Microinequities and Management

I attended a Microinequity conference hosted by Stephen Young, the former Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at JPMorgan Chase, who managed the firm’s diversity strategy worldwide. If you are not aware what Microinequities are, the excerpt provided (from his website) summarizes it well. Being aware of, and controlling, Micro-messaging is just as important for a brand new manager as it is for a tenured one.  If after reading the description below, if you think that learning a little more about this would be beneficial, I have included links to three articles for you to gain a little more depth on the subject.

Research shows that words mean very little in terms of the real messages that we send and receive. The meaning of our messages is frequently delivered through subtle micromessages. These subtle, often subconscious signals represent the core of the messages we send, and can either demonstrate inclusion or exclusion.

Listening with your arms folded, losing eye contact with the person you are speaking with, ignoring a female colleague’s success while rewarding a male co-worker’s same accomplishments, are all examples of small yet powerful biases communicated in the workplace. Also known as, MicroInequities these often subconscious, negative messages and actions can affect company productivity and morale.

MicroInequities are cumulative, subtle messages that occur when these signals are negative or promote a negative bias. MicroInequities are not one-time events. They are cumulative, repeated behaviors that devalue, discourage, and impair performance in the workplace.

Research shows that words mean very little in terms of the real messages that we send and receive. The meaning of our messages is frequently delivered through subtle micromessages. These subtle, often subconscious signals represent the core of the messages we send, and can either demonstrate inclusion or exclusion.

Listening with your arms folded, losing eye contact with the person you are speaking with, ignoring a female colleague’s success while rewarding a male co-worker’s same accomplishments, are all examples of small yet powerful biases communicated in the workplace. Also known as, MicroInequities these often subconscious, negative messages and actions can affect company productivity and morale.

MicroInequities are cumulative, subtle messages that occur when these signals are negative or promote a negative bias. MicroInequities are not one-time events. They are cumulative, repeated behaviors that devalue, discourage, and impair performance in the workplace.

Harvard Management Article

Time Magazine Article

Star Ledger Article

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