Microaggressions Illuminated

I'm back and I'm talking about the McKinsey report again! This time I'm attempting to shed a bit of light on what I believe to be an incredibly murky topic - microaggressions.

This year's McKinsey report highlights the fact that microaggressions do not cause a micro impact on a woman's experience in the workplace. In fact, microaggressions, "include comments and actions—even subtle ones that are not overtly harmful—that demean or dismiss someone based on their gender, race, or other aspects of their identity. They signal disrespect, cause acute stress, and can negatively impact women’s careers and health." (McKinsey, "Women in the Workplace", 2023)

When I read that statement and looked at the accompanying data in the report (here), I wanted to write the November issue on the topic. But I waivered because I wasn't sure how to start. Then I experienced something that felt an awful lot like a microaggression last week, and no one came to my defense (it was public). And when I honestly and tactfully shared with the person they had made a mistake, they did not respond. That experience stuck with me and on another hike (photo), I steeled my resolve for this article. I hope by highlighting some examples and recommending some actions we can take, we might all more easily recognize and avoid or repair microaggressions.

Did you know "[Women] are twice as likely to be mistaken for someone junior and hear comments on their emotional state... [and] Asian and Black women are seven times more likely than White women to be confused with someone of the same race and ethnicity." (McKinsey, "Women in the Workplace", 2023) Experiencing many microaggressions makes people want to leave the place where they experience them. Is that what you want for your organization?

So what exactly are microaggressions? I found a few simple examples on NIH's website and from my own reflection:

• To an Asian person, “You must be good in math, can you help me with this problem?”
• Faculty of color mistaken for a service worker.
• Use of the pronoun “he” to refer to all people.
• An advisor sends an email to another work colleague describing another individual as a “good Black scientist.”
• Mistaking a senior woman military officer (or executive) for a very junior officer (or entry-level employee)
• Assuming because someone is a woman they can't have meaningful or important perspectives to share in a conversation on a specific topic typically dominated by men, such as maritime defense or aviation.

These are all microaggressions. There should be no debate about whether a lack of intent removes the microaggression. Trust me - I believe everyone makes mistakes, but making a mistake does not remove the negative impact you have on someone else. So when you discover you made a mistake, own up to it and repair things. Acknowledge your omission or assumption, apologize, and move on. When microaggressions occur, what makes the experience even worse is when the person who has been underestimated points out the error, and the person who committed the act doesn't acknowledge they were wrong or apologize.

It takes a lot of courage for underestimated folks to speak up in the moment. If someone has the courage to show you your unconscious mistake, please show them respect by apologizing for your error and attempting to make things right.

McKinsey's report highlights it helps when companies provide training to help employees recognize and speak up against microaggressions. Bias and allyship training can help us recognize the events, and then normalize honest discussion. Training can also give bystanders the courage to support their colleagues when they see a microaggression. Furthermore, using training opportunities to develop a pervasive learning mindset can help shift an organization's culture toward an environment where it's OK to have hard conversations about experiences and discuss ideas about how we can all show up as better supporters of someone who experiences a microaggression.

So this month, let's all do our best to recognize, call out (gently), and own up to microaggressions. If we each do just a little bit maybe we can chip away at those statistics and make the workplace - and the world - better for everyone.