Is a Procurement Colleague Being Microaggressive? Here’s what to do.

Put your hand up if you’ve been offended by someone at work? If you asked that in a crowd of procurement professionals, you would see a lot of hands go up. Yet, that’s certainly not what we come to work for: we all want an environment where we can professionally thrive, free from psychopaths and narcissists. 

Fortunately, few procurement professionals are deliberately, outwardly offensive or cruel. Instead, they are often guilty of what’s called microaggressions. 

In case you haven’t heard of microaggressions, they are innocent-sounding, insensitive statements or assumptions that target some aspect of who or what we are, often based on stereotypes. Often, the stereotypes that these microaggressions are based on are so insidious that the person committing the aggression doesn’t even know they are doing it. For example, a microaggression might be asking someone where they are really from (insinuating they are not from the country they are in) or overlooking a new mother for travel opportunities (insinuating that she may not be interested in them). 

Microaggressions may not be intentional, but they are absolutely hurtful, and are also a form of discrimination that can contribute to inequality and discontent at work. So, if you see or hear a microaggression, you need to respond.

Here’s how to do so:

1. Be respectful and choose your timing wisely 

Microaggressions are rarely intentional, and for this reason, it’s important to be respectful if you witness one and want to call it out. 

Say, for example, someone says in a meeting that something is ‘so gay’. While you may look like the hero if you call this out immediately, the person who said it might be put offside if you point out their mistake in front of others. Instead, try taking them aside privately after the meeting and saying something like ‘I know you didn’t mean it, but saying that something is “so gay” can be seen as a derogatory term and may offend people who have different sexual preferences.’ 

By creating a safe space for you to provide feedback will open up the conversation and ensure  you are more likely to be seen to be educating the person, rather than setting out to embarrass them. 

2. Consider your relationship with the person

In recent years, many workplaces have become less hierarchical, and procurement associates now – thankfully – have more meaningful interactions with CPOs than ever before. 

This, however, doesn’t mean that certain relationships don’t exist in workplaces, and that they shouldn’t be respected. If someone you know commits microaggressions towards you, or someone else in the workplace, consider your relationship with them before saying something. 

For example, do you – regardless of your position and theirs – have an open, transparent relationship where you feel you can be honest? Or is your relationship with that person strained already, and are they known to be combative? Consider how they relate to you and reflect on how you think they will respond when you discuss the microaggression. If you don’t think they will respond positively, consider discussing your concerns with your manager, an HR representative, or someone who has a better relationship with that person.

3. Educate yourself on the impacts 

Unfortunately, an excuse that is used far too often when it comes to microaggressions is that the person being aggressive ‘didn’t mean it.’ But as we know with microaggressions, the point isn’t whether or not someone meant to be offensive, but the overall, collective impact of those aggressions. 

If you do decide to speak up about microaggressions, arm yourself with important facts. For example, if you are pointing out racial microaggressions, ensure that you point out the inequality when it comes to racial representation in leadership, and the impact that microaggressions can have on someone’s confidence and career. 

By helping an aggressor understand their impact, you can help them more carefully consider what they say and why it’s so important to stop speaking and acting in certain ways. 

Have you ever been the recipient of a microaggression at work? Have you ever spoken up about microaggressions? Let us know in the comments below. 

One of the best ways to help those around us understand the impact of microaggressions (and why it’s important to stop them) is to share what it feels like to be on the receiving end of them. And while it’s a great first step to call them out, if you do so without experience, it may seem less authentic.

4. What’s your personal awareness of the microaggression’s subject?

Be honest about your level of familiarity with the subject at hand. For example, maybe you recognize that a comment is a racial microaggression, but you do not know the history or full implications of it. In that case, it’s OK to talk to the person, but recognize you are not an authority on the topic, and consider learning more first or talking to someone who has more familiarity with the topic.

Once you realise a microaggression has been committed, and you decide to act, it’s important to remind your friends or colleagues of the difference between intent and impact. While the speaker may not have intended the comment to be offensive, we must acknowledge the impact of our statements. Intent does not supersede or excuse actual impact. For example, you could say to the person, “I know you may have intended your statement to come off as ______, but the way I received it was ________.” Sometimes simply highlighting the gap between intent and impact can be enlightening for the other person.

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