Before micro -aggressions become macro - opinion

“I never thought that someone with your history could be so articulated.” “It was impressive to see your eagerness at the meeting when the senior team entered.” “You are not looking at your age.” These are supposed compliments. These are apparently innocent remarks. Are they? Compliments are supposed to encourage and make people feel better.

Do these comments make people feel better or worse? The answer may differ from one person to another, but the general response is likely to be tilted to the unfavorable category. These comments can actually do more harm than in your discriminatory remarks.

The open is captured and treated in most companies. These declarations are loaded and are difficult to nail. But it is these double sense sentences that act as a slow poison in the context of meaning and intention.

Microagression is a term indicated by the psychiatrist of Harvard Chester M. Pierce, MD, in a 1970 article in the Journal of the National Medical Association. These can be verbal, behavioral or environmental or unintentional actions / sentences. They are more displayed at the interpersonal level and can cause feelings of discomfort, devaluation and insecurity among their recipients.

Dr. HIRCHEL in his article “The macro affects of microaggressions” published in divided quarterly IR micro-aggressions in four categories. The first is the micro-assault where the target gives a derogatory remark to a colleague as “congratulations to get married, we will now see much more home work”. And then reject it saying: “I joked”.

The second category is the microinsult where a person uses sarcasm to make a personal remark. A colleague could reprimand a male counterpart for winning a difficult customer saying: “Congratulations for having obtained the account of her.

She must have liked your “6 pack” offers. “The third category is micro-invalidations where, due to your gender or your history, you are not good enough for work or work.

The fourth category of environmental assaults is more dangerous when a certain group is retained due to certain biases. This could include an unwritten preference for a certain sect in hiring, certain standards of dress and appearance, certain class and background preferences, etc.

Left on their own micro-aggressions become cultural irritants which create discomfort, perceptions of threats and disengagement. This is why organizations must be vigilant about them and resolve them at the nascent stage:

Educate on mirroaggressions and their impacts – micro -attacks are sometimes difficult to detect. They can take the form of puns or compliments in reverse. This is why educating the entire business is compulsory.

The comments of the conference room and the sneaky remarks of the meeting room must be observed and put in the form of training sessions and information for all. There is nothing more attenuating than a negligent innuendo who disturbs a colleague who did well to bring an important point on the table. After the busy comment, he or she does not want to venture again by finding them. This is why it is important to make sure that people watch their words and their non -verbal communication.

Create a confidential address system – The problem with microagressions is that they are not clear attacks. They are either implicit, or from time to time on language shifts. This gray nature makes many people hesitate to report them.

Porting such things may seem mean or dangerous, so it is important that the organization puts a system in place. The first part is to clarify the staff which is fine and what is wrong. Then there should be a comfortable and confidential mentorship help available to discuss what the employee has experienced. These mentors must be trained in the management of the session with empathy but objectively.

The results of these sessions must then be compiled and evaluated to take the necessary repair steps.

Create responsibility around these behaviors – the principle is to target behaviors and not the person. Most microagressions are ignored. Left alone, they become a behavior, a culture. I have already heard of people working in companies with random mocking inclinations in the air. This is because for too long, it was acceptable to abuse the lack of clarity, understanding and power of people by making random comments.

When they are not checked, they become contagious. Other people from the department are starting to collect tones and innuendo.

Once integrated, it is very difficult to eradicate. The best thing is to tighten him in the bud. This can only happen if the company does an intentional responsibility process that eliminates such behavior. This may include the development of an ally system. This allied system means that in each group identifies the people who will be invited to defend the target person.

Normally, it’s a peer. If during a meeting, a remark is made as “for someone with your history, your English seems to be good”. The ally in the room can politely say what can I say something? Then say that I know that this was significant as an appreciation for its good presentation, but the addition of the bottom made it a little. This will make the person who commented a little excuse and cautious.

Having an allied system makes the process immediate, more acceptable than in the moment and a neutral person. However, the Allies must be trained to manage it with a calm affirmation rather than for a tat agenda for Tat. The repeated behavior of a person must then be taken up on assessments and linked to the restraint of certain incentives, etc.

Micro-aggressions are not only verbal but non-verbal as well. In a recent case of coaching a most efficient framework, his body language has discouraged people. He would be nonchalant, not interested, looking at his phone, without establishing a visual contact. This gave the other person the feeling of being deliberately neglected and lowered. These behaviors must then be treated by appropriate targeted coaching to change micro-affirming micro-aggressions.

The inclusion of courtesy words as “if you allow me”, thank you for an interesting perspective, it was very kind of you, does wonders.

While microagressions are working excluding people, micro-affirming bring them back into the fold. The civility of language, the courtesy of body language and encouraging and appreciated culture are essential for people to feel valued and respected. At the end, respect for individual dignity is the best tonic for team consolidation and high performance.