Professional Skills: Navigating Bias
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Professional Skills: Navigating Bias
This course is part of multiple programs.
Instructor: Tyler Galarneau
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What you'll learn
Implement strategies to maintain individual accountability in group settings.
Normalize and encourage productive disagreement within teams.
Utilize the 'devil's advocate' technique to challenge assumptions and improve decision quality.
Details to know
March 2026
3 assignments
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There are 4 modules in this course
Recognize, reduce, and respond to bias in group decision-making. This self-paced course equips professionals with strategies to foster accountability and encourage productive disagreement in any setting.
Bias often goes unnoticed but has profound effects on collaboration and decision-making. In Avoiding Bias, led by Dr. Elissa Adame of ASU’s Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, you’ll gain practical tools to identify and reduce cognitive biases, particularly in group settings. The course emphasizes real-world application through interactive content, infographics, and reflection activities. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to foster inclusive discussions, promote diverse perspectives, and strengthen group outcomes through structured accountability and intentional disagreement.
This module delves into the critical aspect of individual accountability within group decision-making. You will explore the underlying causes of accountability gaps and discover practical resources and strategies to foster a culture where each team member takes ownership of their contributions. By understanding how to build total group agreement and practice solutions for maintaining individual accountability, you will be better equipped to create more effective and responsible teams.
What's included
1 assignment7 plugins
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Quiz: Maintaining individual accountability•10 minutes
7 plugins•Total 45 minutes
- Maintaining individual accountability: Cause and resources•5 minutes
- Maintaining individual accountability: Building total group agreement•4 minutes
- Practice the solution: Maintaining individual accountability•10 minutes
- Job aid: Creating unbiased and adaptable group decision-making processes•3 minutes
- Reflect on the solution: Maintaining individual accountability•10 minutes
- Accountable individuals make accountable groups: Key takeaways•3 minutes
- Apply the solution: Maintaining individual accountability•10 minutes
In this module, you will learn the importance of normalizing disagreement as a constructive force in group decision-making. We will examine how to encourage productive disagreement, moving beyond mere conflict to leverage diverse perspectives for better outcomes. You will gain insights into the causes and resources for fostering healthy debate, practice techniques for encouraging productive disagreement, and understand how to apply these solutions to enhance team effectiveness.
What's included
1 assignment7 plugins
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Quiz: Normalizing disagreement•10 minutes
7 plugins•Total 45 minutes
- Normalizing disagreement: Cause and resources•5 minutes
- Normalizing disagreement: Encouraging productive disagreement•4 minutes
- Practice the solution: Encouraging productive disagreement•10 minutes
- Job aid: Normalizing disagreement•3 minutes
- Reflect on the solution: Normalizing disagreements•10 minutes
- Disagreements make effective decisions: Key takeaways•3 minutes
- Apply the solution: Normalizing disagreement•10 minutes
This module explores the strategic role of a 'devil's advocate' in challenging assumptions and preventing groupthink. You will learn how to effectively assign and utilize a devil's advocate to create productive disagreement and spark deeper discussions. By understanding the causes and resources behind this technique, practicing its application, and reflecting on its impact, you will be able to guarantee disagreement as a tool for more robust and well-considered group decisions.
What's included
1 assignment7 plugins
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Quiz: Assigning a devil's advocate•10 minutes
7 plugins•Total 44 minutes
- Assigning a devil’s advocate: Cause and resources•4 minutes
- Assigning a devil’s advocate: Creating productive disagreement•4 minutes
- Practice the solution: The devil’s advocate at work•10 minutes
- Job aid: Incorporating a devil’s advocate•3 minutes
- Reflect on the solution: Assigning a devil’s advocate•10 minutes
- Guarantee disagreement to spark discussion: Key takeaways•3 minutes
- Apply the solution: Assigning a devil’s advocate•10 minutes
This concluding module marks the successful culmination of your efforts in understanding and mitigating bias in group decision-making. It includes an end-of-course survey to gather your valuable feedback, which is crucial for continuous improvement.
What's included
1 reading1 plugin
1 reading•Total 3 minutes
- End of course survey•3 minutes
1 plugin•Total 3 minutes
- End of course survey•3 minutes
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