How to Break the Bias with Guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson

Parity Podcast

We’ve been called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic, and connected with male allies at banana stands, and through these experiences, we have solutions for you to break the bias. Together with guests Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah and Ashia Johnson, we offer over 20 ways that you can break the bias, the 2022 International Women’s Day theme.

Subscribe! Time-stamped show notes are below.

1:54 Introduction of Guests

2:15, Lilian Agyemang-Yeboah

• Born and raised in Ghana
• Plastics engineering degree from UMass - Lowell
• Current position is an applications engineer at a life sciences company
• Host of new podcast to be launched by SPE - Plastics and Beyond Podcast

2:30, 3:33 Aisha Johnson - she, her, hers

• Moved 7 times growing up so she is accustomed to building relationships and starting anew
• Currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and does CSR and Sustainability work for Amazon
• Mother is a role model
• Co-Host of The Core Intentions Podcast

International Women’s Day

7:37 2022 theme is #breakthebias - see IWD resources

7:50 We need more attention on unconscious bias

Stories of Bias

9:32 Interruptions during meetings and calls

9:40 Feeling of invisibility during meetings

10:45 Being called bellicose, belligerent, and bombastic

11:36 Suggestion that men do the heavy lifting with the woman doing the simple task

14:25, 17:05 Male boss thinks you are pretty

17:32 Mindset of women as we dress for work

18:45 Women face a double bind: we need to show up with make-up at work but we can’t show up with too much make-up at work

19:10 Expectations of how women show up on camera during the pandemic

20:14 Intersectionality of Sexism and Racism

20:36, 21:20 Difficult or impossible to disentangle sexism vs. racism

21:40 Intersectional experience

21:48 Focus on what you can control

Tips to Break the Bias

22:42 Manage your own bias - start with the Harvard Implicit Bias test

24:00 Create diverse teams

24:35 Use diverse hiring panels and diverse pools of applicants

25:26 Educate yourself and others on unconscious bias - don’t try to solve the problem without understanding it first

26:09 Bring men into the conversation - lean in male allies

27:00 Focus on inclusion and equity

27:30 Give everyone an opportunity to speak up

27:34 Create a culture of psychological safety

28:11 Lead with empathy - be emotionally and mentally open for change

28:41 Be an active listener

29:15 Build relationships with people who are different from you

30:14, 32:19 Be a mentor to someone who is underrepresented - give guidance and career advice

30:14, 32:26 Be a sponsor to someone who is underrepresented - be an advocate, help with promotions, say our names in rooms where we are not present, help move our careers, pull women up as allies move up

34:45 Male allies should first consider the possibility that a woman experienced bias

36:36 A women should develop a plan before discussing that she experienced bias

38:48, 40:43 When dealing with trolls, first protect yourself - consider blocking or reporting trolls when the comments occur repeatedly

42:50 Don’t feed the trolls

43:50 Remind people that DEI is about inclusion and not exclusion or throwing anyone out

45:40 Discuss bias after “the heat of the moment” - don’t turn the other cheek every time

46:50 Beware of bullies particularly during the early stages of a career

49:42 Don’t let the bully intimidate you or impact your work performance

50:09 Consider the power dynamic before taking on a bully

Where You Can Find Us

Website: www.par-ity.com

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn

Co-Hosts: Deborah Pollack-Milgate and Cathy Nestrick

Email [e-mail] with questions or comments