Overcoming Bias

Improving Diversity Initiatives

Companies should create an environment that supports and recognizes contributions with greater equity, diversify their hiring process, and support the community and promote a genuine commitment to mentorship in order to promote diversity in the workplace. These steps are necessary for a fair and welcoming workplace and should not be treated as a PR move or a box to check, but as a fundamental change to company culture and practices.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

Pay Equity Improves Your Company’s Performance

This company implemented a pay equity policy to address discrepancies in salary setting due to unconscious bias. After a year of implementation, all engineers and managers at the same level were paid identically. The policy was well-received internally and externally, and helped to attract more people to the company due to its commitment to equity and inclusion.

Disagreement? Put Yourself in the Other Person’s Shoes

When faced with a conflict with a manager, it is important to take a step back and try to understand the situation from their perspective. In this case, the manager was trying to help and mentor the employee, and the employee was able to find a middle ground by trusting the manager's judgement and understanding the value of being uncomfortable.

Being proactive when my manager took all the credit for the work of me and my team

In order to handle a difficult manager, the author took proactive steps to increase their visibility and influence. They had a talk with their manager's manager, created opportunities for themselves and their team, and eventually got promoted. The lesson learned was to be proactive in finding solutions, pull people up as you rise, and don't burn bridges.