Often our natural biases can show up as micro-aggressions. Micro-aggressions are comments or actions that are often automatic, quick, and unintentional. They inadvertently send a message likely to be received as derogatory, negative, or even hostile, they imply superiority and can impact a person’s ability to do their job, sense of safety and general happiness.
Micro-aggressions are common in the workplace, and it will be helpful to be able to identify and reduce micro-aggressions and be able to respond productively.
For each category below, click on the action or comment you would express, and you will have a comment on each of your answers.
We are not born with an innate ability to navigate diversity with ease, in fact our brains are wired to mistrust differences with others, that leads us all naturally to develop biases. Because of that, to become effective, trusted leaders within our organizations and communities, we first need to become students of culture. That is, we need to develop competency in effectively understanding, communicating with, and interacting with people whose backgrounds and culture may be different from our own.
The benefits of diversity in the workplace include faster problem-solving, better decision-making, increased innovation, employee engagement, and better financial performance. Yet diversity can only deliver on its full potential when it exists in a genuinely inclusive environment.
To help us reflect on whether we, or somebody else is expressing microaggressions, let’s ask ourselves the following questions:
Challenge our interpretation
Decide whether to speak up
Frame the conversation in a friendly way
As Leaders
Over the course of the past 100 years in business, Dale Carnegie has witnessed the world experiencing its most rapid cycles of change and advancement. We have been at the forefront, guiding our clients to outpace their competition.
