I think I blundered accidentally into this issue of bias in the workplace when I wrote yesterday’s blog on Teacher’s Pet. I was sitting at the computer last night and Googled ‘Bias in the Workplace’ and got 3 bazillion hits on racial and gender bias.
This of course got me thinking because I wasn’t looking yesterday at negative biases but at positive ones. The thought struck me, what is worse for the workplace, positive biases or negative biases? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not in favour of either.
As a society though, we tend to frown heavily on negative biases (and rightly so.) Discrimination has no place in the workplace and it is extremely demotivating to those affected. But what about to everyone else? Do negative biases demotivate those who are not the target? I’m not sure I can answer that.
What I do know is that positive biases are de-motivating for everyone who is not the teacher’s pet. Favouritism has an insidious way of poisoning the entire environment in a way that I don’t think discrimination does. It may come down to empathy.
While you can empathize with an individual, it is much more difficult to empathize with a large group of individuals so discrimination to a whole class of individuals is not as strongly felt by someone who is not a subject of it. In the case of favouritism though, there is no need to empathize because every other person is affected.
I heard that there are two people you don’t want to be in the workplace:
1. The worst employee
2. The best employee
It’s a shame that people reared to always strive for greatness find themselves alienated by their peers because they receive recognition for their extra efforts. It’s also pretty funny and shameful how juvenile labels like “Teacher’s Pet” seem to carry on into the adult world. The ideal attitude in a group dynamic should be gratitude for the “best” worker as he/she helps keep everyone successfully employed.
In regards to negative biases (biases? bias’?) demotivating those who are not the targets – well yeah! Those of us who are sensitive human beings (we are out there right?) are affected when our teammates are singled out based on an unfair bias.
Charles, your blog is awesome! Probably the best blog in the blogosphere. Maybe I’m being biased – sorry to single you out!
Gord. many thanks. You are becoming my best responder. I’m delighted that you like the blog. It is always heart warming to know that there are people who aren’t using the blog to fall asleep at night.
I should have used the word Cronyism in the blog but I didn’t think about it until I wrote one today on Nepotism. It may be a particularly Canadian phenomenon to shoot the winner.
It’s true that Favouritism is a negative bias towards the rest of the group.
Everyone is bias at some level. “Unconscious”, or “hidden” bias are part of our life.
But it is important not to make decisions based on your bias, when it comes to workplace.
Focus should always be on a fair treatment and respect to everyone.
It‘s only appropriate to recognise and point out particular individual based on his or her performance. Identifying high performers is an encouragement for everyone else too.