I recently read an article on the changing attitudes relating to explicit and implicit bias, published by Scientific American, which discussed a Harvard University study – Project Implicit which has been conducted over the last 10 years in the United States.

The results of the study showed a reduction in these biases particularly in terms of race and sexuality over the last 10 years. It occurred to me that this shift demonstrates how the conversation on Diversity and Inclusion has come to the fore in numerous ways. While it has been discussed for many years, it is refreshing to note that the level of awareness and behaviour is changing significantly for certain aspects of Diversity. Click here to read
Yet I am also reminded there is of course still more work necessary in this realm.


This was evident for me last week, when I ran a Diversity and Inclusion workshop for a Public sector office. During the workshop a recently hired member of the group who was quite mature shared her experiences of getting a job after coming out of early retirement. She experienced great difficulty and recurring bias towards her age even though she was highly experienced and very well qualified. The process of finding a work place that did not discriminate against her in relation to her age was very challenging and revealing in that it highlights that while we are advancing our awareness around some aspects of D&I, other layers still remain. She commented on how interviewers questioned if she would be able to cope with using technology. Fortunately for her she was able to find an organisation that did not view her age as a barrier to her ability to performing the role and welcomed her. According to her manager, in the 3 months since she has been there, her contribution to the team performance has been outstanding.

Single, Double and Triple Loop Learning

In this podcast I look at how you and your organisation learn and if you are just learning for yourself or learning for the purpose of teaching it to someone else so they may also teach it to others. I share some ideas and insights on how you can use these learning practices with your teams and be a more effective leader. Click here to listen