Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D. | Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

Guilt “Tripping”: A Sure-Fire Way to Sabotage Your Bias-Reduction Efforts

It’s hard to accept when we encounter colleagues who voice biased attitudes and demonstrate biased behaviors. Those observations inspire anger, hurt feelings, and even a desire to punish. It is one of the most painful of those punishments – making… Continue reading →

Why Should I Bother Confront My Biases?

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

W.I.F.M. – What’s In it For Me? You’ve heard the phrase – this collection of five tiny words is a prime driver of marketing efforts and is (or ought to be) the guiding phrase for the motivation of any workplace… Continue reading →

Blame and Shame: Why Are They the Wrong Way to Defeat Bias?

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

You don’t really need to read this article. Why? Mostly because you already have the answer to the question posed in the title: Why are blame and shame the wrong way to defeat bias? You know the answer because it… Continue reading →

Breaking a Cultural Habit: A Strategy for Defeating Unconscious Bias

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

How to Use This Information to Help Your Team: The short activity at the bottom of this article is designed to help your team identify what they have in common with, not only with those who share their background, but… Continue reading →

Why We Cling to Our Biases and How to Let Go

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

OK – I’m about to reveal my dirty little secret: I sometimes speed on the freeway. I know, I know, dangerous, irresponsible, and, frankly, stupid. Just to spare my reputation, I’ll point out here that I’m not talking here about… Continue reading →

Defeating Unconscious Bias: Asking the Right Questions Can Help

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

Defeating Unconscious Bias: Asking the Right Questions Can Help! Those of you who have subscribed to this newsletter for some time know that I have a “thing” about the bias-busting power of identifying what we have in common. For those… Continue reading →

An Anecdote of Change: Bias Can Be Defeated

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

An anecdote of change: Bias can be defeated! Much of our work as DEI professionals amounts to a constant quest to change people’s minds. It might involve persuading your CEO to invest more heavily in your diversity efforts, helping hiring… Continue reading →

Stress: Biases’ Best Friend

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

Are you feeling stressed these days? I sure am. The weather is weird, the virus is lurking, the political climate fraught with tension, and, to top all that off, most of our relationships are cultivated virtually. Well, this article probably… Continue reading →

The Diversity Paradox: What We Share, How We Differ

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

“Workplace diversity,” “diverse work teams, “valuing diversity,” “ethnic differences,” “the racial divide” – by hearing these phrases and knowing how often they are uttered, you could easily draw the conclusion that the U.S. workplace has become a hotbed of tribalism… Continue reading →

“Respectful Persuasion: How to Dissuade Others of Their Biases”

Author: Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.

Bias= “An inflexible belief about a particular category of people.” Let’s face it, biases are hard to change. Often rooted in childhood impressions, enhanced by the media, strengthened by rumor and occasional experience – biases become planted in our psyche… Continue reading →

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