In 2021, we continued our efforts to build a sense of belonging in the Firm and ensure our people feel they can be their authentic selves at work. One of the ways we narrowed the gap between thought and action was through a number of anti-racism trainings offered to partners, associates and business services professionals across the Firm. One of these trainings, Behaviors of Inclusion, was a virtual, interactive workshop led by LifeLabs Learning. Nearly 500 people took part in the workshop in its first year. 
 
The workshop began with the premise that, although we are all biased, our biases don’t have to keep us from being inclusive. Led by a LifeLabs facilitator, groups of 25 to 30 people learned about the science behind unconscious bias and its effects in the workplace. The workshop then tied these concepts to specific behaviors everyone could adopt to address bias and make the workplace more inclusive.
 
During the workshop, participants were split into smaller groups to practice simple habits that help reduce the exclusionary behaviors that occur in a wide range of situations, including one-on-one interactions, meetings and in feedback sessions. For example, participants learned specific phrases to help ensure that everyone feels welcome and encouraged to contribute at meetings. They also learned how to convert subjective statements given as feedback into objective ones. For example, instead of describing a team member as “unprofessional,” a word with no objective meaning, people learned to rely on factual words and phrases, which are less subject to bias.

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Reflections in the windows of a Paris office building