5 Strategies To Disarm Microaggressions In The Workplace

Microaggression in the workplace is a common issue still happening in many companies.

Even women in the c-suite still deal with it, despite having a successful career they worked hard for. 

Microaggression doesn’t just come from male colleagues whose positions are above yours. It also happens with those on the same level as you, or even lower.

A good proof of that is that Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube, still deals with microaggression even after 20 years in Silicon Valley and a c-suite position.

Forms of microaggression women deal with are: being spoken over, being ignored, their opinions being disregarded, their male colleagues’ opinions being valued more, getting rude comments, and so on.

That’s why women need to learn how to disarm microaggression in the workplace.

Be confident

Being confident when you speak is one of the most crucial parts of stopping microaggression before it even happens.

While the point you’re making might be true, stating it unconfidently is likely to result in people not paying attention to what you’re saying, or disregarding it as irrelevant or untrue.

However, saying something confidently makes the impression that you know what you’re talking about (as you do), and that they should listen to you.

Wojcicki told the Guardian that stating comments in a confident manner gets people to listen to her and pay attention to her words.

By being confident in your words, you’re first getting people to hear you, and notice you. Then, you’re making them really listen to what you’re saying, and understand your point.

There’s a good reason you’re in the c-suite, and your opinion is just as important as your male colleagues, so you should be just as confident as they normally are.

Don’t be afraid to disagree

A helpful tip Wojcicki shared with the Guardian is to disagree without hedging.

Being afraid to openly disagree with a male colleague won’t get you the attention your opinions deserve.

If you don’t agree with what a male colleague is saying, and you think your way is better, saying something like “I get your point, it’s great, I agree with it, but I think that maybe we could do something differently” probably won’t get you heard.

However, saying something like “I completely disagree and I think we should do things differently” is going to get them to pay attention to what you’re saying.

Male colleagues are usually very vocal when they disagree on something, so using the same approach as they do is more likely to get your opinion heard.

Work on getting more women into tech

A long-term strategy Wojcicki shared, is trying to get more women into tech. Currently, only 25% of people coming into tech are women, which makes male microaggression more likely to happen. It also makes the probability of women in the tech c-suite less likely to happen.

As long as women are outnumbered, it makes it easier for their male colleagues to disregard their opinions, speak over them, and value other male colleagues’ opinions over the women colleagues’.

Male colleagues often tend to agree on points of view and perspectives, so when the majority of c-suite leaders are male, other perspectives are often not heard, as the women in the c-suite are outnumbered.

That’s why getting more women into tech, which is still a male-dominant industry, is important.

However, it’s not an easy task. Only about 20% of tech graduates are women, so naturally, there will be fewer women applying to positions in tech. Another issue that occurs, is having to keep women in tech, as the work environment isn’t always ideal. In order to keep women employees, companies should focus on providing great work benefits, making the maternity leave policies desirable, etc.

Recognize the microaggression

Another way to disarm microaggression in the workplace is to recognize it and respond to it.

Sometimes, the person showing microaggression doesn’t realize they’re doing it, so recognizing it, and responding to it will make them notice their words, and hopefully stop them from doing it again.

Another reason to do it is to show you’re not afraid of standing up for yourself.

Those that are aware they’re showing microaggression and are doing it intentionally often believe that women will not speak up and that their behavior will go unpunished.

However, showing them you see what they’re doing and saying, and replying in a way that makes it clear you don’t condone that, can help make them realize they can’t keep doing that.

If they start talking over you, make it clear you weren’t done talking. If they simply ignore your words and pretend you didn’t say anything, repeat what you said and make your statement clear. If they make a rude comment, hold them accountable. 

Seek support

If all else fails, and the microaggression is starting to become obvious sexism, you can and should seek support from HR or someone in higher authority.

Sometimes responding to microaggressions yourself won’t get you any results. In those cases, seeking support is the best choice.

If the microaggression you’re receiving is always from one specific person, that’s another reason to report it, as it can be fairly easy to manage, considering the fact it’s one person they’ll have to deal with.

While dealing with some forms of microaggression here and there can be manageable, if it’s happening often, it’s not your responsibility to have to deal with that. 

Being in the c-suite comes with a lot of responsibility. Having to deal with microaggression on top of that can be very frustrating, considering the fact that you earned your spot at the top, just as the others did, and your opinion matters just as much.

So, knowing how to deal with it, and learning how to not get affected by it too much for your well-being, is a useful skill all women in the c-suite should have. These strategies should help with that.

If you’re a woman in a c-suite or senior leadership role wanting to expand your leadership skills and learn how to navigate the c-suite world, apply for a 30-minute consultation here.