#25: Want to fight bias? Know your audience

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Fighting discrimination is core to Save the Children’s strategy. But what can you do when you witness bias online, in meetings, or at family gatherings?

In her excellent book, The Person You Mean to Be, Psychologist Dolly Chugh explains you must first determine WHO you are speaking to:

• The easy 20%: broadly supportive

• The movable middle 60%: silent and passive, but can be influenced

• The stuck 20%: resistant to change

When interacting with an “easy 20” person, speak up to help further educate them. If you are dealing with a “middle 60,” you can help educate them OR those listening. While if you are facing a “stuck 20,” confront them, but focus on the quiet observers, they are your actual audience and you can establish a new norm for them.

Finally, Chugh recommends using stories (over facts), because these generate emotion and empathy and are more likely to spur change.