Strongly committed to diversity, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) aims to increase the number of women partners in the firm. Pearn Kandola’s Mirror workshops are playing a part by making senior managers more aware of how personal biases can influence decision making.
PwC has worked with Pearn Kandola for a number of years to promote diversity and cultural awareness. The firm commissioned the Mirror workshops to encourage senior managers in the firm’s larger business units and those on the panel that appoints partners to think about their own behaviour.
“We wanted to make people conscious of their unconscious bias. While self-reflection is hugely impactful, it can be hard getting people to do it alone. The workshop was designed to hold their attention, raising issues in an interactive and meaningful way so that participants can draw links with their day-to-day work and behaviours,” said Andrea Masters of the PwC Diversity Office.
In the half-day workshop Pearn Kandola uses visual illustrations, photographs and exercises to demonstrate that we all have biases, and to get people to see things from other points of view. Activities also help managers to recognise the way they work, how it might impact on other people and what they can do about it. It’s a challenging experience that makes people stop and think about reducing bias in their own decision making.
Said Andrea, “It was amazing to see the immediate impact these workshops had on those involved. Just a few days afterwards it was clear from comments they made and newspaper articles they had read that they were more aware of diversity issues, the impact of sub-conscious behaviours and everybody’s role in delivering the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
