# Presentation: 017854

## 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

## Purpose

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

## 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

## 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)

## 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.

**Notes:**
What are some of the subtle messages that people send? Nodding of the head, raise eyebrow, yawning, rubbing eyes to show you are tired, clearing you throat, smiling, blinking of the eyes, shaking of the hands, folding of the hands, crossing the legs, shrugging you shoulders, tamping of the feet, inflection in the voice.  

**Notes:**
Good communication and diversity awareness are important because we are all different.  To navigate diversity, we need to have self-awareness, social awareness, and situational awareness (BLINK)

If we don’t have awareness things can become fuzzy and are reactions may be out of kelter. 

## Micro-inequities

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

## Definition

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

**Notes:**
Microinequities are negative micro-messages, small , subtle remarks, frequently unconscious, that devalues, discourage and ultimately impairs performance. Can take the shape of looks, gestures, tone of voice, nuance, inflection, inference, or an absence of a message. Daily behavior that devalues put down, exclude. We may not be even aware of it. It’s not so much what you say and much as it is as to what has been heard. For example let’s look at giving an apology.  How would you respond if someone said to you, “If,  I said something to hurt you I’m really sorry” vs. saying, “ I’m really sorry that what I said hurt you. I feel awful. I didn’t mean to say that in that way.” They are both apologies, but is sincere and one sounds insincere. 

## 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.

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 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)

## 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.

##  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.

## Question?

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

## 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

## 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

## 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 team’s  way in reaching mutual respect, positive regards, and good outcomes in your work setting?
- What needs to change?

## Self

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

***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

## 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

## Micro-advantage

## 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

**Notes:**
A-accept the situation
C-create a plan
T-take action

F-flexibility – no one approach is correct, use the best approach in dealing with the situation.
A-accountability – hold yourself and others accountable for a positive and productive work environment
C-clarity – seek first to understand than to be understood (Covey). Ask questions and be clear on the behavior that is inappropriate 
T-trust – good relationships have a high degree of trust. Honesty and courage are required in confronting and resolving micro-inequities.
S-support – sometimes you will need to support to challenge micro-inequities. Find a support system. Don’t turn anger against yourself. 

## 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

## 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.

## 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