Welcome friends to our International Book Club!
Our first book together, The Leaders Guide to Unconscious Bias, by Pamela Fuller.
Pamela works on leadership issues of bias and inclusion at the consulting firm, Franklin Covey and with her amazing debut book, created an extraordinarily comprehensive repertoire of advice and actionable tips.
As one reviewer wrote, “it’s a useful toolkit for organizations looking to face individual and institutional unconscious bias.”
The first wow for me of the book is this whole discounting of the idea that bias means that one is inherently ill-intentioned or morally flawed, which makes people reluctant to acknowledge unless to take action, and for us to work on our own biases.
This then unfolds as the book, in part three, shares the most amazing section in terms of choosing courage, by making a conscious commitment to diversity and inclusivity initiative so that we really educate ourselves about where our own biases come from, and cultivate the habit of being on guard against.
This book is readable, not just for current leaders, people working with large teams in organizations, but for every single one of us, and I particularly loved the focus that is a red thread through hiring, progression, and retention of team members.
There are some incredible quotes and examples throughout the book; perhaps the one that frames the book for me personally is, “Words matter, And what is appropriate and inclusive evolves and changes over time. It is essential to listen, watch, learn, engage and reengage”. For me, this is central and important.
I also love the Verna Myers, from Netflix quote, “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Plus, the mindfulness quote by Anne Lamott (Chapter 4, page 61), the whole sense of community and storytelling of the book, the bias trap Africa geography map, which I will never forget, and the allyship the marathon analogy.
There are so many important current and relevant elements to the book, particularly how the world changed in the two weeks that Pamela’s editors had the manuscript through Black Lives Matter, right for a resurgence.
Here’s the LinkedIn Live interview, recorded with Pamela on 16th February
Please share your feedback and questions below.
Thank you for sharing, Harriet. Truly looking forward to the live interview and am thrilled these key messages’ flames continue to be fanned.
Harriet, this is an excellent choice for a first book for the new club. I also thought that the premise that we are all flawed, but from a positive perspective that is knowing yourself, you can move forward to address the results of your environment and upbringing.
I found the diagrams and tables as a fantastic aide-memoire that quickly brought back the accompanying text’s essence. My book now has a series of tags for me to find what I require quickly.
I thought the dialogue with Anne & Mark gave Pamela’s text some additional depth and breadth as a series of micro case studies.
Thoroughly enjoyed and now passed onto to the other household members, one of which is doing a masters with inclusivity parameters from an organisational behaviour aspect.
I would have loved to have seen a list of the biases in the back of the book. Not for the futility of working through them all but just as a list to review over time and without having to read all the neuro journals to find them
I disagreed with the definitions of mentor and coach that are more role and task orientated. A mentor helps you develop your role and the objectives you wish to attain in your future roadmap. A coach is more aligned with helping give you the tools and techniques in improving your capabilities and competencies (Kotter, Starcevich 2009, Webster, Aldeman 2011, Prydale 2011, Hollywood et al. 2016). These are small points on what was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read and one in which I clarified where I am and what else I need to do for the future.
Bravo! Pamela!