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50 Ways to Fight Bias at your organization At your organization
Gender bias is holding women back in the workplace—and company leaders and employees are looking for concrete ways to take action.
Fighting gender bias is good for companies
For four years, Lean In and McKinsey & Company have studied the state of women in Corporate America. Our findings are stark: women are less likely to be hired or promoted, and they are more likely to suffer everyday slights than men.1 These trends are having profound effects on companies. Women are less happy and more likely to think about leaving their jobs.2 The most talented people aren’t always advancing, and the best ideas aren’t always rising to the top. And over time, fewer women are making their way into leadership roles.3
Gender bias has a lot to do with this—which means employees who challenge bias can help turn these trends around.4 The business case for fighting bias is strong. More inclusive teams are happier and more productive.5 And companies with more women in leadership achieve higher profits.6
New to 50 Ways? Explore the program
The business case for fighting bias is strong: companies with more women in leadership achieve higher profits.
How to access 50 Ways
The 50 Ways cards come in three formats: a physical deck of cards available to purchase at cost, a free presentation to download, and a digital version that is coming soon.
How to implement at your organization
The 50 Ways program is flexible—there are a number of approaches companies big and small can take. Explore some options below.
Host a large employee workshop
For large group gatherings, use the presentation version of the cards and the accompanying speaker notes to walk everyone through the activity together. Break participants into smaller groups to discuss the situations and brainstorm solutions.
50+ people
1- to 2-hour session
Mixed gender, all job levels
Presentation format recommended
Run a small group discussion
For small group gatherings, use the instructions in the deck of cards to lead participants through the activity. You can do this in one session or over the course of a series.
Groups of 6 to 8 people
1- to 2-hour session
Mixed gender, all job levels
Physical cards recommended
Share with managers before hiring and promotions
Before hiring and review cycles, pull together all the Situation cards labeled “reviews and promotions” and “hiring,” and use the activity with anyone involved in the process.
Groups of 6 to 8 people
2-hour session
Hiring committee or leadership team
Physical cards recommended
Incorporate into everyday workplace activities
For common workplace gatherings like weekly meetings or team lunches, use the cards or videos individually. For example, bring one card to each weekly team meeting or watch the videos together over lunch.
All sizes
Less than 15 minutes
Mixed gender, all job levels
Physical cards recommended
Footnotes
- LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2018 (October 2018), https://womenintheworkplace.com.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid; Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and Deloitte, “Waiter, is that inclusion in my soup? A new recipe to improve business performance” (November 2012), https://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/home/news-and-events/item/496-organisations-can-increase-their-performance-by-focusing-on-diversity-and-inclusion-28-nov-2012.
- Sangeeta Badal, “The Business Benefits of Gender Diversity,” Gallup (January 20, 2014), https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236543/business-benefits-gender-diversity.aspx; Sara Ellison and Wallace P. Mullin, “Diversity, Social Goods Provision, and Performance in the Firm,” Journal of Economics and Management Strategy 23, no. 2 (Summer 2014): 465–81, https://economics.mit.edu/files/8851; Vivian Hunt, Lareina Yee, Sara Prince, and Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle, Delivering Through Diversity, McKinsey & Company (2018), https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity.