Within the complexities of corporate culture, silent assassins known as microaggressions lurk, quietly chipping away at the very foundations of organizational unity. Seemingly innocuous comments, subtle exclusions, and unnoticed disrespect collectively conspire to undermine the fabric of a company’s culture.
Consider a scenario where a junior member of your team’s ideas are consistently ignored, derogatory language is used, or certain individuals are excluded from important conversations. If left unchecked, these microaggressions can multiply like silent viruses, infecting the very soul of a company.
This raises an important question. How do these seemingly inconspicuous actions materialize, and what do they mean for the broader organizational ethos? From insidious acts of discrimination based on race, gender, and ethnicity, to harmful From reinforcing stereotypes, microaggressions come in myriad forms, each contributing to a toxic brew that threatens to erode the essence of workplace camaraderie.
To find answers to many of these questions, we spoke to Sunu Wadewala, Head of Human Resources at Axis Securities, to navigate the uncharted territory of microaggressions. In our exclusive interview, she reveals the harmful effects of microaggressions and how she champions collective efforts to dismantle their insidious presence.
Excerpt from interview:
How do micro behaviors differ from broader behaviors, and why are they important in shaping organizational culture?
Micro-behaviors are the subtle actions, gestures, and expressions that collectively shape the overall macro-behavior within an organization. These are like the individual components of a well-designed car. Because these microcomponents influence the speed, performance, and sustainability of your car, microbehaviors have a huge impact on your organization’s culture, performance, and success.
Although subtle actions may not be immediately noticed, their collective impact is important in fostering an environment that supports or hinders organizational goals. Understanding, recognizing, and proactively managing subtle behaviors is critical for organizations looking to foster a thriving culture. There are various strategic initiatives that organizations can implement to ensure that these individual micro-actions are aligned with the organization’s goals, vision, and values.
Generally, greater accomplishments and attitudes are valued within organizations. So how can organizations recognize and value positive microbehaviors in their employees?
Over the years, we’ve seen corporate cultures that value and reward performance over attitude. However, the human element is the differentiator that determines an organization’s success. Recognizing the value of “being” as well as “doing” is therefore paramount, and the first step in this effort is strategic interventions that foster self-reflection and self-awareness.
Encouraging individuals to understand their own existence and impact on others can highlight how positive micro-behaviors influence collective growth. Getting in touch with underlying beliefs and values provides clarity of purpose and drives people to make meaningful contributions.
Effective communication, both formal and informal, is essential to consistently reinforce the indisputable link between personal drive and organizational success. Personality assessments, human process labs, and feedback mechanisms that focus on specific attributes can be powerful tools for the targeted recognition and development of such positive behaviors. Additionally, integrating values into a performance management system (PMS) emphasizes the importance of exhibiting positive micro-behaviors and creating a culture where positive contributions are recognized and valued.
Should micro-behaviors be considered in the development of HR policies and practices? Why or why not?
absolutely! Focusing on small actions ensures an inclusive culture and maintains respect and dignity for the individual. HR policies may outline behavioral expectations, but it is equally important to ensure practical display in day-to-day actions. Encouraging specific, constructive feedback that focuses on behavior, rather than making general statements about employees, can bridge the gap between expectations and execution.
For example, a policy may address behaviors such as telephone etiquette during meetings and maintaining eye contact during conversations. These guidelines exist in many HR policies. However, their effectiveness depends on the display of these subtle behaviors in everyday interactions within organizations. It’s important not just to have a policy in place, but to ensure that the policy is actively communicated and understood at all levels of the organization.
Additionally, being mindful of unconscious bias is essential to fostering micro-behaviors. Incorporating training programs into your HR policies can help raise the necessary awareness and promote a positive and inclusive culture.
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From a leadership perspective, what are some of the subtle behaviors that can have a positive impact on the overall culture?
A leader’s experiences, values, and beliefs have a positive or negative impact on micro-behaviors throughout the organization. Therefore, as a first step, leaders must cultivate self-awareness and behavioral assessment practices to identify the micro-behaviors that work for them.
Leaders can leverage a variety of positive micro-behaviors to create a richer workplace. Active listening stands out as a behavior that fosters open communication and inclusivity. By speaking up about the importance of self-awareness and engaging in open discussions about self-discovery, leaders can motivate others on the same journey. Nonverbal cues, such as positive body language and gestures, uplift the environment and enhance your overall feeling.
Genuine concern for the overall well-being of employees is the most powerful tool in a leader’s arsenal. By expressing concern for team members’ professional growth, work-life balance, and personal growth, leaders can foster a culture where individuals feel valued and supported.
How should micro-behavioral concepts be incorporated into leadership development programs to foster culturally focused leadership?
The implicit assumptions shared within an organization define hidden values, beliefs, and implicit ways of being, acting, and feeling. Recognizing these assumptions is the foundation for building culturally focused leadership.
Cultivating micro-behaviors is essentially chipping away at the iceberg below the surface. Therefore, it is essential to dig deeper to bring about the necessary behavioral changes. This process requires deep self-learning, with his 360-degree feedback from various roles and insights from self-reflection, going beyond mere performance and surface behavior.
At Axis Securities, we value self-awareness above all other attributes. Therefore, we encourage leaders to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery through the Human Process Lab. This lab highlights the nuances of leadership that may be lurking in our blind spots or subconsciously. Intentionally curated to peel back the layers, these labs help leaders connect with their true selves, understand the impact of their actions and actions on others, and realize the potential for personal and professional growth. I will make it possible. Insights from these labs helped leaders identify macro and micro behaviors that they can cultivate to foster a “progressive” organizational culture.
How do you predict the role that subtle behaviors will play in shaping the future of workplace culture?
As the economy and technology continue to evolve, the influence of subtle behaviors in shaping the future of workplace culture will become more dominant. Empowerment, self-management and self-development are the cornerstones of building a positive work culture. Connection and collaboration will continue to be important to culture, starting with the connections we make with ourselves and extending to the connections we establish with others. Collaboration, especially across multigenerational teams and cross-functional projects, will play a vital role in shaping the workplace of the future.
With the spotlight on overall well-being and mental health, subtle actions become even more important in fostering meaningful communication and boosting morale. While organizations emphasize the importance of performance, defining the “what” and sometimes the “how,” micro-behaviors are the subtleties of performing the defined “what.” It appears as “how”. These subtle but powerful attributes that shape culture emerge as the key to unlocking an organization’s true growth potential.