Optimal Work Daily - Career, Productivity and Entrepreneurship 1939: Breaking Bias by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Cognitive Awareness
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Jan 21, 2026 Dr. Jenny Brockis shares a personal story of facing pregnancy bias at work, highlighting how unconscious bias affects decision-making. She discusses the prevalence of over 150 types of workplace biases and their harmful consequences. With insights from neuroscience, she explains how bias acts as mental shortcuts that often mislead us. Brockis presents five steps to recognize and mitigate bias, including mindfulness training, which shows promise in reducing implicit bias. An enlightening discussion on creating fairer workplace environments ensues.
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Rejected While Pregnant
- Dr. Jenny Brockis recounts interviewing for a part-time job while visibly pregnant and feeling confident she fit the role.
- She didn't get the job and the panel cited potential difficulties from having a baby as their reason.
Bias As Unconscious Mental Shortcuts
- Dr. Jenny Brockis emphasizes we are all biased often more than we admit.
- Bias acts as unconscious mental shortcuts that shape perception and decisions.
We're Blind To Our Own Biases
- Bias can make us confuse being right with believing we're right because much of it operates unconsciously.
- Kay Schultz called bias 'like we are blind without realizing our blindness.'
