Have a read of the following statements and mentally tick those you agree with.
- Young people seem to lack drive or ambition.
- Men are usually more creative in the kitchen.
- Asian people tend to work harder.
- Gay people usually have an eye for interior design.
- Women are normally better drivers.
Stereotyping is when we group people together based on one or a few shared characteristics and then assume that they share other traits. And it’s something we all do, as you may have just proved to yourself, by agreeing with one or more of those stereotypes listed above. (By the way, the use of words like ‘usually’ and ‘normally’ were introduced deliberately, to help you fall into the trap.)
I fell into the trap myself very recently, when the now infamous interview with Robert Kelly about south Korea was interrupted by his children. I felt so sorry for the Asian lady frantically scrabbling in the background to gather in the wayward children and remain inconspicuous, with the absolute opposite result. I’m ashamed to admit, that, like many of us, I assumed she was the nanny. To me, Mr Kelly seemed rather aloof, and I’m afraid I judged him rather poorly. Of course, the reality was that the lady was his wife and he was simply embarrassed by the situation. (By the way, I’ve watched it three times or more now, and still have no idea what he said in the interview. It's very entertaining though. :-))
 We each see the world through the lens of our own personal experiences. This unique and polarised view is what allows us to easily fall into the trap of stereotyping others.
Stereotypes are powerful – they cause us to make assumptions based on limited evidence, which can affect our behaviour towards certain individuals or groups.
And something that we perhaps less often consider – they also influence the behaviours of those we label too. Have you ever found yourself acting up to a stereotype? Perhaps living up to the high expectations people have of you because you belong to a particular group? That might be positive motivator (though it can be hard living up to other people’s assumptions). What if the labels and expectations are less positive, or downright negative? Some time ago, I wrote a training exercise called Witches of Glum. I’m sure you’re aware of it, but if you’re not, you can download your copy here. (If you're not a member of Trainers' Library, you can also currently get a copy by requesting our Free Samples.)
I’m extremely proud of it because, whilst it appears to be a simple listening exercise based on a fairy story, it delivers some pretty powerful messages about stereotypes, where they come from, and the assumptions they lead us to make. (It was also endorsed by the charity Show Racism the Red Card.)
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t fall into the trap of making some fairly huge assumptions in the exercise. For this reason, it’s a fantastic way to start a conversation about the role stereotypes play in teams, organisations and society and the impact these can have on equal opportunities and diversity.
And that’s something that’s never been more relevant.
If you’d like to develop this theme further and explore with participants the damaging impact of stereotypes, another great exercise (another personal favourite) is Land of the Nutritos. |