Jean Gonsoulin
The recent shooting in my hometown of Houston, in which a sheriff’s deputy was targeted, shot and killed by a black suspect, is being investigated as racially motivated crime. Some have linked it to other incidents across the country involving unarmed black suspects killed by law enforcement officers. Racial bias is an important topic in the news.
And even as we recoil at reports of racial bias in our communities, employers find themselves challenged by “unconscious bias” in the workplace. Researchers define unconscious bias as the way people naturally and unconsciously assign traits such as age, gender, race or role to social categories. Just as we might have implicit cognitions that help us walk and drive, we have implicit social cognitions that guide our thinking about social categories.
Malcolm Gladwell discusses the concept in his bestseller, Blink, and says that while we all have unconscious, “implicit” biases to some degree, it doesn’t necessarily mean we will act in an inappropriate or discriminatory manner. However, it is important we recognize that our first “blink” sends us certain information, and to let that insight contribute to informed decision-making about our actions, and our shared support for fairness and justice.
Later this month, on Saturday, September 26, PRSA-LA will host a half-day Diversity Boot Camp for public relations practitioners on the topic of unconscious bias and public relations strategies for averting a crisis. The first half of the program will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the subject from a variety of perspectives, and the second half of the workshop will focus on a competitive exercise. Participants will be divided into groups and assigned the same PR challenge and charged with coming up with a strategic proposal. Each group will present their proposed solution to a panel of judges who represent a business leader or client, and a winner will be selected.
It promises to be a highly informative learning opportunity with real-world applications for the workplace. Space is limited so register today on our website for this important workshop.
Sincerely,
Jean Gonsoulin, PRSA-LA President
President, The Gonsoulin Group
jean@prsala.org
@JeanGonsoulin
https://prsala.org/event/diversity-boot-camp/
