Let’s commit to building more diverse and inclusive teams.

The English language is extremely colorful and descriptive, but it can be quite the challenge to learn, especially when trying to make sense of multiple, and sometimes contradictory, meanings behind popular idioms and phrases. Take, for example, the commonly asked, “May I have your unbiased opinion?” It’s a simple request for an objective view or judgment, emphasizing the desire to leave behind prejudice and preference. Sounds reasonable, right? But opinions are, by their very nature, inherently subjective. Opinions, judgments and views are formed by what we have learned and experienced over time. In short, there is no such thing as an “unbiased opinion.”

Having a bias does not necessarily make you a bad person. Biases are fundamentally human characteristics. Obviously, there is no excuse for allowing bias to result in unfair or unkind treatment of others, but for most of us, the danger comes in unconscious or “implicit” bias, because it can lead to unintentionally hurtful behaviors. We need to raise our awareness about the biases we carry to ensure that they don’t result in the unfair treatment of others...