Before the microaggressions become macro

“I never thought somebody with your background could be so articulate”. “It was impressive to see your alacrity in the meeting when the senior team entered”. “You do not look your age”. These are supposedly compliments. These are seemingly innocent remarks. Are they? Compliments are supposed to encourage and make people feel better.

Do these comments make people feel better or worse? The answer may differ from person to person but the general response is likely to be tilted towards the unfavourable category. These comments can actually do more harm than in your face discriminatory remarks.

The open ones are caught and dealt with in most companies. These statements are loaded and are difficult to nail. But it is these double meaning phrases that act as slow poison in the context of meaning and intent.

Microagression is a term stated by Harvard psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce, MD, in a 1970 article in The Journal of the National Medical Association. These may be intentional or unintentional verbal, behavioral or environmental actions/phrases. They are displayed more on an interpersonal level and may lead to feelings of discomfort, devaluation and insecurity in their recipients.

Dr Hirchel in his article “The macro affects of microaggressions” published in the IR Quarterly divided microaggressions in four categories. First one is microassault where the target gives a derogatory remark to a female colleague like “Congratulations on getting married, we will now see a lot more work from home”. And then just dismiss it by saying, “I was just joking”.

The second category is microinsult where a person is using sarcasm to make a personal remark. A female colleague might chide a male counterpart for winning a difficult customer by saying “Kudos for getting the account from her.

She must have loved your “6 pack” deals.“ The third category is microinvalidations where due to your gender or background you are not thought good enough for some work or job. Having male IT developers meet international clients and telling female ones that “you know the Tech details are more of a boy’s expertise”.

The fourth category environmental aggressions is more dangerous where a certain group is kept back due to some biases. This could include an unwritten preference for a certain sect in hiring, certain dress and appearance norms, certain class and background preferences etc.

Left on their own microaggressions become the cultural irritants that create discomfort, threat perceptions and disengagement. That is why organizations need to be vigilant about them and address them at the nascent stage:

1. Educate on mircroaggressions and their impact- Micro aggressions are sometimes difficult to detect. They may be in the form of puns or backhanded compliments. That is why educating the whole company is mandatory.

The Boardroom snide comments and the meeting room sneaky remarks need to be observed and put in the form of training and briefing sessions for all. There is nothing more dampening than a careless insinuation that unsettles a colleague who has done well in bringing an important point on the table. After the loaded comment he or she does not feel like venturing again as it unsettles them. That is why it is important to ensure that people watch out their words and non-verbal communication.

2. Create a confidential address system- The problem with microagressions is that they are not clear-cut attacks. They are either implied, or once in a while slips of the tongue. This grey nature makes many people feel hesitant to report them.

eporting such things may seem petty or dangerous thus it is important the organization puts a system in place. The first part is to clarify to the staff what is ok and what is not ok. Then there should be a comfortable and confidential mentoring aid available to discuss what the employee has gone through. These mentors need to be trained in handling the session with empathy but objectively.

The results of these sessions then need to be compiled and assessed to take necessary remedial steps.

3. Create accountability around these behaviours- The principle is to target behaviours not the person. Mostly microagressions are ignored. Left on their own they become a behaviour, a culture. Ever heard of people working in companies with random mocking slants in the air. That is because for too long it was ok to abuse people’s lack of clarity, understanding and power by making random comments.

When unchecked they become infectious. Other people in the department start picking up the tones and insinuations.

Once embedded it is very difficult to eradicate. So the best thing is to nip it in the bud. That can only happen if the company makes an intentional accountability process that weeds out such behaviour. This can include developing an ally system. This ally system means that in each group identify people who will be asked to stand up for the target person.

Normally, it is a peer. If in a meeting a remark is made like “For somebody of your background, your English seems to be good”. The ally in the room can say politely that may I say something? Then say that I know it was meant as an appreciation for her good presentation but the addition of background made it a bit pointed. That will make the person who commented a bit apologetic and careful.

Having an ally system makes the process immediate, more acceptable as it is in the moment and from a neutral person. However the allies need to be trained to handle it with calm assertiveness rather than a tit for tat agenda. Repeated behaviours of a person then need to be taken up on appraisals and tied up with withholding of some incentives etc.

Microaggressions are not only verbal but non-verbal too. In a recent coaching case of a top performing executive, his body language put people off. He would be non-chalant, non-interested, looking at his phone, not making eye contact. This gave the other person the feeling of being deliberately overlooked and belittled. These behaviours then have to be addressed through proper targeted coaching to change the micro aggressions to micro affirmations.

The inclusion of courtesy words like “if you allow me”, thank you for an interesting perspective, that was very kind of you, does wonders.

While microagressions work towards exclusion of people, microaffirmations bring them back in the fold. The civility of the language, the courtesy of the body language and the encouraging and appreciating culture are key to making people feel valued and respected. At the end respecting individual dignity is the best tonic for team building and high performance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025