Microaggressions
Managing Conflict
Our world is in unrest with conflict. On a smaller scale, there is conflict in families, between authority and subordinate, among peers and co-workers and during daily communication in the community ie. bank, grocery store, while driving. We wanted to help out with tools to use daily!
Don’t Avoid
Time the conversation with hard evidence without delay
Establish boundaries with performance expectations
Respect differences
Confront the tension
What are microaggressions?
Microaggression is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group, particularly culturally marginalized groups.
o Remarks
o Questions
o Actions
Towards group subject to stereotypes & discrimination occurring:
o Frequently
o Without harm intended
o In everyday life
Examples of microaggressions & ways to respond:
Implicit Biases we are not even aware of, that can creep into our minds and affect our actions. They are thoughts about people you didn’t know you had. Examples are:
attitudes,
stereotypes
assumptions
Microaggressions can occur in person & during online interactions such as:
Invading Space
Touch a colleague w/o consent
Leaves things on colleagues’ desk
Send distracting chat messages
Dominating conversations
Getting Interrupted
Condescending
Powersplaining
Interrupt another on a topic know nothing about, assuming they know a lot
Being Underestimated
Ignored
Given supportive not lead roles
Assumed to have less power
Before we advocate, consider the following:
Job Security including safety & confidence in the relationship you have with management. Will the person be receptive to feedback?
Location including finding space to converse preparing with key points.
How to Disrupt Microaggressions:
Appreciative Inquiry when you feel offended/judged
“Say more about that”
Gives more information to gain awareness of statement’s negative impact
Avoid starting questions with “Why” — it leaves people feeling defensive. Instead try “Tell me more about that.”
Paraphrase & Reflect when you hear a comment that sounds intolerant
“So you feel this way because…..”
Communicating content & feeling in our own words reduces defensiveness
Reframe when someone is being cut off speaking.
“You bring up a great point. I didn’t hear all of it, can you repeat that?”
Redirect & Reframe the conversation
Use “I” Statements
“I felt hurt when you said ….
Use the pronouns “we” or “us” — it opens the conversation up to the entire team.
Focus attention on yourself
Avoid blame
Reduce defensiveness
Use Preference Statements
“I don’t think that was funny, I would like you to stop.”
Share your preferences, rather than demanding change to help move the person to change their behavior
KEY PHRASES:
o I’m going to interject here…
o What do you mean by that is ….
o Let me pause you there…
o Say more about that…
o So, it sounds like you’re saying…
o Let’s try reframing this…
Whether we are at home, work, school or a recreational activity we encounter people. Something we say may spark a response we did not anticipate. Have you ever said something with implicit bias not realizing consciously that you had a bias? I did during a conversation with a professional in the community, and had no idea how offended he was until he posted about my comment on Facebook that evening. It was ugly. The responses of other professionals in his friend circle was one of mocking me. Honestly, I had no intention of harming anyone. We all have bias, and being aware is key. My purpose in writing this today is to say this is human to have bias, especially implicit bias. I will watch what I say to others in casual conversations. Have you experienced saying something that you really didn’t mean consciously, only to realize later it was related to an unconscious bias?