50 Ways to Fight Bias A program that teaches all employees to combat bias
Learn how to bring 50 Ways to your company
Join members of the Lean In team for a free training to learn how to bring 50 Ways to Fight Bias to your organization.
In our 90-minute virtual training, we’ll walk you through the program’s materials, break down important concepts it covers, and offer tips for answering questions frequently asked by employees.
Register for an upcoming training
50 Ways to Fight Bias takes the guesswork out of identifying and interrupting the biases women experience at work.
This free program consists of two components: a short video that explains the five major types of bias that often impact women at work and over 100 digital “cards” illustrating specific examples of these biases with recommendations for what to say and do in the moment. The activity is designed for small groups to facilitate active learning, generate buy-in, and motivate people to take action.
The strength of “50 Ways” lies in its specificity – because research shows bias training is most effective when grounded in realistic, everyday situations. The program also assumes all participants are eager to make a positive impact and is designed so everyone feels like they're learning together.
Challenging bias is good for companies
For 10 years, Lean In and McKinsey & Company have conducted the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. Year over year, the data show that employees are happier and less likely to think about leaving when disrespectful behavior is quickly addressed in their company.
We know it works
The program has been used by thousands of organizations, including Amazon, PayPal, Walmart, and the Wharton MBA Program. And it works.
96% of managers feel better equipped to talk about bias with their teams
95% of program participants are more committed to challenging bias
90% of program participants say they know what to do when they see women face bias at work
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How companies can use this program
Explore some options for bringing the program to your company below.
1
Engage Your Employees
Host a large workshop for employees
For large gatherings—either in-person or virtual—select a set of cards and use our Moderator Guide to walk everyone through the activity. Break participants into smaller groups or virtual breakout rooms to discuss the situations and brainstorm solutions together.
Recommended Format
- Our “starter set” — a great introductory session
- Our set focused on the experiences of women of color
Integrate into existing programming
Use 50 Ways to facilitate conversations within your current programming — for example, as a new employee training or at a monthly all-hands meetings.
Recommended Format
- Our set on improving company culture through everyday interactions
- Our set for virtual workplaces
- Our set on how to avoid bias as mentors and sponsors
Incorporate into everyday workplace activities
For frequent gatherings like weekly meetings or team lunches, use the cards or video individually. For instance, discuss one scenario in each meeting or watch the overview video during lunch.
Recommended Format
2
Train your managers and senior leaders
Host a workshop for managers
Managers set the tone for respectful and welcoming team cultures, yet only a third of managers challenge disrespectful behavior when it happens. Lead managers through the program to show them how they can challenge bias — and then ask them to bring the program to their teams.
Recommended Format
- Our set designed for people managers
- Our set on minimizing bias in hiring
- Our set on minimizing bias in reviews and promotions
Host a workshop for senior leaders
Guide senior leaders through the program to help them understand how they can build a fairer and more inclusive workplace.
Recommended Format
- Our set designed for senior leaders
- Our set on how to avoid bias as mentors and sponsors
3
Integrate into hiring and promotions
Use before each process begins*
Run 50 Ways with all evaluators to remind them of how to avoid common pitfalls in hiring, reviews, and promotions.
Recommended Format
- Our set on minimizing bias in hiring
- Our set on minimizing bias in reviews and promotions
- Our set on fixing the “broken rung” at the first promotion to manager
4
Facilitate small group discussions
Run a small group discussion
For small group gatherings, lead participants through a set of cards and discuss the situations and recommendations together. This can be done in a single session or spread over multiple meetings.
Recommended Format
- Choose any of our curated card sets that are relevant to your small group.
Running 50 Ways in another language?
We have everything you need to run a successful workshop in Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
You’re in good company
We’ve helped thousands of companies – of all sizes – create a culture where everyone feels supported and empowered to do their best work
Hear what companies have to say
“When I introduced the 50 Ways to Fight Bias program to my sales team, I was blown away by the level of engagement and the quality of conversations from all levels within the department.”
Ready to get started?
We make it easy to get started – choose one of the options below:
Webinar
Attend a moderator training
Join one of our free training sessions to get in-depth advice from our team on how to run your 50 Ways workshops.
RegisterProgram Materials
Start using the program
Download our guides and curated card sets for everything you need to make your 50 Ways workshop successful.
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