Event Overview
Effective leaders build organizational cultures where employees can thrive, customers/clients experience excellence in service, and contributions can be made to the betterment of society.
Understanding bias in the workplace is the first step to managing it. This course defines bias, describes how it affects the workplace and encourages learners to use that knowledge to reduce the negative effects of bias.
Prejudice is a strong belief about a person or about a topic, which is often NOT based on facts. Prejudice creates bias, which means that when we hold prejudices, we are not judging a person or a situation objectively.
So, what is the difference between bias derived from prejudice and unconscious bias?
Unconscious bias is unconscious (unlike prejudice of which we are usually aware of). This means that we are not even aware that we are holding that type of bias.
This class will serve as a valuable learning tool during this process of exploration and growth. It will provide you with a way to get beyond the tip of the iceberg. In this class we will explore how the unconscious is a powerful mechanism that can dictate behavior and shape interactions. Left unchecked, they can move or act in an unconscious manner. This may cause unintended harm to others. This class will cultivate the skills needed to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Attendees will receive 3 Professional Development Hours upon completion.
Key Benefits
Organizations that foster learning environments for their people to bust bias, are more diverse, productive and engaged organizations. Increased diversity and inclusion leads to better, more agile decision-making for individuals, teams and organizations. More engaged employees lead to higher productivity and workplace cultures that are ideal. Busting biases leads to happier people and a smart business strategy as well.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, you should be able to:
- Defines the concept of unconscious bias
- Recognize what unconscious bias is
- Depicts different types of unconscious bias
- Identify the impact of unconscious bias on individuals and organizations
- Develop strategies to deal with unconscious bias
- Obtain reference material via the culture of innovation bookshelf
Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for any person or leader that is interested in learning more about their own unconscious bias. This particular class will introduce you to many concepts and being the process of exploring your unconscious bias.
Meet the Instructor
Cindy Anderson
Chief Operating Officer
Southern Gas Association
Cindy Mitchell serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Southern Gas Association (SGA), where she oversees the organization’s daily operations and leads its team. Since joining SGA in early 2019, Cindy has contributed in various roles, bringing her wealth of experience to the energy industry.
Before transitioning to SGA, Cindy dedicated 20 years to public service as a county official for Denton County, Texas. Elected as the youngest county clerk in the state, she served one of the nation’s largest counties, gaining extensive leadership experience. Her contributions extended beyond the county, with active roles in both state associations and the National Association of Counties.
Following her tenure in local government, Cindy pursued leadership development, training, and coaching, working with leaders across municipal and the energy sectors. This path ultimately led her to SGA, where she fosters connections and continues to support our industry. Commentingon her journey, Cindy shares, “Working with leaders in both transmission and distribution companies solidified my deep fondness for the people we serve at SGA, and the people are what we really are about.”
Outside of work, Cindy enjoys quality time with her family, caring for her beloved pets, and hosting gatherings for friends.
