Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion

by Tiffany Jana, Ashley Diaz Mejias, Jay Coen Gilbert (Foreword)

For individuals and leaders who are ready to . . . start taking measurable action toward including the full rainbow of humanity in their enterprises.” —Van Jones, political commentator and New York Times-bestselling author   All humans have bias, and as a result, so do the institutions we build. Internationally sought-after diversity consultant Tiffany Jana offers concrete ways for anyone to work against institutional bias no matter what their position is in an organization.     Building upon the revelatory power of her book Overcoming Bias, which addressed managing individual and interpersonal bias, Erasing Institutional Bias scales up the framework to impact systemic change in organizations. Jana and coauthor Ashley Diaz Mejias bring together in-depth research on how biases become embedded into workplace cultures with practical and engaging tools that will mobilize readers toward action. They confront specific topics such as racism, sexism, hiring and advancement bias and retribution bias, meaning when organizations develop a culture of aggression, and offer solutions for identifying and controlling them.   This book urges readers to ask questions such as, “Are we attempting to create systems in which all people can thrive? What kind of world and what kind of workplaces are we cultivating?” These questions, the authors say, must first be answered by ourselves, recognizing our own role in perpetuating harmful biases that come to define institutions.   In a world divided, Erasing Institutional Bias is designed to raise awareness about imbalances and help us hold ourselves accountable for creating a world that works for everyone. Jana and Mejias inspire and equip us so that we can all affect organizational change, together.  “A great foundation for leaders and change-makers looking to disrupt the status quo.” —Chas. Floyd Johnson, Executive Producer,  Los Angeles

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Anti Racist, Professional Development, Business

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and succinct with direct action steps. Excellent resource.

[Lisa Bricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good clear handbook--simple, concise but with enough examples to make their points.

[Matthew Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This social justice manual was recommended to me as a recipe for doing some DEI consulting at a startup. It delivers a cogent recipe for approaching that task, but it is sometimes a bit scattershot in getting there.

The book repeats a six-step approach to change-making at an organization that is anchored in some excellent recommendations. However, each examples of implementing this program looks very different from all the others. As a result, it's hard to extrapolate how to apply this program to a specific circumstance. I found some of the recommendations helpful despite this inconsistency.

The books alternates between the well-trod ground of benevolent sexism, stereotype threat and microaggressions and the seemingly unrelated topic of criminal justice reform, which it calls retributive bias. All of these are good topics, and full of helpful reminders, but the information about the criminal justice system is less related to bringing about change in a specific institution than the other topics.

Despite meandering a bit, the book ends with an inspiring call to action, and the core recipe is one that shook some cobwebs off of my approach. So this is a potentially helpful book, but you have to do a bit of panning to find the gold.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives 6 steps to addressing any negative bias in an organization from not hiring felons, women or minoritized people to undervaluing customers. This information is not novel but the voice and tone may be more appealing to some. It concludes with retribution bias or our desire to punish wrongdoers. Heather McGhee’s the Sum of Us is a better primer on how harming a minority group harms us all. There are good examples for people who want stories to help encourage change in their organization.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are even thinking of stepping in to the working world or maybe you have been working most of your life. You need to read this book and have your team read this book!!!

[Katie Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - very well researched and helpful tools for moving forward

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every business owner or leader needs this book to begin to take actionable steps for a more inclusive space. It’s a quick easy read with additional resources for next steps.

[Emily Rosén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful if starting at step one

[Jenna Lenhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction and guide to creating meaningful change.