As we discussed in the first episode of Realiteen Talks’ series on unconscious bias, every human being on the planet experiences it – and coming to terms with that fact is key to identifying your own unconscious biases.

Now, though, more questions remain. Once you’ve identified an unconscious bias in yourself or others, how can you work through it and begin to cultivate connections with genuine openness?

That was the subject of this episode, where host and FranklinCovey High School Practice Leader Gary McGuey was once again joined by a panel of teenage guests ready to deliver their firsthand insight.

It all begins, one panelist said, with a commitment to exploring outside your comfort zone. The process, by its very nature, will therefore be uncomfortable, but it’s that discomfort that lets you know you’re being exposed to things that will help you grow.

“Explore maybe those things you don’t really see as big biases,” she said. “Just exploring outside of yourself [is key].”

It’s also critical to work alongside one another to grow together, as unconscious biases are created and reinforced by your own ways of thinking. Without new information and an openness to others’ opinions, particularly those that contradict your own, you can only change your own thinking to a certain extent.