Articles by Deborah Liu
The Bias No One Talks About: How workplaces favor those who speak up, and what you can do about itDeb discusses the hidden bias in many workplaces in favor of those who can think and speak quickly without preparation. Meetings and presentations often disproportionately influence perceptions of performance based on one's communication skills rather than work quality. This biases evaluations toward extroverts while disadvantaging processors who need more time. Deb provides suggestions for introverts to practice speaking up and for leaders to structure discussions inclusively. An anecdote describes an engineer gaining confidence after preparation to present, highlighting how giving space to less vocal colleagues benefits the team.