Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Discrimination often comes from flawed notions of race and ethnicity … and it’s recently been discovered that biases tend to be hardwired into the human brain  itself.

Add to that the fact that race and ethnicity constantly evolve ... and sometimes come to work with confusing criteria.

Not surprisingly then, attitudinal barriers can add emotional triggers … and even prevent us from identifying and engaging deeper value … within others who differ.

That’s unless we confront our innate prejudices … and begin to develop skills ... such as good tone ... to overcome cultural biases at their core.

Ethnicity refers to social groups which share similar roots … while at the same time may differ in  racial make-up. Despite color or facial feature differences Asian Americans may share a common culture... for instance. They may enjoy similar music, foods or architectural designs, or other similarly constructed approaches or worldviews.

Ethnicity also helps to shape how we view different groups … and influences who we’ll respect or exclude. It also sets barriers at times to limit our effective interactions with the world. Have you see it in groups where you work?

When it comes to race … it may be wise to invite people to categorize their own … since 127 categories exist in the United States alone. Furthermore ... many people choose to define their race under several different categories.

You may remember the change in the 2000 census form that followed bitter debates from parents who demanded that multi-racial children should not have to decide between parental race categories. Intermarriages clearly created a new angle to race identities – and the census Bureau settled for adding a multi-racial category.

American culture is richer for diverse values, cultural traditions, and unique backgrounds … only if we engage others who differ … to unleash more talent. Only if ... we create common values that call for view from each side and offer mutual benefits. Only if ... we interpret the actions and experiences of others within their unique backdrops. Only if ... we look at situations through others’ eyes.  Only then … do we begin to respect ... understand ... and learn from differing cultures. What do you think?

Is diversity better served in organizations which encourage use of categories such as multi-racial American? Does diversity training work? How would you advise a firm to create alliances that pull together ... across race and ethnicity?