Microaggressions in the Workplace: How to Challenge and Change

What are the general interactions you have during a typical day?  For most of us the day might be punctuated with an annoying interaction with a manager or a funny moment between your peers.  We tend to remember the ‘bigger’ moments in each day that have an emotional impact on us.  Most of us don’t remember or take notice of the hundreds of little interactions or comments that come our way.  However, for some individuals those little moments can add up over time, throughout their daily lives, which can have a subtle psychological impact on their emotional and mental wellbeing.  These are often referred to as microaggressions or micro inequities. 

The thing about microaggressions is that most people don’t realise they’re committing them.  What can seem like an innocent gesture, compliment or request can often be received in a negative way.  When microaggressions manifest themselves in our working relationships they can have a lasting, detrimental, impact on the individual and on an organisation’s culture.   So how do we challenge them and change our behaviours to be more inclusive? Using our Steps to Change methodology and our interactive drama-based approach, the 90-minute session will help participants:

• Gain a greater understanding in identifying microaggressions.
• Explore the impact microaggressions can have.
• Learn ways to positively challenge microaggressions.
• Learn how to change personal behaviours to keep from committing them. 

As always with our work, discussion amongst participants is encouraged and key – and so we can only offer 35 places per session, with a limit of 3 people per organization. If you're interested in running for more delegates within your organization, please do get in touch!

Want to see what this session will look like? Watch the video below.