Would you be comfortable with these?
"Would you mind cutting this stuff up, while I attend to the stove?"
I pointed to the cutting board, vegetables, and knife.
My 13 year old who I have been cooking with since they were 3,
Looked at the countertop, and then looked at me
"You are left handed, aren’t you?"
They smirked and chuckled as they rearranged the workspace and got to work,
I looked around.
I am the cook in the household, and the only left hander.
And only now did I notice
Everything
from the position of the soap on the sink,
to the flow of cleaning dishes,
(Not to mention the way the pots face, and the ‘favorite’ burners on the stove)
favored a left handed workflow,
I had unconsciously created an
optimal flow for me,
but an obvious friction for someone right handed.
"Well, now you know how I feel in the outside world" I laughingly said to my kid.
But joking aside, we have been in this house for probably 15 years, and slowly I have make the kitchen ‘left handed’ creating a flow for me, but friction for the rest of the household. This may also be the source of some of my spouses frustration with trying to cook with me, but that is another post.
Left handers live in a right handed world, and for the most part the friction isn’t obvious, (ok, those awful school right handed desks will alway have a black place in my heart), but this isn’t really a post about being left handed.
It is a post about how I unintentionally created a bias in my home which caused friction for most of the household and I never noticed. (And they might not have either, though I think they did)
How often do I unintentionally create biases in the workplace, without realizing, that cause friction for others?
In reflection, I realized how important it is to become more aware of my own preferences and habits that might affect others negatively.
Ultimately, This was a lesson for me on how to foster a culture of inclusion and diversity that respects different perspectives and styles.
❓ Have you ever experienced or created unintentional biases in your home or workplace?
❓How did you deal with them?
❓How can we become more mindful of our own habits and preferences that might create friction for others?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Oh about my kitchen, I haven't rearranged it, (and likely won’t) but when working with others in the space, I am aware, and I set up differently.