Last year, we signed onto the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge as part of our efforts to increase diversity, inclusion, and representation within our own four walls. As part of the Pledge, we kicked off a bi-monthly forum for all Toads that focuses on a variety of relevant topics.

Last month's forum – which consisted of reading, watching, and a group discussion – was centered on bias. We’re not experts by any means, but we’re certain that if we all work hard on educating ourselves, we can become experts together. In an effort to collectively be better, we wanted to share the resources that we found so valuable from our April DEI initiative.

• The Implicit Bias Test: If you haven’t taken a bias test before, this may blow your mind. We won’t go into too much detail (don't want to lead the horse to water), but we certainly recommend you try it and see what comes up. We discussed our results as a group – but bring in a friend or family member and share your results together (free of judgment).
• Then, watch this TED TALK. In less than 20 minutes, Valerie Alexander dives into how the human brain reacts when encountering the unexpected – and that if we can take the time to examine our own behavior, we can take control of those expectations.
• Next, watch this 5 minute video on Implicit Bias Countermeasures (what you can do to consciously counter implicit bias). A little bit of work that can make a really big difference.
• That’s where our forum wrapped up for the day, but we came away with more recommended resources for Team Toad to tackle on our own time. Two books on the topic are: Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, And Do by Jennifer Eberhardt and Blind Spot – Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Banaji.
• If you’re more of a listener than a reader, here’s a podcast to hit play on: Confronting Implicit Biases by The Pulse.
• Since last year, there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace – but what steps do we need to take to make it more than just talk. We recommend this 10-minute TED Talk from Janet Stovall that offers a three-part action plan.

Remember, we're not going to get far by having discussions that feel comfortable, so if getting together with a group to talk about race and bias feels out of your box, go with it. 

Stay tuned on our blog where we'll continue to share resources from our ongoing DEI discussions.