Introduction 7/6/2018

Transcription

1 Introduction Almost all people, even well-intentioned people have biases of one kind or another. We will discuss various biases. We will explore what social science research teaches us about implicit bias. We will attempt to recognize our unconscious biases, so we can implement unbiased behavior resulting in Fair and Impartial Customer Service! We learn from studies done in Law Enforcement that Fair and Impartial behavior... Is more effective... Promotes safety... Enhance/promote trust on the part of the people they serve... But is their a connection between these studies and customer service in the business setting? ANSWER: YES! 1

2 Effective Managers and Supervisors Are: Role Models Mentors Representatives of the Organization Authorities on Policy and Practice Professional Coaches Disciplinarians Understanding the science of bias is critical you fulfill your role as one who trains others by example... GOAL: This training will help you to promote fair and impartial Customer Service in yourself and in your organizations or businesses! Objectives of this training: Participants will be able to... Recognize their own human biases Understand how implicit biases can affect perceptions and behavior Understand how biased Customer Service impacts customers and the Bottom Line! Reflect on the role effective leaders-astrainers have in promoting fair and impartial Customer Service... 2

3 Understanding Human Bias: The case of Susan Boyle Britain s Got Talent Fundamental Concepts of Human Bias and the Emergency Room Doctor! Bias is a normal human attribute even wellintentioned people have biases Biases are often unconscious or implicit Implicit biases are sometimes incompatible with our chosen beliefs and values Implicit biases can influence our actions Understanding how implicit bias can affect our behavior is the first step to overriding implicit bias To Understand Implicit Bias, We Need to Understand. Whom we are most likely to pre-judge What determines the characteristics we assign to them Whether we know when we are prejudging people 3

4 To understand implicit bias: Whom do we pre judge? We prejudge ambiguous stimuli What determines the characteristics we attribute to them? Group stereotypes/biases, bad past experiences, etc. Do we know when we are doing this? Not always. The goal is awareness... What are bases on which people may be stereotyped (and treated differentially)? Income Race English language abilities Gender Age Religious affiliation Profession Sexual orientation, identity, etc. Stereotyping and Human Bias When we don t know an individual, we assign a group characteristic to them Often we do not know when we are impacted by biases (they can be unconscious or implicit biases) Recognizing our biases allows us to override them to engage in unbiased behavior. 4

5 The One Key Point: Customer Service based on stereotypes is costly, ineffective, and unjust. 1. The Bump Study of Implicit Bias The Study: Experiencing an ambiguous bump from a stranger How did people interpret the bump by African Americans versus the bump by Whites? The Results: The bump was perceived as more threatening when performed by an African American. Replicated to show this was true for both White and non-white victims /subjects! 2. The Visual Perception Study Subjects were primed with either black male faces, white male faces, or no faces Then completed object recognition task Source: Eberhardt, Goff, Purdie, & Davies (2004). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 5

6 Levels of Degradation Frame Crime Object Crime Object 6

7 Other Object: Crime Irrelevant The Null Hypothesis would mean there is no difference based on stimuli However, if the black-crime association impacts our visual perception, then: Participants primed with black male faces would be faster to identify crime-relevant objects than those primed with white male faces. If null, then there should be no effect of prime for crime-irrelevant objects. Object Identification Frame number Crime-Relevant Crime-Irrelevant Flashing White Faces No Faces (Control) Flashing Black Faces 7

8 Visual Perception Study: Conclusions Exposure to Black male faces facilitated the identification of crime-relevant objects. Exposure to White male faces inhibited the identification of crime-relevant objects. Be a research participant! We will see slides of backgrounds and then a person will appear very quickly with something in his hands. Shout Threat if you see a threat [Silent if no threat] 8

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15 3. Correll Study (shoot/don t shoot) Results: Race Made a Difference Speed: Participants shot a white armed man slower than a black armed man Errors: Participants were more likely to shoot an unarmed Black man than an unarmed White man 15

16 4. The Turban Effect Study Research volunteers played a computer game that showed apartment balconies on which different people appeared, some wearing Muslim-style turbans and others bare-headed. They were told to shoot at the people carrying guns and spare those who were unarmed. The Turban Effect Results Subjects were much more likely to shoot Muslim-looking people, even if they were carrying an innocent item instead of a weapon. They also found a gender effect: Subjects were more likely to shoot men than women (even when harmless) Unkelbach, Forgas and Denson (2008). J. of Experimental Social Psychology. Due to implicit bias, officers may: Increase scrutiny of people of color Interpret ambiguous behavior on the part of people of color as more aggressive Respond to people of color more aggressively Under-respond to whites, Asians, etc., and so forth. 16

17 Economic Status, Race and Crime A= Lower income people are disproportionately represented among people who commit street crimes B= People of color are disproportionately represented in lower income levels A+B=C People of color are disproportionately represented among the people who commit street crimes. We need to train people to: Effectively and impartially perform their duties and respond to calls for service Identify their biases Be Ambassadors of Customer Service Customer Service based on biases/stereotypes impedes achievement of these objectives! Contact Theory: A way to reduce Implicit bias and lead to fair and impartial Customer Service Positive contact between members of groups improves inter-group attitudes and reduces both explicit and implicit biases! 17

18 Personal Contacts and Implicit Biases in Officers Peruche and Plant (2005), Measured implicit bias on the part of officers... Shoot/don t shoot simulator to measure implicit bias, and Surveys too... Police manifest the blink response of bias, but The blink response was weaker in officers who reported positive attitudes and positive interpersonal contacts with racial/ethnic minorities Unlinking Stereotypes: Correll Second Study Speed: Both police and civilians exhibited racial bias speed was high Errors: Bias was less likely to manifest itself in police errors than civilian errors Bottom Line: Police still made correct decisions better than civilians in spite of bias Interpretation: High quality, role play use-offorce training helps police unlink race & crime bias in split-second use-of-force decisions! Implementing Controlled (unbiased) Behavior We can be trained to implement controlled behaviors that override our (natural) implicit biases. 18

19 Fundamental Concepts of Human Bias Bias is a normal human attribute even wellintentioned people have biases Biases are often unconscious or implicit Implicit biases are sometimes incompatible with our chosen beliefs and values Implicit biases can influence our actions Understanding how implicit bias can affect our behavior is the first step to override implicit bias Biased Actions Impact: Customer Satisfaction! Your Bottom Line! Fair and Impartial Customer Service Results In. Customer trust and satisfaction Organizational Reputation Improved Customer Service Effective Customer Service Good Customer Service 19

20 How you respond to concerns of bias is very important. Identifying biased behavior Bias can manifest in well-intentioned, illintentioned YOUR job: To identify when biased Customer Service is occurring What behaviors are you looking for? That s the point: It is difficult to identify bias! Not visible behavior like force, it s what the officer is subconsciously thinking This is why we can t simply rely on your organization s complaint system But this does not mean throw up your hands. We must understand and deal with less than clear information/evidence. 20

21 EXAMPLE: A worker sees crime in immigrant community You notice he does not have a pleasant attitude when dealing with people with foreign accents Much more abrupt with these individuals No specific bad experiences in area to support this behavior He is otherwise a worker wants to serve community... Has commendations, etc. What do you do? Addressing Bias with Direct Reports Recognize ambiguous nature of the evidence of biased behavior and use an OJT Training Approach: Share your observations Ask why this might be occurring Use non-accusatory tone Structure concerns in terms of officer safety and effectiveness Discuss how/why behavior might appear to be biased and perhaps unacceptable Ask worker to state what he/she will do differently in the future 21

22 Use teaching moments Preventative measures, as needed Opportunity to discuss organization s commitment to unbiased behavior Easier relaxed group settings work well Any opportunity for hypotheticals or questions to reinforce key points for this - makes it easier if you have had new hire training in your organization on impartial Customer Service Remember: You are Human too! Be aware that your decisions may be influenced by your own biases. External and internal Be aware that some directions that you give could produce perceptions of biases, racial tension, or be interpreted through the biases of your workers Organization s policies... There is not just ONE definition of biased Customer Service Policies may try to define biased Customer Service Tells workers can/can t Many focus just on race/ethnicity, some broader You need to know/understand your policy and train promote FICS 22

23 Policy Model We value the diversity of our customers! Employees may not consider the race or ethnicity of a person in the course of any interaction, unless the customer chooses to be identified or described in part by race or ethnicity. Anyone involved in biased behaviors will be subject to progressive disciplinary action. Again: Policy Importance In supervising to promote fair and impartial Customer Service organization policy defines what it is. Individual Customers Alleging biased behavior Can be tense Let s start with this: How do you want your subordinates to respond to accusations of biased behavior made against them? 23

24 Teachable Moment: A Suggested Response of an worker to a baseless Accusation of Biased Behavior I am sorry that you feel that way (Sir/Ma am). The reason I ve said/did [describe whatever the person did to help the customer] was is because [worker explains the intention or other reason for the behavior]. Why this language? Denial will not be effective Won t change customer s mind And besides: The person might be right!! Our suggested language: Acknowledge how the person feels, AND Gets Back to Business. Examples of Fair and Impartial Customer Service Messages: Fairness and impartiality are the values of our organization organization does not tolerate biased Customer Service We understand, however, that humans have biases and so The organization has instituted policies and procedures to promote fair and impartial Customer Service, including 24

25 Example: Crisis Communication Message The organization does not tolerate biased Customer Service The organization is committed to fair and impartial Customer Service The organization will conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation The organization will openly communicate the findings and results of the investigation Sure-fire way to increase tension and anger Declare: Absolutely no biased Customer Service occurs in this organization! Summary of Key Points All people, even well-intentioned people have biases They can be implicit (unconscious) The case of Susan Boyle: We prejudge, We fill in blanks that aren t there, Often we don t really know what is real or true... 25

26 Continued... Even though stereotypes might be based in part on fact, Customer Service based on biases can be unproductive, ineffective and unjust Remember the empirical research studies and there findings... Summary Biased Customer Service has negative consequences Biased Customer Service erodes trust Trust is essential for good business Customer Satisfaction is essential to the bottom line $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Training Responsibilities and Strategies: Be role models, mentors, and disciplinarians Identify possible manifestations of bias Prevent biased behavior and intervene when indicated (OJT) Discuss biased Customer Service 26

27 Leaders are Human Too! Your decisions may be impacted by human biases Your biases may impact your treatment of direct reports and citizens Your biases may impact your Customer Service decisions and efforts at problem solving We hope this training Better understanding science of human bias Renewed your appreciation of negative impact You learned skills.will serve you in your role as Leader/Trainer of others and will help you supervise to promote FICS Thank you!! 27