As the year winds down and leaders look ahead to 2023, thoughts naturally turn to the annual review process. While ideally, this process would be free from bias, such a lofty goal is practically impossible. Humans are wired for bias; we naturally tend to favor people who are “like us,” and favoritism can creep into the performance management process without our awareness.
How can leaders manage this tendency to ensure a more level playing field within their organizations? Here are seven ways to recalibrate the performance management process toward less bias.
1. Understand Why We Have Bias
“Bias is not all bad,” says Tim Davisson, Director, Business Development and Executive Consultant. “We use it to speed processes up. It can help protect us from harm. I have a bias against putting my hand on a hot stove.” Davisson recommends turning the tables and asking, “what are biases you think people have of you? Go deep into self-awareness.”
“Bias is an overused strength,” says Peter Stewart, Managing Partner. “When do we use it? When do we not? When we start from a foundation that’s built on a common reality—that we all have biases—we can build on that foundation and change.”
2. Make Diversity Training Programs “Stickier”
Research suggests that diversity training programs rarely have a lasting impact on bias in an organization. “Ask why you are doing diversity training programs,” says Peter Stewart. “Are we providing training to avoid litigation or because we care and want to change the culture? Take training one step further, and don’t just check a box.”
“It’s not enough to just go through training,” says Kristin Derwinski, Executive Consultant and Coach. “It’s also about changing the language of the organization. Build those conversations around diversity into everything you do. Create a safe environment for those conversations. Educate, yes, but then reinforce those tools.”
3. Assess the Central Goal
“The fundamental question is, ‘what are we trying to accomplish with performance management?’” says Nolan Godfrey, Regional Director, and Executive Consultant. “Bias is significantly worse when trying to answer compensation questions through a forced rank system. On the flip side, the way to increase performance and level the playing field is through goal calibration. Equalize the playing field by setting consistent expectations—that’s the start. Then focus on goals and ask how, as a leader, you can help achieve those goals—removing barriers, being motivating, and the like.”
4. Consider Other Inclusion Challenges
“To me, this conversation is much greater than just the sliver around performance management,” says Tyra Bremer, Director, Business Development and Executive Coach. “If there’s bias in one area, there’s bias in others, and inclusion and belonging are challenges along the entire organization. There’s likely a lot more in the organization impacting people.”
5. Break It Down
Humans rarely create lasting change in rapid and dramatic fashion. “We change in micro-degrees,” says Peter Stewart. He recommends breaking down performance management into smaller bites, such as the 2+2 Coaching Approach. “You don’t have to boil the ocean,” he adds.
6. Improve Internal Conversations
Diversity and inclusion are essential considerations, but these conversations can’t happen without a foundation that encourages good communication and psychological safety. “At the core, we need to have good conversations,” says Peter Stewart.
7. Don’t Remove the Human Side
As AI tools become more common in recruiting, hiring, and retention, it can be tempting to outsource human resources to technology that feels more neutral. “Remember that AI can give answers that sound right but aren’t right,” says Tim Davisson. He cites the use of AI to scan resumes for quality job candidates and says that some candidates have learned to put keywords from the job description in white letters in the margins of resumes to improve selection chances with AI. “Remember the importance of human skills as we go into the Web 3.0 era,” he says.
Ultimately, many discussions around diversity and inclusion come down to openness, trust, and quality communication. Managing bias can feel daunting, especially to leaders who want to be inclusive but aren’t sure how well they are measuring up. When leaders can foster an environment of open conversation that encourages a more level playing field across the organization, performance management will likely become more equitable.
Self-check:
- What is one way that I can reduce bias personally as a leader?
- Is there one conversation that I need to have with someone about bias?
- What biases might people have about me?