Understanding the Power of Microinequities

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Understanding the Power of Micro-inequities

• Presented
• by
• David Rabb, MA, ACSW, LICSW
• Executive Assistant
• Under Secretary for Health
• Diversity Advisory Board/Office of Management
  Support

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Purpose

• To provide an understanding of and an
  appreciation for how micro-inequities affect
  people at home,at work, and at play.

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Outline

• Examine definition and explore concepts
  surrounding micro-inequities
• Provide example of micro-inequities
• Explore what we can do to minimize the effects of
  micro-inequities

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Think Back

• Take time to reflect on a time when you felt
  deeply valued by your boss or co-workers. What
  was the situation and how did your boss or
  co-workers show you that they valued you or your
  contributions?
• (3 minutes each)

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Communication

• The most powerful aspect of communication is not
  verbal communication but nonverbal. It is
  estimated that most adults receive and send
• 2, 000 to 4, 000 micro-messages (subtle nonverbal
  signals) in a day.

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Micro-inequities

• Verbal or non verbal
• Conscious or unconscious
• Subtle or non-subtle
• Behavior (s) meant to discourage

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Definition

• Micro-inequities Cumulative pattern of subtle,
  semi-conscious, devaluing messages which
  discourage and impair performance.

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Background

• In 1973, while researching racial and gender
  exclusion in the workplace, Mary Rowe, Ph.D.
  discovered that women and people of color were
  bothered by subtle, seemingly harmless messages
  of devaluation that kept them from flourishing.

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Examples of Micro-inequities

• Constantly being interrupted while you are
  talking
• Being left out of a discussion/project
• Trying to speak with someone who is
  reading/sending e-mails during conversation
• Talking with someone who keeps looking at his/her
  watch
• Not being introduced in a meeting and then being
  ignored

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Examples of Micro-inequities

• Avoidance of eye contact
• Rolling of the eyes
• Cutting down ideas before they can be entertained
• Staying on the cell phone with no explanation
• Mispronouncing your name or misspelling your
  name

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Examples of Micro-inequities

• Change in voice pitch, volume, or rate
• Change in body posture
• Change in hand movements and gestures
• Fake, masked or forced smiles

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Tell Me A Story

• Please pair up with someone and share with him or
  her a time when a micro-inequity was directed
  towards you or you witnessed a micro-inequity.
• (3 minutes)

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Micro-inequities vs. Rudeness

• The difference between rude behavior and
  micro-inequities is that rude behaviors happen
  occasionally. Micro-inequities happen constantly
  and have a way of boxing a person in or creating
  a less than positive cultural climate.

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• Death by a thousand cuts
• -Alvin Poussaint, Psychologist, Author

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Exercise

• Pair up with someone in the room.
• Take three minutes as a speaker and then switch
  partners and become the listener.
• The speaker will communicate to the listener
  three things that he/she did last week. The
  listener will send as many negative
  micro-messages as they can in three minutes.

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Question?

• What are the potential risks of failing to
  confront or manage micro-inequities in the
  workplace?

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Examples of Negative Effects of Micro-inequities

• A feeling of being devalued
• Low self-esteem
• Decreased morale
• A sense that you not being listened to
• Poor interpersonal relationships

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Examples of Negative Effects of Micro-inequities

• Decrease in speaking/sharing ideas
• Decrease in taking risks
• Decrease in productivity
• Increase in discrimination complaints
• Poor retention and recruitment
• High turnover

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Things To Consider?

• What positive and supportive behaviors do you see
  working for you and your team in your work
  environment?
• What behaviors get in your/or your teams way in
  reaching mutual respect, positive regards, and
  good outcomes in your work setting?
• What needs to change?

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Self

• I count him braver who overcomes his desires
  than him who conquers his enemies, for the
  hardest victory is over self.
• -Aristotle

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• It takes a variety of
• people to challenge us,
• encourage us, promote
• us, and most of all, help
• us achieve a broader
• dimension of ourselves.
• Glenn Van Ekeren

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Ways to Minimize Micro-inequities

• Become aware of your own stereotypes, prejudices,
  and limitations
• Be aware of your micro-triggers
• Be open to feedback from others
• Be able to forgive yourself and others
• Be able to interrupt micro-inequities and turn
  them into micro-advantages

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Micro-advantage
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Ways to Minimize Micro-inequities

• Be unwilling to be merely a bystander when you
  see micro-inequities occurring
• Be willing to A.C.T. and seek F.A.C.T. S.
• Be inclusive. Help people feel welcomed
• Be willing to learn more about this topic and
  share what you know about the topic

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Resources

• Communication in a Diverse Workplace by Lillian
  A. Kuga
• Cultural Diversity in the Workplace by Sally J.
  Walton
• Developing Competency to Manage Diversity by
  Taylor Cox, Jr., Ruby L. Beale

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Summary

• Microinequities can have a profound impact on how
  we relate with one another. Now that you are
  more aware of this topic, you should be able to
  recognize subtle forms of micro-inequities in
  your world and to respond appropriately.

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Conclusion

• How far you go in life depends on your being
  tender with the young, compassionate with the
  aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant
  of the weak and strong, because someday in life
  you will have been all of these.
• -George Washington Carver