our areas of expertise

Unconscious Bias

What is Unconscious Bias?

Unconscious bias refers to the mental shortcuts that the unconscious brain takes in decision-making. In the context of leadership and DEI, it refers to how we treat people based on our unconsciously held beliefs about their cultural identities, such as race/ethnoculture, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and more.

The Impact of Unconscious Bias on Organizations

Unconscious bias permeates both talent management practices and client/customer experiences, which is why it is critical that organizations work to address it. At bci, we focus on teaching practical frameworks for interrupting bias as part of our globally renowned unconscious bias training and DEI consulting services.

Why Choose bci for Unconscious Bias Training

Our unconscious bias training is the backbone of our work at bci. We have now delivered thousands of keynotes and workshops touching on how to interrupt unconscious biases in the workplace. Based on our expertise, we are able to quickly assess your teams’ knowledge base and tailor our training to meet your organization’s needs. We focus on providing executive leadership and their teams with a shared language and understanding of how bias has a profound impact in work environments. In our sessions, we focus on:

Science and Data

Highlighting the neuroscience of bias, drawing on leading scientific research and data in this area

Naming Specific Biases

Identifying specific forms and examples of bias that manifest within organizations and team interactions

The Impact of Bias

Understanding how bias has an adverse effect on professionals from equity-seeking communities

Practical Strategies

Providing practical, concrete tools and strategies for addressing biases at the individual and organizational level

We Work with Organizations to Interrupt Biases in Talent Management

Inclusive talent management is critical for creating an organizational culture that supports the advancement of professionals from equity-seeking communities, including Professionals of Color, women, LGBTQ+ professionals, and professionals from other underrepresented communities.

We apply best practices and our expertise from working with hundreds of organizations to help organizations identify and interrupt biases, apply a DEI and anti-oppression lens across key talent management areas, including recruitment, work allocation, mentorship and sponsorship, performance management, and promotions.

Did You Know?

We are hardwired to treat some people better than others.

If you have a brain, you will engage in bias!

Across our interactions, we unconsciously sort people into ‘us’ and ‘them’ or ‘in-group’ and ‘out-group’. We then unconsciously gravitate towards those who we view as ‘us’ and tend to avoid those who we view as ‘them’.

The key for interrupting our unconscious biases is to recognize you’re doing this, be compassionate with yourself because this is how the brain works, leverage strategies to identify what your biases are, and then work to replace stereotypes with positive truths about others.

All of bci’s unconscious bias training training can be offered virtually or in-person.

Unconscious Bias Resources

TIP SHEET

10 Things You Should Know About Unconscious Bias​

VIDEO

The Neuroscience of Unconscious Bias​

WORKSHEET

Identify Your Biases

ASSESSMENT

Implicit Association Tests​

by Harvard University

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Dr. Komal Bhasin, MSW, MHSc, DocSocSci

Komal is bci’s Senior DEI Consultant and Mental Health Expert-in-Residence and an accomplished DEI facilitator, coach, and strategist. Komal has over 20 years of experience in providing strategic and advisory guidance and program development across a range of sectors, with a particular concentration in mental health and racial inclusion. Komal is also the founder of Insayva Inc., a social enterprise focused on providing accessible DEI and health equity support to charities and non-profit organizations.

Komal has extensive experience in creating and delivering programming in a range of DEI areas, including unconscious bias, cultural competence, mental health inclusion, psychological safety, and allyship. She is passionate about driving transformational change in workplaces and has worked closely with bci clients – corporations, professional service firms, health care providers, and educational institutions – to embed cultures of DEI within their organizations.

Komal has provided one-on-one inclusion coaching to hundreds of senior leaders and brings a unique approach that is informed by her background as a psychotherapist. Using a trauma-informed lens and somatic approaches, she also has experience guiding leaders and teams in mending relationships, and rebuilding trust where harm has occurred due to inequities, intercultural conflict, value mismatches, exclusion, and psychological or geopolitical safety issues, with the goal of creating a more inclusive, resilient or organizational culture.

Komal also offers a performance coaching program designed specifically for BIPOC leaders. This program aims to help BIPOC leaders harness their place, position, and identity to thrive in the workplace and beyond. Komal is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

As bci’s Mental Health Expert-in-Residence, Komal offers tremendous expertise around workplace mental health. As a doctoral trained mental health clinician, certified health executive, and registered social worker, Komal has assisted organizations looking to advance employee mental health inclusion and well-being through offering programming on inclusive dialogue, anti-stigma, burnout prevention, psychological safety, resilience, and self-care. Komal is committed to advancing mental health and wellness across the life course; she currently serves on the board of the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario and previously served on the board of Children’s Mental Health Ontario and the YMCA of Greater Toronto.

When Komal is not working, you’ll find her painting, cooking or snuggling with her cat.