KSA for Leading and Managing
a Diverse Workplace
NACM MID-YEAR CONFERENCE
Court Managers-Supervisors
Tasks
Beliefs
Court Managers-Supervisors
Skills/Abilities
Knowledge
Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies
 Individual Awareness and Self-Management(Take
Stock)
 Embrace the Paradox of Individuality and Group
Identity (Open mindedness)
 Envision and Frame Positive Change(Roadmap)
 Foster True Meritocracy-(Policy to Practice/Intentionality)
Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies
 Individual Awareness and Self-Management(Take
Stock)
An Overview of Decision-maker
Bias
Social Cognition Research
Categorization of and preference for people
based on group identity is a normal,
fundamental process of the human brain.
Our ability to categorize our experience is an
“indispensable cognitive device for
understanding, negotiating, and constructing
our social world.”
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The Brain Identifies
Race
Age
Gender
within a fraction of a second
8
Schemas
During the process of categorization, our brains
encode information about groups of people into
our memories, along with favorable or
unfavorable impressions or values.
These mental constructs are sometimes called
“schemas.”
9
Akin to Computers
These mental processes can be likened to
computer hardware. What goes into that
hardware will differ from person to person, but
we all process, code, store, and retrieve the data
we receive similarly.
10
In v. Out Groups
This research shows that we are, by nature,
prone to prefer most strongly persons in the
social categories to which we ourselves belong
(“in-groups” as opposed to “out-groups”).
11
Particularity/Sameness
We also tend to perceive persons in our own
groups with PARTICULARITY (as unique
individuals).
BUT, we view “out-group” members as
homogeneous, or ALL THE SAME.
12
For Example
When we are faced with information
inconsistent with our beliefs, we revise our
beliefs under certain circumstances, but we are
more likely to create a subgroup category (an
“exception”), leaving our belief intact.
This is especially true when the “out-group” is
large and the stereotype negative.
13
Implicit Biases
Cognitive scientists also believe that these early
stereotypes or beliefs (“implicit biases”) about
groups of people continue to exist at an
unconscious level, despite our brain’s
increasing ability to reason, understand, and
exercise judgment as we mature.
14
So What?
Interviewing, Hiring and
Promoting
Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies
 Foster True Meritocracy--
(Policy to Practice/Intentionality)
Emily and Greg v. Lakisha and
Jamal
Curricula Vitae Study
Steinpreis, Sex Roles, 1999
63.5%
70
60
50
43.3%
40
Women
Men
30
20
10
0
Percentage of Hires for Men
vs. Women
CV Study also showed evaluators were
more likely to report that male
applicant had:
• Adequate research experience;
• Adequate teaching experience; and
• Adequate service experience.
CV Study further showed that evaluators were 4X more
likely to write cautionary comments in the margins
of the questionnaire for Female candidate:
“We would have to see her job talk”;
“It is impossible to make such judgments without
teaching evaluations”; and
“I would need to see evidence that she had gotten these
grants and publications on her own”.
Play the “Interview”
Interview Behavior Can Differ
• Interviews were cut short by 25%
• Interviewers sat further from
African American candidates than
from Caucasian candidates
• Interviewers increased the
number of mistakes in grammar
Behavior Can Differ
• Interviews were cut short by 25%
• Interviewers sat further from
African American candidates than
from Caucasian candidates
• Interviewers increased the
number of mistakes in grammar
Solutions
Solutions
Current research in social cognition shows
that an intentional thought process can be
used to avoid unconscious bias.
The first step in the process is to understand the
impact of engaging in a deliberate thought process
and affirmatively deciding to go through a conscious
thought process to eliminate bias.
The next steps are concrete.
• Make the unconscious
conscious by:
• Consciously noting the
category of the person being
evaluated
Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies
 Embrace the Paradox of Individuality and Group
Identity (Open mindedness)
 Consciously noting the stereotypes
associated with the category (even
if you do not agree or are
uncomfortable with the
stereotypes)
 Consciously reserving judgment
until all of the information has been
gathered (much like a juror or
judge)
Maximize accountability because
without accountability we cannot
easily maintain the regimen of
decision-making free of implicit
bias.
Orchestra
Critical Leadership Diversity Competencies
 Envision and Frame Positive Change(Roadmap)
Task
 What is a diversity or inclusion project that you will
champion and what is the first step needed to move
it forward? Who are your allies? What are your
resources? What is your timeline? How will you
know when you have succeeded?
Dial Co.CEO
 Identified a lack of women in leadership roles and
directed managers show increase representation the
next year.
Reference
 The Inclusion Dividend, Mark Kaplan and Mason
Donovan
 Hidden Leadership, Harvard Business Review
 Read about leaders