50 Ways to Fight Bias card activity, buy or download today — Lean In

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The cards highlight more than 50 specific examples of bias against women at work, encourage participants to brainstorm solutions together, and offer research-backed recommendations for what to do.

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More resources for 50 Ways

Back of card: What to do - stand up for your colleague on leave. Point out why it matters - how family leave is good for workers, families, and companies.

Front of card: Situation - someone complains to you that a new dad on the team is taking too much of his allotted family leave.

Back of card: What to do - You can make the workplace fairer by being thoughtful about whom you mentor. Consider proactively reaching out to mentor someone from a different background.

Front of card: Situation - you decide to mentor someone because they remind you of yourself.

Back of card: What to do - You can tell your coworker you know they’ve worked hard to get where they are. Then explain that benefiting from white privilege doesn’t mean they haven’t struggled. Their challenges may be economic, health related, or derive from another source, but racism has not been one of their burdens. Put another way, they haven’t struggled because they are white.

Front of card: 'Situation - you hear a white coworker say they aren’t privileged they grew up poor'

Back of card: Solution: Talk to the hiring manager. Point out that there aren't any women being interviewed. Suggest and additional push to identify two or more viable women candidates.

Front of card: Situation - you're asked to interview candidates for a role on your team and notice none are women.

Back of card: Solution - In the moment, say something. Mention the incident and how awful it was. Depending on your relationships with Black coworkers, let them know you are there to talk if they need to. Be understanding if Black coworkers seem distracted or not themselves. In the longer term, you can further educate yourself on the incident by reading about it in a Black news outlet, such as <i>Blavity</i> or <i>Essence</i>. If you’re a manager, check in with Black members of your team to see how they’re doing and if they need any additional support.

Back of card: Solution - when a woman gets interrupted, speak up. You might say, I'd like to hear the rest of her thoughts, or she raised an important point. I'd like to consider it further before we move on.

Front of card: Situation - you're in a meeting and a woman colleague is spoken over or interrupted.

Back of card: Solution - You could ask a question to make your coworker reflect: “What’s wrong with acknowledging someone's race? Everyone’s identity is unique and should be appreciated.” Explain that while you understand they think they’re being fair and objective, “not seeing color” can make racism worse. Point out that this way of thinking signals that someone’s not interested in challenging racist behavior, whether or not that was the intention.

Front of card: Situation - A coworker says, “I don’t see color.”

Back of card: Solution - Ask your colleague for concrete examples of why they think she lacks the required skills. If he doesn’t offer much evidence, say so: “I don’t see a problem with her skills.” You can also check her skill set against the list of criteria for the role. If she meets all or most of the criteria, that can help settle the matter. Establishing clear criteria for performance reviews and promotions can help minimize biased decision making.

Front of card: Situation -In a meeting about promotions, someone questions whether a Latina candidate has the skills for a manager role.

Back of card: Solution - You can jump in and say something like, “Hey, asking to touch a Black woman's hair is not OK!" or “Why do you need to touch it? It looks great from here!” To make sure it doesn’t keep happening, consider mentioning it to your manager as an example of why the company needs regular anti-racism training and a robust allyship program.

Front of card: Situation - A coworker asks a Black woman on your team if they can touch her hair.