50 Ways to Fight Bias
A training activity that helps you combat the biases women face at work.
Why fighting gender & unconscious bias matters
One year into the pandemic, we’re in a moment of crisis for women. Millions of women have been driven out of the workforce by Covid-19. Many more are struggling with burnout and considering downshifting their careers or leaving their jobs.
To avoid unwinding years of progress toward gender equality, companies need to act now to promote, hire, and retain women. Combating the unconscious biases women face at work is critical to getting this right. Research shows that gender bias contributes to women being passed over for jobs and promotions. Almost three in four women experience bias at work, and those who do are more likely to leave their jobs. And women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities face more acute biases. Yet only one in three employees, including managers, challenges biased behavior when they see it.
Knowing that unconscious & gender biases exist isn’t enough. We need to take action—and Lean In’s 50 Ways to Fight Bias training program can help.
50 Ways to Fight Bias is a free digital training program to empower all employees to identify and challenge bias head on. The program is optimized for virtual workshops and consists of two parts: a short video that explains the most common types of biases that women face and a digital card activity where small groups of participants discuss specific examples of bias, brainstorm solutions together, and learn research-backed recommendations for what to do. The digital cards highlight almost 100 instances of workplace bias, including the compounding biases women experience because of their race, sexual orientation, disability, or other aspects of their identity.
50 Ways to Fight Bias has been used by thousands of organizations, including Amazon, PayPal, Walmart, and the Wharton MBA Program. And it works: 95% of program participants are more committed to challenging bias, and 96% of managers feel better equipped to talk about bias with their teams.
To get started, download our Quick-Start Guide to run an introductory session or explore our complete digital program.
![Back of card: What to do - You should signal that you support your pregnant coworker taking her full leave. For example, you might say, “We’ll really miss you, [Name,] but I hope you take all your leave! You deserve it.” You could also offer to help her plan coverage for when she’s gone. You may want to take a moment to explain WHY IT MATTERS to the colleague who made the comment. In addition, you could ask HR to reassure the woman that she has every right to take all her leave and that the company will keep her projects on track while she’s out. #https://media.sgff.io/sgff_r1eHetbDYb/2021-03-01/1614626288445/Over_lunch-2.png #try asking, “Why do you think hiring #women would lower the bar?” Restating their words may prompt your #colleague to rethink their assumption. You can also explain why it #matters. Longer term, push your company to use standardized hiring #criteria.197 That way, the bar will be set before the hiring #process begins, so all candidates will be evaluated against it and #the notion that “we lowered the bar” is likely to fade.](https://media.sgff.io/sgff_r1eHetbDYb/2022-05-05/1651778498924/cant_manage_without_her-2.png)
![Back of card: What to do - If you feel comfortable, ask a few questions. Did they say that the message was urgent? Was the woman expected to be on call? If the answer is yes, then their complaint may be warranted and you don’t need to push back any further.541 But if there was no expectation that she would respond after working hours, it may be worth pointing that out. You could say something like, “I personally try to avoid answering work calls at night” or “You know, it can be good for everyone’s long-term productivity when we can disconnect outside working hours.” #https://media.sgff.io/sgff_r1eHetbDYb/2021-03-01/1614626700020/fired_up-2.png #Speak up. Say you’d like #to hear your coworker’s point of view, and push back on the #suggestion that she’s too emotional or irrational. You could say, #“[Name] doesn’t seem heated to me. I think she’s making some #really great points. [Name], can you go on?”](https://media.sgff.io/sgff_r1eHetbDYb/2022-05-05/1651778626721/didnt_respond_quickly-2.png)
What makes 50 Ways to Fight Bias effective
Specific and interactive:
The training program is rooted in very specific examples of workplace bias because research shows bias training is more effective when it's tied to realistic and familiar situations, as opposed to more general concepts.
Rooted in intersectional research:
Our training is grounded in decades of research and developed in collaboration with experts on how bias based on gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, and religion impacts people's experiences at work.
Tailored to suit your organization’s needs:
You can choose from one of 12 sets of digital cards curated for different audiences and workplace interactions—for example, we offer a set for managers and a set focused on bias in hiring and promotions.
Designed to engage men:
Many bias trainings leave men feeling attacked or alienated. 50 Ways is designed to help men play a meaningful role in identifying and combating workplace bias.
How it works
50 Ways is optimized for virtual workshops where participants learn about bias, discuss specific examples, and get expert recommendations on what to do. Here’s how the program works in a few simple steps—and you can explore our digital program to learn more.
Set the tone
All 50 Ways workshops begin by level setting with participants on how to encourage an open and respectful discussion.
Introduction to bias
Participants watch a short video that explains the most common types of biases that women face as well as the concept of intersectionality—how women can experience compounding biases due to other aspects of their identity.
Watch the 50 Ways videoGroup activity
Before the training workshop, the moderator selects the set of digital cards that will resonate with participants. In the session, participants break into small groups to go through the cards together. On each card, they’re introduced to a specific example of workplace bias—and why it matters. They take a few minutes to discuss the situation and brainstorm solutions for interrupting the bias. They then learn what experts recommend they do in that situation, along with a short explanation of what's behind the bias.
Explore the 50 Ways digital cardsCommit to action
As the activity wraps up, participants commit to take One Action to fight bias based on what they’ve learned.
Bring 50 Ways to your company
We’ll give you everything you need to run a 50 Ways bias training workshop at your company. To get started, download our Quick-Start Guide to run an introductory session or explore our complete digital program.
You can also join our free company webinar where we'll walk you through how to host a 50 Ways to Fight Bias workshop.
Can’t make it? No worries, sign-up here and we’ll email you all the resources to get started.
