Late last year, Logz.io’s director of field marketing Tina Morwani wrote a blog for B2B Marketing calling for brands to take a stand in a predominantly white business sector. One thing she mentioned was watching workplace language, especially when it comes to everyday microaggressions marketers might be unaware of.
She says: “Microaggressions are daily indignities perpetrated against people because of their affiliation with a marginalised group. They’re psychologically harmful, but also small, cumulative, frequent and often unintentional with much broader social implications – the normalisation of discrimination.”
Here, we broke down 10 common microaggressions you might’ve heard or said yourself, along with some insight on why it’s harmful language.
- “Where are you actually from?”: Asking where someone is from and where they’re actually from are two different things. The focal point shifts to the way someone appears. Tina says: “The effect in which a person is constantly reminded that they’re not like everybody else is deeply problematic, because it places a taxing burden on them to police their own appearance and behaviour, taking energy away from many of the things they want to pursue in life. Microaggressions keep you off balance, distracted and defensive.”
- “Your name is difficult to say”, or “Can I call you (nickname)?”: If someone tells you their full name, learn it. Don’t try to come up with a shortened alternative or demean the name by saying it’s difficult to pronounce. If someone does have a difficult name, it’s perfectly okay to ask how to pronounce it.
- “Is your hair naturally like that?”: Many African American women receive comments about their hair, particularly with it being perceived as less professional in the workplace. According to the Perception Institute, one in five black women feel pressured to straighten their hair for work, which is twice the rate for white women.
- “You look so young for a (job title)”: Telling an intern or a new colleague that they look young is putting the focal point on their appearance. It’s important to turn that attention on to their credentials. Be sure to avoid this especially during the recruitment process or if someone is a new joiner.
- “It’s just a joke”: If you say something offensive to someone, take accountability. If you can sense a co-worker was upset or they tell you directly that they were offended, saying something is just a joke is undermining your colleague. Make sure you also don’t say “I’m sorry you were offended.” Say you’re sorry and, more importantly, learn from the mistake. Tina says: “Even if it takes time to understand why, acknowledge that you hurt someone. Get comfortable rethinking much of what you thought to be true about the world and your workplace by understanding the lived experiences of historically marginalised groups.”
- “Oh, I have a friend who is (gay, bisexual, Chinese, Indian, etc)”: When getting to know someone at the workplace, small talk will bring up lots of discussions. If someone is a minority or tells you their sexual orientation, make sure you’re not imputing phrases like this. While it may come off as you trying to relate to your colleague, they will feel as though their identity rests on their sexual orientation or ethnicity.
- “I can’t tell you’re transgender/gay/lesbian, etc”: Don’t make assumptions based on appearances. According to GLADD, comments like this are often intended to be supportive, but they are actually backhanded compliments. It reinforces stereotypes regarding sexual orientation and identity.
- “You’re so well-spoken”: Imagine saying this to a female. By saying you’re so well-spoken, you’re subconsciously adding to that sentence “for a woman”. That might not be the intention, but that doesn’t discredit the impact of the statement.
- “She’s aggressive/ bossy”: It’s 2021, and women are still very cognizant of coming off as too aggressive or bossy. These stereotypes and stigmas are the reason why women are often underrepresented in leadership roles, particularly women of colour. Tina says: “People don’t just become hidden figures. They’re marginalised into being that way because their narrative is trivialised and belittled. As we reimagine our future coming out of this pandemic; how do we want to live on this planet and as a people? There will be certain points in history that we will have to confront in order to dismantle the deeply ingrained stereotypes forged by industry predecessors.”
- Interrupting someone anytime: A George Washington University study found that when men spoke with women, they interrupted 33% more than when speaking with men. Typically, when this occurs, the person who interrupts ends up taking credit. The simple solution? Let women finish what they’re saying. If you do happen to cut off another woman, apologise and let her finish.
Tina concludes: “If you’ve been called out for a microaggression, take a moment to pause and reflect. Ask yourself why you chose to make that comment, if you’d make that comment to somebody of your own background, and why you felt threatened or uncomfortable when called out on it.
Don’t force people to acknowledge your good intentions because intent does not supersede impact, and remember that it’s not just one comment since marginalised groups face these all the time. Don’t demand an education on why something is offensive. Instead, seek that out yourself, and apologise.”
At B2B Marketing, we know we’re not perfect, and we need to keep these things in mind as much as anyone else. If you have any ideas for content to keep this discussion at the fore of our industry, please feel free to drop us a line at: [email protected]
