The message Adichie (2009) sends in
her video is that of narrow-mindedness or tunnel vision based on our experiences. When we only see or hear one side of any
situation or argument we form an opinion that is bias and tainted. She points out that stereotypes are not
untrue but simply incomplete. Your
experiences and encounters lay the groundwork for your future interactions and
beliefs. If you are only told one side
of any story then that is all you will know.
The power and danger of a one-sided
story can happen in business as much as it does in personal lives. Most of us believe what our leaders tell us
unless we have prior experiences that contradicts it. Whetten and Cameron (2011) stated that when
this happens employees can often view current problems as variations of past
problems. They define this phenomenon as
perceptual stereotyping which can restrict the solutions to the current problem
given experiences in the past.
How does one overcome this type of
stereotyping in order to solve the current issues at hand? Listening and education are two ways to
overcome stereotyping. When a leader
presents a problem it is important for them to listen to the audience’s
reaction to help overcome any preconceived notions. McKay (2009) breaks active listening into
three steps: paraphrasing, clarifying and giving feedback. When a leader uses these steps they can uncover
any stereotypes or bias opinions that may show up. Paraphrasing gives the audience an
opportunity to hear how the leader perceived their message, which can give way
to the next step of clarifying. This can
go back and forth until both sides are at the same understanding. From there feedback can take place. If a leader believes the audience has a bias
then they can give feedback on how to overcome that bias.
Education can be the most powerful
tool in overcoming stereotypes. This can
come in the form of formal education, such as reading articles on the subject,
or perhaps a story from the leader that will change the minds of the
audience. Denning’s (2011) springboard
stories has designed to persuade the audience to accept change and become
comfortable with it. If the leader can
tell a springboard story that overcomes the stereotypes and bias then the
audience can open their eyes to a different view.
When someone has only heard one
side of any argument or has limited information on a subject a stereotype can
be formed. This type of bias can be hard
to overcome. Without the guidance of a
trusted person or the knowledge to the contrary the stereotype will
remain. This can effect that person’s interactions
and beliefs, which can cause issues both personally and professionally. And this is the danger and power of a single
story.
Adichie, C. (2009). TEDTalks: Chimamanda Adichie--The
Danger of a Single Story [Video]. TED.
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling:
Mastering the Art and
Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco,
CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass
McKay,
M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages the communication skills
book
(3rd ed.). Oakland, Calif.: New Harbinger Publications.
Whalen,
D., & Ricca, T. (2007). The professional communications toolkit.
Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
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