Hey, it's TED Talks Daily. I'm Elise Hugh. Our minds make split-second assumptions constantly.

They are the products of bias that we aren't even aware of. In today's episode from our video series, The Way We Work, Kim Scott and Trier Bryant say bias is disruptable.

We can dismantle our assumptions for more inclusive workplaces

and communities. We all have our biases. The set of assumptions that we make and the things

we don't notice about people's race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, and other traits.

They come from the part of our mind that jumps to conclusions that we might not even be aware that we have.

I really can't tell you the number of times people assumed I was a receptionist when I was an executive at the company.

That kind of bias gets in the way of good collaboration, performance,

and decision-making. It creates an invisible tax of resentment and frustration. The more frustrated we

are, the more silent we are likely to be. And the more silent we are, the less we may be

able to do our best work. The good news, though, is bias is not inevitable.

So here's how to disrupt bias in three steps. The first step is to create a shared vocabulary.

Sometimes bias shows up in big, embarrassing gaffes, but more often it comes out in the little words and phrases we choose, which are packed with

assumptions. In meetings especially, these often go unnoticed or even worse, people notice,

but don't know what to say. That's why we recommend coming up with a shared word or phrase that

everyone agrees to use to disrupt bias attitudes or behaviors. Examples teams are using our bias alert,

stoplight, or even throwing up a peace sign. Leaders often ask us to give them the right words,

but the best words are the ones your team will actually say, not the ones that leaders impose.

So talk to your team. My very favorite is the one that you recommended

Trier, Purple Flag. When someone says or does something biased, we'll say purple flag,

and maybe we'll even wave a purple flag. It's not a red flag. It's a friendly purple flag.

It helps us become more aware of our blind spots. Purple flag. Thanks for pointing

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