It often begins with a subtle comment or remark by an individual that means no harm, but left unchecked, these comments can wreak havoc within a team or cause damaging relationships with staff.  We’re speaking of the infamous microaggressions, those slight remarks or invalidations, that pack a punch, that an individual may find it hard to recover from.  In the work environment, microaggressions are often packaged as a compliment.  For example, your English is exceptional, where are you from?  While on the surface level the offender may think they just complimented their colleague, but the reality is, similar to an earthquake, they just created a shift within the dynamics of that relationship (or team) that left alone will cause permanent erosion.

Whether with good intentions (or not), microaggressions often communicate hostility, racism, and negative assumptions to the individual on the receiving end.  Moreover, people on the receiving end of microaggressions tend to feel they have been excluded from the team (or workplace) which leads them to feeling unsafe within the team.  As a result, they may begin to withdraw or detach from work which leads to loss in production and overall low morale within the team.  In fact, a recent study completed by Harvard Business Review found that 7 in 10 workers said they would be upset by a microaggression, and half said the action would make them consider leaving their job.  The finding of this research serves as evidence that microaggressions are costly to an organization and something that must be addressed sooner than later.  Unfortunately, many organizations don’t know where to begin and/or leave the person who experienced the microaggression as the person who should remedy the situation.  Neither of these options serve well because they usually result in no action.

The honest truth is that we know microaggressions occur, and as we stated previously, the individual who is guilty of the comment usually means no ill will to the person on the receiving end, but the person stating the comment needs to be held accountable.  They need to know that what they said was not ok, and that their comment can cause impacts that are not aligned with the organization. Additionally, organizations should encourage those who have been offended by the individual to speak up and let them know how their comment was received and how it made them feel.  Admittedly, addressing microaggressions is not comfortable which results in no action.  To combat the issues of microaggressions and no action, organizations should consider offering training on this topic and provide solutions for those on the giving and receiving end of these harmful comments.