking read that challenges us to stop hiding behind intent and confront our own implicit bias in an effort to be part of positive change.
