Mid-Hudson Valley

Society for Human Resource Management

 June 18, 2015 Chapter Meeting

Unconscious Bias -- Its Impact on Today's Organizations

 SPEAKER:      Dr. Lester Hoffman

 LOCATION:  Dana Distributors, Inc. 52 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY                    

DATE & TIME:             Thursday, June 18, 2015

8:15 - 8:45 am: Registration, Breakfast

8:45 - 9:15: Announcements & Introductions

9:15- 10:30AM: Program

COST:              $15 Chapter Member; $25 Non-Chapter Member; $7 Student

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:Research data shows that the impact on organizations of Unconscious or "Hidden" Bias may be far greater than the impact of litigable bias in the form of discrimination and EEO litigation.  Indeed, many leading organizations today - ranging from Google to Monster.com to Ernst & Young - have come to realize that they must understand just how pervasive and impactful Unconscious Bias is.  They are seeing how it can undermine their corporate mission, keep them from meeting their strategic objectives and retaining their best talent, and sabotage achieving the Inclusivity they value.  

 Explore Unconscious Bias with a leading expert -- where it comes from, how it manifests itself in organizational practices and culture, just how pervasive it is, and why its impact is so powerful and yet so subtle.  You will learn about “best practices” for recognizing, confronting, and overcoming unconscious bias via case studies, small group discussions, and research data.  You may be surprised to discover how your own business decisions and choices are the result of biases you never imagined you had ...  and just how "normal" this all is!

 ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:Dr. Lester Hoffman, our workshop leader, is one of America's leading experts in the fields of Unconscious Bias, EEO, and future trends in Diversity and Inclusion.  He is a nationally known seminar leader, keynote speaker, and consultant on today's most critical workplace issues, including Bias Against Women, Leadership, Retention, and Bullying & Civility.  He is the author of the first book on the impact of Unconscious Bias in the workplace:  “Moving Beyond Bias: Bias-Free Communication Strategies for Today’s Workplace.”  He was recently commissioned by the Chief EEO Officers of 52 federal agencies to write and publishhis second book, "Leadership Strategies for Recognizing & Overcoming Bias."  His prestigious client list includes over 20 government agencies, ranging from the Pentagon to NIH to the Department of Commerce, and dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, AT&T, Novartis, Citigroup, FedEx, Goldman-Sachs, Xerox, JP Morgan/Chase, and Avon.  Lester received his PhD from Harvard University, where he taught for 5 years.  He has also taught in the Fordham MBA program and at numerous Executive Education program nationwide, including Rutgers, Southern Methodist, and Michigan State University.