Diversity & Inclusion

Dana zelicha OWBA founder at a rooftop speaking event in front of a large audience
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This program quietly transformed my work-life and brought back my ability to choose proactively instead of react automatically.

 

– Leadership Team, Novartis Pharma IP

Harnessing the power of mindfulness for combating unconscious bias and imposter syndrome in the workplace

With Mindfulness, we can make our organizations more diverse and inclusive. We can look at those who are different from us with curiosity rather than judgment, bring more awareness to our day-to-day situations, and reduce our own and other’s unconscious bias by speaking up.

Research shows that when we practice Mindfulness, we can identify in real-time our unconscious bias and we regain our ability to choose our reactions rather than respond automatically. So we can actively work on our conscious attitudes and external communication and foster values such as compassion, courage, empowerment and acceptance.

And all of us benefit – studies suggest that it is equally important for men and women to surface and contract unconscious bias in real-time.

What Will I Learn?

Specifically designed for the corporate environment, this remote training equips managers and employees with scientifically-proven mindfulness tools to increase diversity & inclusion as well as identify in real-time, and profoundly counteract common types of unconscious bias at work:

1. Implicit Bias (Stereotypes)

An implicit bias/unconscious bias, or implicit stereotype, is the unconscious attribution of particular qualities to a member of a certain social group. Implicit stereotypes are shaped by experience and based on learned associations between particular qualities and social categories, including race and/or gender. Implicit Bias affects our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.

2. Self-Positivity Bias

Most of us like to paint ourselves in a positive light. It can be hard to admit to a mistake, especially at work where our professional reputation (and salary) is on the line. But if you start to notice that you or one of your coworkers always seems to be taking credit, seeking praise and avoiding blame, then it’s likely that its a self-positivity bias. If it gets especially bad, it can impair one’s ability to evaluate problems and generate hostility towards others – and lead to conflict and worse – bullying.

3. Negativity Bias

The tendency to pay more attention to and react more strongly to negative events than positive events in our lives. This bias is a product of our evolution and designed for our own survival. It aided our ancestors in making intelligent decisions in high-risk situations.

4. Correspondence Bias

We often have the tendency to ignore mitigating circumstances and the situation – Mindfulness helps us see the full context for people’s actions. Correspondence bias is our tendency to explain people’s behavior by drawing inferences about their personalities, while underestimating external factors such as the situation.

5. Impostor Syndrome

Known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome, or the impostor experience is a psychological pattern in which one doubts one’s accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.

How?

  • Assess – participants’ unconscious bias levels with validated questionnaires and scales.
  • Inform – participants about each unconscious bias and surface it within the organization.
  • Address – each unconscious bias in a different way with formal meditation practices and innovative mindfulness tools such as mindful recruitment, mindful feedback, “pay rise”, mindful meetings, including an App.

Absolute Value

Innovation

More inclusive companies have a 2.3x higher cash flow per employee, and are 170% more innovative in their market (Josh Bersin).

Profits

Global companies such as SAP, which have rolled out large-scale mindfulness programs, have seen ROI of 200% which translates to an increase of £74-83M in operating profit (Reuters).

Productivity

Studies show that women-led companies perform 3 times better than the enterprises run predominantly by men (McKinsey&Co).

Attracting & Recruiting Top talents

67% of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers (Glassdoor).

To arrange an informal conversation with Dana :