Why We Need Microvalidations
In
addition to the microaggressions and other forms of discrimination they
experience, individuals from marginalized groups typically experience a
deficit of positive interactions relative to their majority-group
counterparts. Beginning in preschool, for example, Black and brown
children receive
far fewer compliments and more disciplinary action than their white
peers, and throughout their formative school years, teachers maintain lower expectations of them and are less likely to provide developmental feedback on their assignments.
This carries over to the workplace as well. Research
shows that while leaders are willing to affirm the potential of
early-career workers who belong to a majority group (racial or
otherwise), workers from historically underrepresented groups are often
subject to more scrutiny and less recognition of demonstrated success
and are often given less–helpful performance feedback. As a result, members of marginalized groups must wait longer to reach management and executive levels (if promoted at all), have lower-quality relationships with managers and supervisors, and experience higher levels of work-related stress and adverse health outcomes as consequences of identity-based discrimination.
Small, Positive Acts Make a Big Difference
To
address this imbalance and build positive relationships in the
workplace, it’s not enough to simply eliminate negative interactions —
we also need to encourage positive ones.
Microaggressions and microvalidations exist on the opposite ends of a spectrum of small behaviors
that can make people feel like either outsiders or insiders of a
particular group. Their power lies in their subtlety. Microaggressions,
for example, are often dismissed or ignored by both perpetrators and
witnesses, leading those on the receiving end to often feel alienated, withdraw, and face chronic stress.
Research suggests that there’s a flip side of the coin: Microvalidations.
These are equally subtle but powerful actions or language that
demonstrate affirmation, encouragement, and belief in a person’s
potential. They can include gestures as simple as acknowledging and
affirming someone’s experience of a microaggression, or giving
encouraging feedback and sincere compliments.
For
instance, her client Marcus,* a Black, mid-career academic, struggled
with gaining influence at work. He had a passion for real-world impact,
but was given feedback that he should be spending less time in
practitioner conferences than high-level academic ones. His
opportunities to take on more leadership responsibilities within higher
education dwindled.
But
during his speaking engagements on and off campus, Marcus’s audience
greeted him enthusiastically and shared the ways his perspective changed
their understanding of the concepts. Hosts introduced him by citing his
unique research contributions. These reflections on Marcus’s strengths
helped him identify that he was a strong public speaker, excelled at
connecting with his community, and had a knack for translating research
into practice. These insights and the validation they provided prompted
Marcus to make a career shift; he is now a highly sought-after
consultant to some of the world’s largest organizations.
Microvalidations
can be equally influential for new or more junior employees. Valerie,* a
participant in one of Laura’s executive education courses, started a
new job and found herself battling self-doubt while struggling with the
company’s procedures and software. Valerie was one of few women on her
engineering project team, and she worried about confirming negative
gender stereotypes about being ill equipped to do a technical job. But
when she eventually shared her concerns with her manager, they affirmed
her effort and ability to succeed at new tasks, made her feel like it
was normal for learning new technologies to take time, and encouraged
her to stay engaged and focused on learning. These microvalidations
helped give Valerie confidence that she belonged at the company and was
doing a good job. As a result, she became more proactive with seeking
information, guidance, and feedback from other teammates and managers,
further accelerating her performance.
Five Microvalidations Anyone Can Use
From
our work, we’ve identified five microvalidations that you can use to
affirm your colleagues. To members of dominant groups, many of these may
seem like simple courtesy. But, as we’ve seen, they’re extended more
rarely to those from historically marginalized groups. When they are, we
believe they can aid in counteracting longstanding praise deficits.
Acknowledge Presence
Women
of all racial/ethnic backgrounds and Black and brown men are often
assumed to be of lower status in a variety of settings and are treated
accordingly: When they enter a room or speak, they are often greeted
with silence, not given full attention, or are interrupted.
Instead,
show your interest and respect when someone enters the room. Give a
nod, a warm smile, or a greeting. In many cultures, simply greeting
someone by name and making eye contact
with them signal positive regard. When someone is speaking, give them
your full attention — put your phone away, close your laptop, or if it’s
a virtual meeting, close out of other distractions on your computer.
Even if you think you generally do these things, become more aware of
how equitably you deploy these gestures. This will make others feel
valued.
Validate Identity
People
often navigate the world at the intersection of multiple identities —
white person, woman, parent, gay, CEO — all of which are important parts
of how they see themselves and would like to be seen by others. But
marginalized identities are often dismissed or forcibly minimized or
reinterpreted by others: Someone may assume that a woman’s spouse is a
man, ignoring the fact that she is gay, for example; or someone may give
a colleague a nickname if they find their name difficult to pronounce.
Refer
to people in a way that is in line with how they think of themselves.
Call people by their preferred names; don’t use unsolicited nicknames or
anglicize names that are less familiar or hard for you to pronounce.
Respect people’s gender identities by ensuring you are aware of and
utilize their preferred pronouns. Be open to learning about people’s
backgrounds and identity stories and acknowledge their experiences
rather than trying to correct them if they don’t seem to comport with
yours. These microvalidations help people feel seen, known, and
understood.
Voice Your Appreciation for Everyone’s Contributions
Share
directly with your colleagues how they’ve made important contributions
to work tasks, influenced decision-making processes favorably, or helped
to build continuity within a team. Do this in real time, even —
especially — when a person expresses dissent. This signals that
everyone’s perspective is welcome and valued. Similarly, highlight these
achievements and accomplishments to other members of the organization,
whether the individual is present or not. Harvard public policy
professor Iris Bohnet refers to this as “micro-sponsorship.” (But beware: Don’t compliment the person for traits that should be table stakes — more on this in the next section!)
And
if you think you do this already, check again. We tend to recognize and
sponsor colleagues who remind us of ourselves. That means that
marginalized and underrepresented people’s contributions at work are
often overlooked, undervalued, and under-credited. This can result in
feelings of isolation and heightened performance pressure, along with a
fear of retribution if they express dissent — all anathema to authentic
engagement, job satisfaction, and performance.
Hold People to High Standards
People
in non-dominant groups are often held to lower standards in subtle
ways: They are steered towards lower-level tasks; their work is
micromanaged; and they are given feedback based on negative group
stereotypes. These microaggressions can seed doubts about their skills
and potential.
Complimenting
someone based on low expectations associated with a stereotype falls
into this category as well. For example, take a manager praising an
Asian American employee for speaking English well or telling a Black
employee that they are “so articulate,” revealing an assumption that
they were born abroad or are unintelligent or ineloquent, respectively.
Or take a woman being given praise for a feminized leadership attribute
like caring rather than her technical skills, playing into a stereotype
that she has more of the former than the latter. Both the employees and
the leader are being praised in a way that indicates that someone didn’t
expect much from them professionally.
Instead,
hold your team to high standards and make it clear that you expect they
can meet them. Praise employees for actual achievements. And don’t shy
away from giving your colleagues in traditionally marginalized groups
challenging assignments, while providing necessary resources and
developmental feedback to enable success. Research
shows that students from racial minority groups perform better when
mentors make it clear that they’re being held to high standards and are
assured of their ability to meet them, as opposed to being held to lower
standards.
Affirm Leadership Potential and Status
Non-prototypical
leaders (in other words, non-white, non-male leaders) often experience
contested authority, which means that people reject and challenge their
leadership ability, decisions, and potential. Thus emerging leaders in
marginalized groups often aren’t given opportunities they need to
develop, and established leaders aren’t granted the respect they
deserve.
Express
that you have confidence in new leaders’ ability to rise to leadership
challenges; if that emerging leader belongs to an underrepresented
group, this is even more critical. Explicitly acknowledge the challenges
they may have faced as a marginalized member of your organization. Make
introductions to key contacts and provide them with coaching,
encouragement, and tangible support to succeed in leadership
assignments. Be proactive in looping leaders from diverse backgrounds
into discussions that fall within their scope of responsibility and
expertise, and intervene when they are being left out.
Finally,
use leaders’ formal titles in public settings as appropriate. For
example, many Black and brown professionals prefer to be addressed by
their titles (Dr., Professor, Reverend) as an act of respect that was
not afforded to them by many in the U.S. until 50 years ago.
These efforts can help counteract the ongoing invalidations that marginalized leaders have faced at work.
. . .
Microvalidations
don’t offer a one-size-fits-all, easy fix. Different microvalidations
will be affirming for different people and in different circumstances,
so it’s important to know your audience and context. Moreover, we tend
to favor memories of negative words, encounters, and emotions, so an
occasional microvalidation won’t assuage the cumulative effects of
microaggressions that many workers face on an ongoing basis. And, as the
saying goes, talk is cheap! It’s easy to say nice things, but insincere
affirmations, if not backed by supportive actions, will counteract the
benefit of any microvalidation, instead adding insult to injury.
But
microvalidations remain a powerful tool, particularly in the hands of
organizational leaders, whose influence lends legitimacy to their
statements and actions. By modeling microvalidations to others at every
level in the organization, leaders can make real strides toward
dismantling long-established power dynamics and inspiring others to do
the same — all while providing positive affirmation within their
communities.
Was this article helpful? Connect with me.
Follow The SUN (AYINRIN), Follow the light. Be bless. I am His Magnificence, The Crown, Kabiesi Ebo Afin!Ebo Afin Kabiesi! His Magnificence Oloja Elejio Oba Olofin Pele Joshua Obasa De Medici Osangangan broad-daylight natural blood line 100% Royalty The God, LLB Hons, BL, Warlord, Bonafide King of Ile Ife kingdom and Bonafide King of Ijero Kingdom, Number 1 Sun worshiper in the Whole World.I'm His Magnificence the Crown. Follow the light.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.