Blog Post #112: Microaggressions
Microaggressions in the workplace are prevalent, and we want to discuss how they affect Type C people in particular. Let’s start with what they are - the term has gotten a lot of buzz in recent years but not everyone is familiar with this concept. In a report on Women in the Workplace, McKinsey defines them as “demeaning or dismissive comments or actions - rooted in bias - directed at a person because of their gender, race, or other aspects of their identity.” Examples from this piece include others getting credit for your ideas, your judgment being questioned, being mistaken for someone more junior, being interrupted or talked over, comments on your appearance, comments on your emotional state, being confused with someone else of your race or ethnic identity, feeling judged because of your accent, and others making assumptions about your culture.
When people are subject to microaggressions, they typically adjust their looks or actions to keep themselves psychologically safe; this is known as “self-shielding.” Excessively nice, overly-conscientious Type C people are already closely monitoring all situations and adjusting ourselves to avoid upsetting people, so the concept of self-shielding is familiar as this is deeply ingrained in us. For Type C people who are operating at 150% to prove ourselves at work - usually because we feel lesser or not worthy of the job - being subject to microaggressions is incredibly stressful. We are giving, giving, giving to the team and now we are receiving subtle feedback that aligns with our view that we’re not good enough. This can take a serious toll on our mental health and make us feel hopeless.
In thinking about the list of microaggressions above, here are some thoughts on the impact on Type C’ers:
We have difficulty expressing our ideas to begin with because we worry about the impact they may have on other people. If someone takes credit for an idea we have, we are likely to let that slide.
We avoid conflict, so if someone is interrupting us, talking over us, or questioning our judgment, we don’t stand up for ourselves and push back.
On the flip side, we are unlikely to be on the receiving end of microaggressive comments about our emotional state (for example, many black women are adjusting themselves so as not to align with the angry black woman stereotype) because we work so hard to maintain a constant facade of pleasantness. If we were to hear such comments, this would affect us deeply given all of the effort we put into being cheerful.
What are some strategies to help?
Awareness is always the first step. Microaggressions unfortunately are common and happen across all industries. Seeing these pointed comments for what they are can loosen their grip on us. We can also realize we are not alone in this and that typically these comments are not directed at us, they are part of a larger societal problem.
We can practice being brave. Thinking of our own needs and standing up for ourselves is hard to do given a history of being dismissed or feeling lesser.
We can practice assertive communication to clearly state our needs and make space for our ideas. Here are a few statements that can help.
“I need a few more moments to complete my thoughts.”
“I see your points, but I’d like to add a few others for us to debate.”
“I'm glad you liked my work but after the presentation/conversation some people are under a mistaken impression that you did the work.”
Please reach out to us if this topic is of interest to you and you’ve experienced microaggressions - we’d love to hear your tangible examples and continue the conversation.