What stereotypes are you holding that could be creating conflict in your workplace?

When we find ourselves creating narratives about people that aren’t of their sharing, we have entered the dangerous territory of stereotyping. Neuroscientist caution that the Amygdala can take over, triggering a “fight or flight” in response to difference.

Stereotypes matter until they don't. If our society chooses to assign values, behavior and actions to an individual or group, individuals seeking to see the person must accept the extra process of stepping outside of those boundaries to engage authentically. We need to actively refute the stereotypes until our society stops choosing to limit (by holding incorrect beliefs) the contributions all individuals can make. Moreover, and this is not news, but those who are subject to stereotyping often must go above and beyond to prove the stereotype is a collection of unfounded beliefs. Everyone suffers.

Mit Blick aus der psychologischen Methode der Transaktionsanalyse unterstützen Stereotype, den eigenen Bezugsrahmen zu bestätigen. Allerdings sind Stereotype oftmals eine Gefahr zu einer zu starken Vereinfachung zu führen. Menschen werden schubladisiert im Sinne von: "Die Schweizer sind soundso...", "Die Deutschen sind soundso...", "Alle Frauen/Männer sind soundso..." Dadurch erhalten wir zwar Bestätigungen für unser Lebensdrehbuch (Lebensskript), laufen aber auch Gefahr, unsere Meinungen und Vorurteile zu radikalisieren.

Unterschiedliche Charaktere sind aus meiner Sicht für ein (Arbeits)Team, eine Abteilung und natürlich auch ein ganzes Unternehmen unglaublich wichtig und können ein entscheidender Faktor sein. Nehmen wir ein Sportteam als Beispiel. Wir werden kein Champion-Team finden, dass nur aus Superstars, nur aus Goalgettern oder nur aus defensiven Spielern besteht. Wir benötigen Balance. Eine ausgewogene Mannschaft, in der jeder seine Rolle kennt und akzeptiert. Nur ein Team bzw. eine Mannschaft, die zusammen agiert und in der jeder seine Stärken einbringt, kann erfolgreich sein. Das können wir auch auf die Arbeitswelt spiegeln. Erkennt die Führungskraft, wo die Stärken seiner Mitarbeiter sind, kann er sie gezielt einsetzen.

Stereotypes are bad, mostly incorrect, and usually based on assumptions and non-representative data. When people are stereotyped, their individuality is ignored, their personality is diminished and their uniqueness is erased leading to casting them in a box that does not fit them or showcase their specialty. Every workplace must strive to put processes in place that discourage stereotyping people either by race, gender, tribe, language, or other segregating factors

There are many ways to interrupt the stereotypes, or biases, that you might have about another person. To unpack them first requires a growth mindset on the individual’s part and a willingness to learn from what they learn about their assumptions. I am a big believer in first expanding the community you socialize and engage with on a regular basis, beyond just a one-off conversation to understand how your stereotypes can be inaccurate. The human race offers us a wide and rich tapestry of culture, tradition, customs, language, history, and more. I would be remiss to not learn directly from others. At the same time, it is an extremely quick way to dismantle preexisting notions you may hold about another person.

Our biases are often learned throughout our lives from birth and can be influenced by our upbringing, cultural conditioning, geography, media (TV, news, social media), our schools, friends, family and our experiences.

Identifying and overcoming stereotypes starts with self-reflection. Reflect on common stereotypes in your workplace or society. Seek feedback from diverse perspectives. Ask yourself: How do I feel when encountering stereotypes? How do they affect my interactions and perceptions? Assess their impact on productivity, creativity, and collaboration. By understanding our biases, we can actively challenge and overcome them, fostering a more inclusive environment.

Once you identify a stereotype you have about others, it's important to self assess how did we got to that point and change the narrative.

In my experience I stereotype from the lenses of perception vs.reality of the individual patient. If the perception is not the reality, chances are that individual will have negative health outcomes. If the perception is the reality good , bad, happy or sad, their is a major opportunity to collaborate with patients and family to improve health outcomes

Ask questions, engage in honest dialogue with those individuals to seek similarities and differences. It's pretty easy to see that we all laugh, cry, try, fail. Most of the time the same situation will initiate the same response from people around the world unlike yourself.

Well an easy exercise is to rule out any generalization. As Thoreau once said “every generalización is dangerous, including this one”. Think constantly if any thought around an individual tends to build a bias and to generalize a behavior or action. Build context and contrast those actions and try to build an individual perspective, that may be the best antidote to stereotypes, which are nothing else than personality biases.

1. Accept that we all have unconscious bias and discover your own by completing an Implicit Bias Test for free 2. Widen your social circle – a more diverse group of people in your life will help you to understand different views of the world and help to shatter stereotypes 3. Challenge your thinking and question your first impressions by taking a moment before you react to a situation, asking yourself “was this unconscious bias or an objective observation?”

Sometimes well-intended social activities can exclude people of diverse cultural backgrounds without even realising it. In our efforts to build team camaraderie, we might inadvertently overlook the religious or cultural practices of some team members, leading to feelings of exclusion. A common oversight is scheduling events like team lunches during Ramadan, which can make those observing feel isolated or uncomfortable. It is essential to ensure that our social activities cater to the needs and preferences of all team members. Instead of defaulting to traditional food-centred gatherings, consider diversifying activities to include options (e.g. volunteering) that appeal to a broader range of interests and lifestyles.

I think people are afraid of speaking about the topic loud and openly. We need to say it. We have to clearly send the message the certain behaviors are not tolerated. Not to adress the issue as if it was something happenig far away from our workplace. Lets not be affraid of saying: "These are the deparments goals for the year, and by the way anything type of gesturersthat might make someone uncomfortable will be punished , such gestures are: talking about race, bringing up slur about sexual orientation. Many people have no clear boundaries about what's respect, so they need clearer rules. And finally, its about time we understand work as a human right. And that we develop as a socity through it. The workplace has to be a safe place.

Creating a respectful and inclusive work environment requires ongoing efforts beyond challenging personal stereotypes. Educate yourself and others on the benefits and challenges of diversity. Implement policies promoting training and promotion. Recognize and celebrate contributions from diverse backgrounds. Support affinity groups and mentors for shared identities. Address conflicts and discrimination, learning from them to enhance cultural competency and improve relationships and results.

Cultivating cultural intelligence is both a skill and an art. It definitely does take time and is a journey that involves learning, unlearning and relearning. - Act on working towards educating and understanding your own beliefs that hold you back from accepting and including someone, for instance, based on certain stereotypes that you hold against them. This can only happen when you value this as a key priority in your personal growth as an individual. - Immerse yourself in diverse cultural situations that stretch your understanding, challenge your biases and provide different contexts. All of these are important in expanding your horizons and reframing your perspectives.

Let's explore the significance of empathy in creating a supportive workplace. Empathy involves actively listening, validating feelings, and showing genuine care for others' well-being. Imagine a colleague facing personal challenges outside of work. Instead of solely focusing on productivity, leaders and team members can offer support and understanding. This strengthens trust and boosts morale. Creating empathy requires fostering open communication and vulnerability. Integrating empathy into workplace interactions impacts employee well-being. Let's prioritize empathy to build inclusive and supportive environments where everyone feels valued.

Bias can be good and bad! Whilst the innate assumptions that protected us in the past can help us avoid future pain, When our mind takes the necessary shortcuts, we categorise an individual/group of people and our unconscious mind tells us that they are a certain way and we stereotype.

Continuous learning is incredibly important to creating a safe and inclusive space for all employees. Never believe that you know everything because you won't. It's impossible to know other peoples lived experiences so don't assume that you do. Others will respect you if you respect them but creating a space where they can tell you if they feel disrespected is essential. Never stop working on your own bias and challenging your perspectives because they will change over time.