Leadership and Innovation

Make Better Decisions: Essentials for Employees

Overview

Make Better Decisions: Essentials for Employees is a focused, 90-minute programme that gives employees at every level the tools to recognise and interrupt the hidden thought patterns that quietly cost organisations talent, innovation and performance — including the ways bias can show up not just in people, but in the AI models organisations increasingly rely on.

This is an official Harvard Online course, developed by Harvard Professor Mahzarin Banaji with faculty from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and delivered on Harvard Online's learning platform. It condenses more than 30 years of research into one short, self-guided programme. IPMC International handles your registration, payment and local support, then enrols you on the course, and the certificate of completion is issued by Harvard Online.

Length90 minutes
CommitmentSelf-paced, start anytime
FormatSelf-guided online
Faculty fromHarvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences

What you'll learn

In a single, time-efficient session you'll gain practical, science-based tools that turn awareness into action:

  • Understand hidden bias — see how unconscious associations shape decisions, interactions and opportunities at work and beyond.
  • Turn awareness into action — apply everyday techniques such as "collecting the data" and active listening, and build a shared language for change across a team.
  • Strengthen team dynamics — use debiasing habits to improve collaboration, engagement and more thoughtful business decisions.
  • Recognise bias in AI — understand how bias can surface in the technologies and AI models organisations rely on, and how to challenge it.

Course syllabus

The programme is delivered through research-based concepts, interactive exercises and practical debiasing strategies across four short parts.

The science behind implicit bias

Use exercises such as the Stroop task to show how irrelevant information interferes with accuracy, and see how the mind forms instant judgements from the "thumbprints of culture" we all carry.

How implicit bias impacts our actions

Understand why biased behaviour emerges in areas like hiring and healthcare even without conscious prejudice — often by helping the familiar rather than harming the different.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Take the Gender–Career IAT to measure your own automatic associations, and use the result as a reality check to begin changing future behaviour.

Debiasing strategies

Practise moving from "telling" to listening, attributing ideas to their true source, and pausing or changing your surroundings to break the hold of an initial biased reaction.

Faculty

Mahzarin Banaji — The Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. An experimental psychologist, she co-developed the concept of "implicit bias" nearly 30 years ago and co-authored the New York Times best-seller Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People. Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

Who it's for

This is a scalable, time-efficient option for employees at all levels — ideal for onboarding, leadership development and ongoing culture change. It suits professionals, graduates and organisations who want a globally recognised Harvard Online credential to advance their careers or capabilities.

Your certificate

On successful completion you receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online, which you can add to your CV and LinkedIn.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost through IPMC?

The course fee is confirmed on enquiry and put in writing before payment.

How do I pay?

Pay IPMC securely by debit/credit card in UAE Dirhams (UAE) or by UPI, card or net banking in Indian Rupees (India).

Is the certificate really from Harvard Online?

Yes. The course is delivered by Harvard Online and the certificate of completion is issued by Harvard Online.

How is this different from the longer Make Better Decisions course?

This Essentials version is a 90-minute introduction designed for whole teams, while Make Better Decisions: The Psychology of Blind Spots for Leaders and Teams is a longer course. Both are taught by Professor Mahzarin Banaji and form part of the same Make Better Decisions series.

Can I enrol a whole team?

Yes. This programme is built to be delivered at scale for onboarding and ongoing training. Contact us about group enrolment for your organisation.

When does it start?

This is a self-guided Harvard Online course, so you can start anytime and learn at your own pace. Enquire and we'll get you enrolled.

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