DKA Toolkit - Courses

How to Deal with Microaggression at Work

What prevents a diverse work environment from being inclusive? Frequently, it’s microaggressions. Microaggressions “are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons solely upon their marginalized group membership.” Microaggressions create work environments which excludes marginalized people from seemingly inclusive environments.  People may have different experiences but we all have one thing in common, it is the need to belong. Microaggressions say “You don’t belong!”

Most times microaggressions are unconscious and unintentional, but sometimes it’s willful. Some individuals practice racial microaggression deliberately, knowing the victim will be unable to prove the intent behind the aggression. The skilled microaggressor knows they would not or could not be held accountable for work related bias because it was ‘unintentional.’ And as a result, once complaints are made, minorities are challenged by HR Managers to provide concrete evidence of bias. The minority would then frequently question themselves when their gut feeling tells them “something is off here, but I can’t put my finger on it!” For this reason, the course focuses on the impact – and not the intent – of microaggressions.

Microinsults and microinvalidations can be unbelievably infuriating because they lead to “death by a thousand cuts.” They seem benign, but they happen so often that over time it wears you down, and becomes malignant, impacting your mental and physical health.

This course informs and transforms your knowledge, thinking, responses and coping strategies for dealing with microaggressions in your workplace.

What you'll learn

• What are Micro-Inequities
• What is Microaggression and why it’s harmful
• What are the Three Types of Microaggression
• Microassaults: How to identify 
• Microinsults: How to identify 
• Microinvalidation: How to identify
• Understand and respond to the impact of Color Blindness as a Microinvalidation
• Understand the Psychological Dilemmas associated with Racial Microaggressions
• Learn how to address the Impact (vs Intent) of Microaggression
• How to repair your microaggression if you are the microaggessor
• What are the Psychological Implications of Microaggression

P.S.: This course is best administered in an asynchronous online format because it reduces the anxiety the topic typically fosters. The moment we single out a demographic group within an organization, we are perceived to be saying, “You have a lot to do with our biased culture.” Managers can feel that they are being blamed for not upholding diversity and inclusion values and expectations. Privacy stimulates greater listening, self-awareness and less defensiveness.