What Happened to the Workplace of Your Dreams?
You’ve had this dream since you were a kid. You wanted to be a graphic designer, an accountant, a lawyer, what-have-you. You’ve worked hard your entire life to make those dreams reality, and you earn your spot at a creative agency, financial office, law firm, what-have-you.
But, because of the presence of microaggressions in your workplace, you find that this dream of yours tends to be a little more of a nightmare. Your success is rarely acknowledged as a result of your hard work. You are undermined; you are sold short; and you are unhappy in a position that should be bringing you fulfillment. In fact, there are even days where you dread going into work.
What is a microaggression?
Whereas a macroaggression targets a demographic on a systemic level, typically in the form of unequal pay or poor working conditions, a microaggression tends to occur in the form of verbal, often subtle slights. These insults, although often unintentional or even meant with the best of intentions, are generally discriminatory of someone’s race, gender, or sexuality.
Here’s an example: Colleague A might acknowledge how well Colleague B of Indian descent speaks English after Colleague B presents a new marketing scheme in a team meeting. Although Colleague A perhaps meant this as a compliment, this comment was not only entirely unnecessary, but it insinuated that Colleague B’s English would not be up to par, furthermore diminishing Colleague B’s skillset as an accomplished professional who just knocked his presentation out of the park.
Another example: Colleague 1 has a question about a project assignment, so he turns to Colleague 2, leaning in inappropriately close to ask her over her shoulder. As he turns back to his own desk, he touches her back and remarks how nice she looks today. Again, perhaps this was well-intentioned, but it likely made Colleague 2 uncomfortable and occurred merely because of her gender.
How do microaggressions in the workplace affect mental health?
- Microaggressions tend to create imposter syndrome in the victim, making a person feel like they are at a workplace based on filling a diversity gap, rather than on merit. No one deserves to question that they belong in a certain work environment when they’ve earned their spot there.
- Microaggressions often make a person wonder if they’re overreacting. The excessive use of brain power to assess whether a comment was derogatory or merely a result of a bad hair day causes an increase in stress hormones and a whole lot of second guessing.
- Microaggressions result in a “stereotype threat,” where a person’s anxiety increases significantly, and they stop performing to the best of their ability. This achievement gap is a direct hit to a person’s dignity and can often lead to an individual leaving their workplace.
What do we do about it?
- Consider your implicit biases. What are your expectations of your own workplace, and do they imply treating everyone equally? Do you have biases that impact someone’s wellbeing in your workplace, and if so, how can you educate yourself to appropriately get rid of them?
- If you witness microaggression, try not to single out the micro aggressor. As mentioned previously, sometimes it is well-intentioned and the aggressor might not even realize the implications of what they said! Instead, serve to reframe the microaggression to encourage respectful dialogue.
- Always strive to create safe, non-judgmental spaces where this can be discussed. If you are in a leadership role at a company, you are in a great position to make your work culture a healthy one where growth and education can take place. If you aren’t in a leadership role, you can at least be someone that is known for providing a safe space.
- Be mindful of your own words. Remember that, as well-intentioned as your words might be, the implications of them can often be hurtful.
Your career is important, but so is your well-being. If you find yourself a victim of microaggressions in the workplace, please feel free to reach out for healthy coping mechanisms.
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Resources:
Business Insider: What Is A Microaggression?
Forbes: How Microaggressions can Affect Well Being in the Workplace
