# Presentation: 314940

## EEO Pitfalls:  Educating Federal Managers                          to Avoid EEO Complaints                                                                     

**DOI 2008 Business Integrated Conference**
**Cambridge, Maryland **
**March 31 – April 3, 2008**

## FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RE-

- SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI-
- FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH
- THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS

## I didn’t say you were late with the report. 

## I didn’t say you were late with the report.

## I didn’t say you were late with the report.

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## I didn’t say you were late with the report.

## I didn’t say you were late with the report.

## Slide 9

## OVERVIEW

**Perceptions and the EEO Process **
**Personnel Practices that May Lead to EEO Complaints**
**Overview of the Federal EEO Process**

## Perceptions and the EEO Process

**Perceptions and the EEO Process**

## PERCEPTIONS

**  ****The perception process is the action of making sense out of an experience by giving meaning to the experience.**

## ELEMENTS OF THE  PERCEPTION PROCESS

_**Raw Data**_** - the experience **
_**Mental Process**_** - Unseen, affected by motive and driven by bias **
_**Product**_** - The perception, the sensing, or the interpretation of what was seen or experienced **

## FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT THE PERCEPTION PROCESS

**Values**
**Beliefs**
**In Group - Most like me**
**Out Group - Most different from me**

## FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT THE PERCEPTION PROCESS

_**Biological Factors**_** - Affect how we interact with the environment and how we take in or do not take in information**
_**Sociological/Culture**_** - Learned behaviors and traditions that are transmitted from generation to generation**

## FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT THE PERCEPTION PROCESS

**   **_**Ethnocentrism**_** - Tendency to develop a standard for one’s own group, which is used to apply as criteria for judging other groups.  Examples include:**
**Language/Symbols**
**Nonverbal Cultural Norms**
**Color Consciousness**

## PERCEPTUAL SHORTCUTS

_**First Impression**_** – People have a tendency to make one major judgment when they first encounter a person or situation.  Then carry that impression forward into subsequent interactions.  Further information is often modified about these people/situations according to that first impression.**

## PERCEPTUAL SHORTCUTS

_**Viewing People as Constant**_** - This is directly related to first impressions and involves a belief that people will not, or can not, change their behavior.**
_**Blaming the Victim**_** - Seeing people as the origin of action rather than seeing the contribution of circumstances to the situation.**

## PERCEPTUAL SHORTCUTS

_**Halo Effect**_** - When we know something good about a person, we are likely to perceive them as having other good characteristics.  But, if we know something unfavorable, we are likely to see other unfavorable things.**
_**Stereotype**_** ****- Favorable or unfavorable exaggerated belief associated with a category or group.  It functions to justify (rationalize) our conduct in relation to that category or group.**

## STRATEGIES TO CORRECT INACCURATE PERCEPTIONS

**Acceptance of Differences**
**Active Listening **
**Ownership for Feelings and Behaviors**
**Accept and Provide Feedback **
**Avoid Assumptions**

## SELF-CONCEPT 

**	****The concept of ****self**** is an ever changing, progressive activity.  It helps explain reality from our own point of view:**
**	****How we see ourselves**
**  ****How others see us**
**  ****How we wish ourselves to be**

## JOHARI WINDOW

## THE NAVY CHIEF AS  SEEN BY SELF

## AS SEEN BY FELLOW CHIEFS

## AS SEEN BY THE CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER 

## AS SEEN BY SUBORDINATES

## AS SEEN BY THE SPOUSE

## Overview of the Federal EEO Process

## Personnel Practices that May Lead to EEO Complaints

## Managing and Leading Effectively:  How to Achieve a Discrimination Free Workplace