Unintentional Still Hurts: Overcoming Unconscious Bias

Proven Results | 3x Increase in Bias Acceptance | Measure Your Organization’s Positive Change

Every day, in workplaces everywhere, people ask questions, make assumptions, or take actions they feel are innocent or even well-intentioned but which disrespect others. This course provides powerful examples of what these occurrences, or “microaggressions,” look and feel like – reminding us that until we do the work of identifying and challenging our biases, we run the risk of offending others and blocking efforts to create a culture of equity, inclusion and respect.   

Unintentional Still Hurts: Overcoming Unconscious Bias will help your organization:

• Measure change in employees' acceptance of bias while also providing a way to compare your organization's bias acceptance level with others nationally.
• Overcome resistance and misconceptions by giving the science behind bias and portraying how bias and microaggressions hurt people—even when unintentional.
• Immediately minimize the impact of implicit bias through instruction that encourages personal reflection and enables learners to recognize and challenge their biases.
• Inspire positive change (not fear and avoidance) by reminding learners that while biases may lead us to say or do the wrong thing, these mistakes (when handled correctly) can generate meaningful dialogue and increased understanding.
• Encourage people to be allies with instruction on how to speak up on behalf of another person when you witness explicit or implicit bias or microaggression.
• Educate managers on their role in creating a culture of respect and give them a practical way to handle employee concerns regarding microaggressions and disrespectful conduct

▶ Learning Points

Unintentional Still Hurts: Overcoming Unconscious Bias enables learners to:

• Recognize that they have biases.
• Implement strategies to overcome unconscious bias.
• Stop and consider potential biases when making assumptions about co-workers' abilities.
• Identify microaggressions.
• Respectfully handle situations where an offense has occurred (whether they’re the target, the perpetrator or a witness).

▶ Top Design Features

• Focuses on behavior change. Educates and prepares employees to use the target workplace behaviors.
• Builds self-awareness. Helps employees recognize bias and how it can influence interactions with others.
• Overcomes learner resistance. Presents bias as part of being human and uses real-world, relatable examples.
• Enables you to measure success. Pre-measurement and follow-up information let you see the impact of the training.
• Is backed by research. Course design aligns with proven behavioral theory and the impact is scientifically validated.

▶ eLearning Details

The Employee eLearning course is comprised of three 15-minute eLearning modules, so employees are only away from their job for short periods. 

Module 1: Understanding Bias

Module 2: Recognizing Hidden Bias and Microaggressions

Module 3: Speaking Up

                     Pre-measurement Module - Establishes baseline for measuring change in bias perception

• Each module builds on and reinforces the learning from the previous one.
• eLearning content is interactive and engaging.
• Knowledge checks reinforce the learning.
• Self-reflection questions prepare learners to use desired workplace behaviors.

A Manager version is also available.

Note: Unintentional Still Hurts is fully interactive eLearning. The preview provided at the top of this page shows how a learner would progress through the course. For this preview, however, only the end-of-module summary questions are shown. To demo the eLearning course in its entirety, please contact us.

▶ Delivery and Facilitation Options

• Self-paced, interactive eLearning (can be customized with organizational policy and messaging)
• Facilitated Workshops (in-person or virtual) can be added to support the eLearning, using our facilitators or yours.   Please contact us for more information.

* 2022 Media Partners Bias Training Research 

Every day, in workplaces everywhere, people ask questions, make assumptions, or take actions they feel are innocent or even well-intentioned but which disrespect others. This course provides powerful examples of what these occurrences, or “microaggressions,” look and feel like – reminding us that until we do the work of identifying and challenging our biases, we run the risk of offending others and blocking efforts to create a culture of equity, inclusion and respect.   

Unintentional Still Hurts: Overcoming Unconscious Bias helps organizations:

• Overcome resistance and misconceptions by giving the science behind bias and portraying how bias and microaggressions hurt people—even when unintentional.
• Immediately minimize the impact of implicit bias through activities that encourage personal reflection and enable learners to recognize and challenge their biases.
• Inspire positive change (not fear and avoidance) by reminding learners that while biases may lead us to say or do the wrong thing, these mistakes (when handled correctly) can generate meaningful dialogue and increased understanding.
• Encourage people to be allies with instruction on how to speak up on behalf of another person when you witness explicit or implicit bias or microaggression.
• Educate managers on their role in creating a culture of respect and give them a practical way to handle employee concerns regarding microaggressions and disrespectful conduct
• Tap into the knowledge of subject matter experts. The course has been reviewed and approved by specialists in DEIB and LGBTQ+ inclusion; experienced DEIB facilitators can be provided upon request

▶ Learning Points

• Unintentional Still Hurts: Overcoming Unconscious Bias addresses:

• Implicit versus explicit bias as well as the most common forms of workplace bias
• How to manage microaggressions if you’re the target or if you’re called out as the perpetrator
• How to be an upstander if you witness disrespectful or demeaning conduct, or microaggressions in the workplace. 
• The STEP model to frame and challenge implicit bias.

▶ Top Design Features

• Focuses on behavior change. Practical strategies help learners do their part to recognize and overcome bias.
• Inspires learners to be their best selves at work and home by helping them acknowledge their own potential biases.
• Is relatable. The tone is conversational, and the vignettes are based on true stories.
• Is memorable and engaging. The sensitive and thought-provoking approach encourages reflection long after the training.
• Is modular so training sessions can be easily adapted to busy schedules.

▶ eLearning Details

The Employee eLearning course is comprised of three 15-minute eLearning modules, so employees are only away from their job for short periods. 

Module 1: Understanding Bias

Module 2: Recognizing Microaggressions

Module 3: What You Can Do to STEP Up

• Each module builds on and reinforces the learning from the previous one.
• eLearning content is interactive and engaging.
• Knowledge Checks reinforce the learning.
• Post-test validates the learning.

A Manager version is also available.

▶ Delivery and Facilitation Options

• Self-paced, interactive eLearning (can be customized with organizational policy and messaging)
• Instructor-Led Training (virtual or in person delivery using our trainers)
• Train the Trainer (use our content and co-brand with your trainers delivering in-house)
• Blended Learning (combine our eLearning with instructor led training using our trainers or yours)

Read more about Media Partners' Facilitation Services here.