Cut bias to unlock your team’s potential across the spectrum 

Research on oil rigs provides a good example of the importance of psychological safety. The organization in question had created “safety circles”, a safe space for workers to discuss and learn from mistakes. This led to a major reduction in accidents on its rigs — which can be hazardous due to heavy machinery, fire, and explosion risks — and increased team performance. 

Interestingly, as the research by Robin Ely and Debra Meyerson found, the implementation of safety circles also had a positive impact on gender inclusion at the company, as women felt more empowered to speak up in an environment that was traditionally male-dominated. 

But, whether on an oil rig or in a cushy office, leaders can foster psychological safety by keeping a close eye on the subgroups that often form within teams. These cliques can hinder team cohesion by creating divisions or “us versus them” dynamics.

Additionally, leaders should encourage open dialogue and ensure all team members can contribute to discussions and decisions regardless of their background.

Measuring success

However, simply creating inclusive workspaces is not enough; you need also to track if they impact individuals and the wider organization.

To do so, measure the progression of employees you think have leadership potential — by tracking performance, skill development, feedback, and key career milestones against clear, objective criteria — focusing on how different groups are represented in leadership roles. 

This involves not only monitoring the number of women and minorities in leadership positions but also assessing the impact of diversity on team performance, innovation, and employee engagement, for example. 

Simple, objective assessments can reveal how biases manifest — information that can help leaders take targeted action to weed them out. For example, suppose a company finds that white men are still being promoted more frequently than women or people of color despite similar levels of potential. In that case, it may need to reevaluate its promotion criteria. 

This can be done through regular audits of promotion and hiring practices as well as training programs for human resources staff to raise awareness of unconscious bias and its impact on decisions. 

It is also important to know that biases are specific to us as individuals, meaning that a one-size-fits-all approach to bias training is unlikely to do any good at all. 

Instead, why not provide tailored training addressing the niche biases most relevant to your workforce — whether related to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other factors? By doing so, you can ensure that your well-intentioned diversity and inclusion initiatives deliver tangible results.

Challenges you may face

Along the way, you will likely encounter some common pitfalls that are best avoided. One of the most common challenges is failing to acknowledge and address your biases as a leader. Many will believe they are more inclusive than they are, a phenomenon known as self-serving bias. 

This is the broader tendency for people to attribute their successes to their abilities while blaming external factors for their failures. This bias helps protect self-esteem but can lead to distorted perceptions of reality. To counter this, leaders must accept that they may not be as inclusive as they believe and take proactive steps to do better. 

For example, one of my clients, the British bank HSBC, created a leadership development program that focused on diversity and inclusion, and the results were impressive. Teams led by people who had completed the program reported higher levels of engagement, and team members felt more valued and respected compared to groups led by managers who had not undergone the training. Program participants learned what inclusive leadership means and the benefits to individuals, teams, and the bank, too. They learned about the types of bias that can impact decisions and behaviors. They used several diagnostic tools that gave each leader an insight into their inclusive leadership profile, listing their strengths and areas for development. The development plan they produced was then followed up with action learning groups and coaching sessions.