What to do if you hear or become aware of a microaggression

All leaders, whether holding the title of manager, director, supervisor, department head, partner or more importantly, an individual in the workplace, have a unique opportunity, as well as a responsibility to be a role model in creating an inclusive workplace. 

What this means in real terms is recognizing and mitigating potential harmful behaviors in yourself, and in your team members. Easily one of the main examples of this is speaking up if you hear or see something inappropriate, especially any act which could be considered a microaggression, such as interrupting, taking up airtime, dismissing or taking credit for someone else’s ideas, diminishing someone’s experience, stereotyping, or using problematic language. These behaviors are often unintentional, which makes it all the more important to call them out. If a situation like this comes up, be sure to pause and name what’s just happened. For example, if someone uses an outdated or problematic word to describe a group of people, you might say: “Hey, Just so we are all aware, I just want to take a moment here. It’s really important to focus on the language we use to describe people, and XYZ is a not considered an acceptable term.” The object of the exercise is to educate others rather than shame them (which is more likely to alienate and less likely to result in change). 

It is always good practice to follow up with the individual after the incident to discuss in private and provide them with helpful learning resources, offering to continue the conversation if they’d find it helpful. The world can be a complicated ever-changing place where people might not fully understand their conduct. It isn’t wrong to take a moment to hold someone to account or support them with knowledge. 

This article is not intended to address the specific definitions of microaggressions themselves but this helpful video from Quart while not comprehensive is a helpful guide.