Page 226 - An Indispensible Resource for Being a Credible Activist

ture. There is great importance in corporate leadership being able to honestly acknowledge
errors. Whatever behavior leaders exhibit will trickle down eventually, whether it’s wearing
shorts to the office, acknowledging an error, making an inappropriate joke, or apologizing
for missing a meeting. Tylenol, JetBlue, and President Obama have all set excellent profes-
sional examples of how acknowledging an error can transform the whole error into some-
thing better, whether it’s better safety measures for pill bottles, improved customer service,
or inviting two men of different races to resolve a potentially explosive conflict and decon-
struct a misunderstanding in a cordial and relaxed manner. This is what leaders are paid for.
Leadership always sets the tone. If HR or anyone else begins admitting errors in a cul-
ture where there are serious consequences rather than a transformative learning experience,
admitting errors is unlikely to continue in that culture. The danger in such a culture is that
learning rarely occurs because employees are too afraid and errors continue to happen and
be hidden.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO UNLEARN AND WHAT DO
YOU NEED TO LEARN REGARDING UNEXAMINED BIAS?

Make yourself aware of any personal biases you may have before you are made aware of
them in a memo you don’t want to receive. We must be aware of biases we may have, favor-
able or unfavorable, about race or ethnicity, gender, age, ability or disability, religious
beliefs, armed forces status, marital status, sexual preferences, and so on. In many states,
we must be aware of any biases we have related to sexual orientation in terms of others who
may be heterosexual, homosexual, transgender, or bisexual. The point of making sure we
have these awarenesses relates to workplace-appropriate behavior, awareness of privilege,
and the ability to understand why these are considered “protected classes” if we do not
already. See the HR Tool entitled “Checklist of Resources for Self-Development and Self-
Examination,” on pages 220, for ways to assess your own emotional intelligence.

CHAPTER 13 • Conflict Resolution 209