Study Theres less bias against orientation and race, but more for weight

Study Theres less bias against orientation and race, but more for weightStudy Theres less bias against orientation and race, but more for weightAmericans have gotten less unconsciously biased against sexual orientation and race but not weight, a new study from Harvard shows.The study, published in the journal Psychological Science,analyzed data from the last 20 years of the website Project Implicit, which allows users to test themselves for implicit biases biases they arent aware of. The study collected data from 4.4 mio tests between 2005-16.Attitudes towards sexual bias changed quickly, the study found.The rates of explicit attitude change ranged from a rapid 49% decrease in explicit bias towards gay and lesbian individuals to a relatively slower 15% decrease in explicit bias towards overweight individuals, says psychological scientist lead author Tessa Charlesworth of Harvard University, in a release.Racial bias dropped as well 17% for attitudes towards race and 15% for attitude s towards skin tone.Unfortunately, bias against people who weigh more didnt neither did age or disability. Body weight bias is actually getting slightly worse from around 2004 to 2010, body weight bias actually increased by 40%, WBUR reported.We can only speculate, Charlesworth told WBUR. We often talk about the obesity epidemic, or about the problem with obese individuals.Also, we typically think about body weight as something that people can control,and so we are more likely to make the moral judgment of, Well, you should just change.Nevertheless, it may not be like that forever, as the research shows that it appears that biases can change over time.This research is important because it shows that, contrary to previous assumptions that implicit attitudes were stable features of the mind or society, implicit attitudes appear, in fact, to be capable of long-term durable change,says Charlesworth, in a release.Make sure bias doesnt take creep into your organization. HR Dive provides a Quick Guide to Bias Education for Your Workplace.

3 Steps to Becoming a Better Version of Yourself

3 Steps to Becoming a Better Version of Yourself3 Steps to Becoming a Better Version of YourselfI recently finished reading 99Us new book Maximize Your Potential (which I cant recommend enough), and it ended with a lovely little essay by Jack Cheng about the Better You.The idea of the essay is that there is always a version of yourself slightly ahead of where you are now. This you isnt perfect, but he or she is a little more organized, gets up a little earlier, is a little better at focusing on the task at hand. Its the person you know you could be if you just tried a little harder. Its not scary impossible, but youll have to push to get there.I loved this idea of a better me sitting next to me at work and pushing me to achieve my potential. For the next week or so, I would think with every move I made- what would better me do?But even with a nice metaphor like this, keeping up with your better self is not an easy task. It takes hard work and persistence, and its easy to just want to revert to your self that hits the snooze button a couple of times and hops over to Pinterest for just five minutes in the middle of the workday.To help you (and myself) out in this quest for continual self-improvement, Ive come up with a couple of strategies that make staying on track with my better self a little easier.1. Break the NormSometimes you already know the changes you want to make in your life. But sometimes, its not as clear what behaviors are holding you back from your full potential.The best way to figure it out? Start trying different things. Make a list of productivity tips youve read about or friends behaviors youve been wanting to try, and challenge yourself to do things differently. It doesnt have to be big things If you usually get up and check your phone, instead get up and relax for five minutes to start the day fresh. If you usually check your email first thing when you get to the office, instead try spending an hour working on your big task for the day first .Not every change you make will be one you want to continue, but experimenting like this will start to give you a sense of whats holding you back and what will help you move toward the better version of you.2. Do it Regularly for a MonthOftentimes when people get excited about improving themselves, theyll think about all the things they want to do differently and make it a goal to change them all at once. I fall prey to this far too often, too- this week, Im going to stay organized at work, devote time to side projects, eat healthier, and actually exercise. It doesnt take a genius to figure out what happens in this scenario Monday Im gung-ho for all of them, but by mid-week Im back to my old ways.Changing habits is hard, but its nearly impossible when we overwhelm ourselves with too many changes at once. Instead, its better to focus on one major change at a time, and give yourself ample time to establish this change as a habit. I find the fruchtwein effective way to do this is to pr actice the new habit every day for a month. Even if you arent looking for this to be a daily habit in the long run, doing it every day at the start makes it easer to condition the behavior as a regular part of your life. Scott Young explains this well in his article on 99U.For example, over the summer I was working out approximately never. I wanted to get to the point where I was active three or four days a week, so I made it a goal to work out every day in September. By spending a month focusing on how working out could fit into my life every single day, doing it a few times a week is now a piece of cake.This could apply to things at work, too. Want to start devoting more time to special projects at work? Devoting even 15 to 30 minutes a day to these projects for a month can help get you there. It may feel like slow progress, but in just a year of doing one thing a month, youll be closer to your better self in 12 major ways.3. Give Yourself a wertzuwachs ReviewNothing makes a goal fail faster than not keeping yourself accountable. Its all well and good to say youll wake up half an hour earlier every day, but if youre not checking in on yourself, youll probably start hitting the snooze button again before you know it.So, set up a regular time to check in with yourself on your goal. Every evening, once a week- whatever cadence you think you need to stay on track. Sit down and think about what youve been doing well and where your weaknesses have been, and then come up with action items for how youre going to overcome them. Better yet, write them down so you can keep up with your progress.And if youre still having trouble staying on track, find someone else to help you stay accountable. It could be your roommate, your best friend, or even your boss. For example, I had a goal to start writing more. After sharing it with my boss, we set up regular times during my work week that were blocked out for writing, and she checks in with me at the beginning of each of thos e times to see what Im working on that day. Shes even started joining me in this writing time- meaning were both making progress towards our better selves.All of this is not to say that you should be constantly self-critiquing and never be happy with where you are in your development. But when you do find ways you can change your habits to make your life a little easier? These strategies will do wonders.Photo of man smiling courtesy of Shutterstock.

How Remote Workers Can Get a Promotion - The Muse

How Remote Workers Can Get a Promotion - The MuseHow Remote Workers Can Get a PromotionEver heard the saying Do things, tell people? Its sage advice for any employee, but its even mora important when youre on a remote team, and ansturm the risk of being out of sight and out of mind. Sure, some people assume thats a benefit of working from home (e.g., How would your boss know if you took a two-hour lunch?) But theres a flipside to that coin When youre exceeding expectations and there are no casual stops by your boss desk to fill her in on all youre doing- how will she ever know?If you want the saatkorn raises, gold stars, or promotions youd receive if you worked in an office, youve gotta make some noise. And you have to do it without being all socially-awkward-penguin about it. Try these four strategies1. Build Your NetworkYou want everyone possible to know you and the value you bring, so that when new opportunities show up, you come to mind. For this to happen, you need to build rela tionships within your team. No matter how small the group is or how far-flung the zip codes are, your colleagues are part of your network. Here are two easy ways to get this relationship-building going.Swap PraisePretty obvious, right? Right. But its a surefire way to connect with the people youre working with. Skip the slimy flattery or half-hearted kudos here Im talking about expressing gratitude and calling it like you see it. When someone else saves the day, helps you out big time, or goes above and beyond, make some noise. Shootum a thank-you badge on Slack Let your new boss know. Mention it during your next conference call. People dont forget this kind of thing, especially when its done publicly. The next time they spot you dishing out some awesome, theyll reciprocate. Theres leidhing like having someone else make noise for youSeek Out a MentorFind a mentor. Acting on feedback is crucial to getting better at your job and earning recognition. With the help of a mentor, the gett ing better part explodes, and heres the best part You can still seek out a mentor-mentee dynamic when you work remotely.You probably wont find the same structured arrangements you world in an office. Weekly coffee dates will be harder to come by, no question but this relationship is less about form and more about content. As long as youre connecting with someone you admire who can give you clear advice, youre golden.Ideally, choose someone who can introduce you to others within the company and your industry. Most importantly, select a person who has the skills youd like to master, because you can learn from his experience. Which brings me to me next point2. Acquire New Skills and Ask for More ResponsibilityIts great when your manager looks for opportunities for you to grow, but truth talk Your professional development is no ones responsibility but yours.Now, dont get me wrong. Internal workshops, seminars, and just plain gaining skills on the fly are terrific- if you want to move ah ead at the same rate as everyone else on your team.But Id bet that you want to stand out. Apply the extra hour or two you save by not commuting every day to some outside training. There are a million ways to up your game. Some of my personal favorite learning platforms include edX, lynda.com, and Coursera.From there, seek out avenues where you can apply your new skills. Asking for more, new, or different responsibilities increases your value within an organization. It also puts a spotlight on your growing capabilities. If there arent new and exciting opportunities floating around your team, volunteer to help other departments. Yes, this can be harder when Steve from marketing and Tara from engineering dont stand around the same water cooler, so youll have to find out yourself. Ask your boss is there are company-wide or cross-team projects. If theres no room for you to contribute that way, ask about big picture strategic goals and study the needs and challenges of the company to see if you can spot a neglected area. Create your own opportunity by pitching a new project or position that you could take on to address the weak spot.3. Track Your ProgressConsider this your new Friday ritual. Take a few minutes to jot down an outline of everything youve accomplished that week. Include all of the items that you feel great about. This record- I call it my Lookit Me file- serves a few important purposes. Long term, when its time to update your resume, youll have a treasure trove of accomplishments and metrics to pull from. Future you will be grateful, I promiseMore immediately, this practice reinforces not only your personal awareness of how things are going, but also the awareness of your boss. On particularly good weeks, fire off your Lookit Me summary to your boss, explaining what you feel great about and the things youre excited about in the week to come. Theyre perfect for when youve really been on fire. Maybe you closed a hefty new account, implemented a new syste m or tool that quickly showed positive results, or delivered a project early, not to mention one that wowd a client- I think you get the picture.Its fine to toot your own horn, as long as its not too often or loud.4. Ask for What You WantYouve networked, paired yourself with a mentor, and trained up. Youve also flaunted your skills (and the value they create). Its time for the big ask- though actually, at this point its not so big. You did most of the work already Still You have to make some noise. Again.The first step in asking for what you want is finding the right time to do it. Since youre remote, you may have to be twice as proactive in initiating the discussion. Be sure to ask your manager to set a time to talk- over video if at all possible. (You do not want to ask for a promotion over email.)Besides setting aside a dedicated time to chat, make sure you know exactly what youre asking for. If its a raise, whats the dollar amount? If its a promotion, what are the specific dutie s youre ready to tackle? In an office setting, a small presentation covering your recent milestones might be appropriate, but in a remote dynamic, a formal pitch will likely weigh the conversation down. Everything moves fast in a virtual setting, so keep it simple. Your best bet is to have a brief (updated) resume to send over in case youre asked for one, and a brag sheet on hand to look at so you can rattle off examples of your work.Working remotely comes with lots of independence, but that shouldnt stop you from proving your worth. Network, get a mentor, build your skills, look for new challenges, and track your progress. Make noise for yourself, do it with style, and youll find the recognition and advancement youre looking for.Photo of remote worker courtesy of Shutterstock.