Last month, I had the opportunity to attend a fireside chat with Professor John Amaechi OBE, organisational psychologist and founder of APS Intelligence, and came away with two themes that have really stayed with me: unconscious bias and allyship.
I’ve heard John speak about leadership, culture and behaviour on many occasions -there is always something that makes you stop and think, but the conversation around bias and allyship particularly resonated with me (especially seeing John live in action this time!), both personally and in the context of working in PR.
These are subjects we are having more conversations about in the workplace, which can only be a positive thing. John however challenged some of the language often used in the workplace and encouraged us to think a little harder about what sits behind it.
Bias isn’t someone else’s problem
One of the points John has made repeatedly is that he is uncomfortable with the phrase “unconscious bias”, because it can become an easy way of distancing ourselves from responsibility.
If bias is described as something unconscious, it can sound as though it is happening somewhere beyond our control.
It wasn’t me; it was my unconscious mind.
Of course, we all have assumptions shaped by our experiences, environments and what we have been exposed to throughout our lives. We aren’t necessarily aware of every assumption we make; however, John’s challenge is around what happens once we recognise that those assumptions might be influencing how we behave or make decisions.
One example John gave during the conversation was around language, including the use of the word “females” when referring to women. On its own, it might seem like a small thing, but language can often give you a window into the assumptions sitting underneath a person’s thinking. What we call people, and the language we use to describe them, can reveal how someone mentally categorises a person, and ultimately how they see them.
It made me think about how often bias appears in ways that aren’t particularly dramatic. It can be in the words we use, the tone we adopt, the expectations we have of someone or something, or the qualities we instinctively associate with a particular person.
As a woman working in PR, I have definitely experienced moments where I have thought about the different expectations placed on women in professional environments – and let’s not get started on some of the misconceptions around PRs in general! There can be a fine line between being confident and being perceived as too assertive, between being friendly and being seen as not authoritative enough or too emotionally driven, or between challenging something and being considered difficult.
John has spoken about this in the context of leadership too, highlighting how behaviours that can be viewed positively in men can sometimes be interpreted differently when demonstrated by women. Warmth, for example, can be seen as empathetic leadership in a man but as a weakness in a woman.
None of this necessarily happens because someone has consciously decided to treat women differently. The patterns are often much more subtle, which is why being prepared to notice and question them matters.
Allyship is more than agreeing
The other theme that stayed with me was allyship.
There is no shortage of conversations about allyship, particularly across workplaces, but John has a particularly practical view of what it should look like. Being an ally isn’t a label we can simply give ourselves; it should be something demonstrated through our behaviour.
I found that particularly powerful because it takes allyship away from good intentions – for example, you can genuinely believe in equality and inclusion, and still miss something, fail to speak up when it matters or make assumptions about what someone else needs.
For John, allyship requires action and sometimes that action will be uncomfortable. It might mean challenging something that has been said in a meeting, making sure someone has the opportunity to contribute, questioning why a decision has been made, giving someone credit for an idea that has been overlooked or simply listening when someone shares an experience that is different from your own.
It can also mean using your position to speak up when someone else shouldn’t have to be the person explaining why something is inappropriate. I think there is real value in that, particularly because it recognises that we won’t always get it right. Allyship isn’t about having the perfect response or knowing exactly what to say; it is about being prepared to engage, listen and take responsibility for what happens next.
Why it matters in PR
The conversation also made me think about the responsibility we have as communicators.
PR has a role in deciding which voices get amplified, from helping to shape narratives, introduce people to journalists, position experts, create opportunities for spokespeople and influence how organisations and individuals are perceived. Bias can therefore appear in some of the everyday parts of our work, whether that is repeatedly going to the same type of expert because they are familiar to us, making assumptions about what an audience will respond to, or overlooking a different perspective because the more obvious story is easier to tell.
For me, ethical PR isn’t just about trying to make every decision perfectly but more importantly being open to challenging our own thinking and creating enough trust within a team and where it is okay for other people to challenge it.
Particularly in agency life, working collaboratively, bouncing ideas around and relying on other people to spot things we might have missed is so important. A culture where someone feels comfortable saying, “Have we thought about this?”, often makes the work better.
What I took away
Perhaps my biggest takeaway from the conversation was that we should keep having these conversations, but not let the conversation become the end point.
John’s challenge around unconscious bias is a useful reminder to take responsibility for the assumptions that can influence our decisions, rather than treating them as something outside of our control. His perspective on allyship is equally relevant – it isn’t about declaring yourself an ally or knowing exactly what to say, but about what you do when you are in the room and have an opportunity to make a difference.
I left the fireside chat thinking about how much of our professional lives are shaped by decisions we make almost automatically. For me, I want to take a little more time to question those decisions, listen to different perspectives and speak up when something doesn’t feel right is something.
Having the opportunity to hear John explore these ideas with his personal anecdotes was a necessary reminder that good communication isn’t just about the messages we put out, but how willing we are to listen, challenge ourselves and make space for other voices.
See more of John’s thoughts here.
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