Microaggressions set the stage for an unhealthy / toxic workplace culture. It is a form of unconscious bias that can become an obstacle to building a professional, healthy and safe workplace. If not identified and addressed – it can damage your business reputation and brand image, undermine diversity and inclusion practice, harm trust and loyalty in your organisation, decrease productivity and collaboration, and hurt healthy team dynamics. Inevitably impacting your bottom line.
The reality is that we all have unconscious biases, irrespective of how we feel, what we think or our intentions. Which is why we have to focus on ourselves before we focus on others. We have to self-reflect.
In addition, working through uncomfortable relationship dynamics and unconscious biases like microaggressions, takes a village, but we all have an individual responsibility as professionals to reflect on our actions and words. Before we do it. Before we speak it. We have a responsibility to recognise the role we play in these nuanced relationship and team dynamics at work. Then only, can the collective work to mitigate unconscious biases and encourage a healthy company culture, begin.
Here are a few top tips to get you going
1.Education and awareness
Make all employees aware of what unconscious bias is by offering comprehensive and relatable training that promotes inclusive communication strategies. Educate employees about the nature and impact of microaggressions. Offer workshops, seminars, and interactive sessions to raise awareness and foster empathy among team members.
2. Encourage open, safe and healthy dialogue
Create opportunities for employees to engage in honest and respectful conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Encourage feedback mechanisms and channels for reporting incidents of microaggressions without retaliation. Provide resources of self-reflection and learning.
3. Lead by example and promote inclusive leadership
Leadership commitment is crucial for driving cultural change. Be the leader who models inclusive behaviours by educating yourself on healthy unconscious bias practice and learning to check your own biases first. Hold yourself and other leaders accountable. Foster a culture of inclusive leadership by encouraging managers and supervisors to lead by example too. Emphasize the importance of empathy, active listening, and cultural competence. Provide opportunities for leaders to reflect on their own biases and privilege, fostering humility and a commitment to continuous learning.
4. Feedback channels and opportunities
Consider having a step down meeting with your teams team to understand how they perceive the organisations culture and whether there is a need to do unconscious bias training. Collect feedback from employees about their experiences and perception of the company climate. Part of the reason why microaggressions go unnoticed is because there is often no opportunities to discuss these subtle get significant situations that may be hurting your company culture.
5. Establish clear guidelines, policies and procedures
Develop and communicate clear policies that explicitly prohibit microaggressions and discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. Establish clear protocols that ensure employees understand the consequences of engaging in such conduct. Provide avenues for reporting incidents confidentially and make sure that fair and impartial investigative processes address complaints promptly and effectively. Regularly review and update organisational policies and procedures to ensure they promote equity, fairness, and inclusivity.
Adopting proactive strategies and cultivating a culture of respect and empathy, will encourage a healthy company culture and empower staff to share their unique voice and perspective. Encouraging an employee compliment that feel valued, seen and appreciated, irrespective of their identity. It is incumbent upon leaders, managers, and employees alike to confront bias, challenge stereotypes, and champion inclusive practices that elevate individual well-being and collective success. Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantle systems of oppression and discrimination, as we strive to build more equitable and just workspaces.
If you are interested to put a diversity and inclusion plan together or need unconscious bias training, do reach out via keri@keridavids.com or direct message.
