The Nonprofit Website Insider

How subtle workplace behaviors can exclude and what we can do to build more inclusive teams

Hi website champions,

We rarely work alone. Whether collaborating with teammates, managing others, or serving clients, our interactions shape the workplace environment.  We've all been there: accidentally talking over someone in a meeting, making an assumption about who's in charge, or realizing too late that our "friendly" comment wasn't taken as friendly at all. Sometimes, despite good intentions, we encounter or commit acts that make others feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.

These behaviors are often labeled as “micro-aggressions” — defined as “indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. 

But this term has always felt imprecise to me. The impact is likely not “micro” on the individuals or the teams affected, and “aggression” implies a certain kind of intent needs to be there. That’s why I was struck by an alternate phrase in Dan Mall’s recent newsletter: Subtle Acts of Exclusion (SAEs). Dan himself learned the term from Dr. Tiffany Jana’s and Dr. Michael Baran’s book of the same name: Subtle Acts of Exclusion.

This term resonates so much more. These acts are indeed subtle, not aggressive, but their effect is clear: they serve to make people feel excluded. Over time, these lead to all sorts of undesirable results — those who feel excluded are more likely to disengage, check out mentally, or even quit. SAEs cause anxiety, damage team cohesion, and reinforce harmful stereotypes and biases.

The term “Subtle Acts of Aggression” also makes it easier to address problematic behaviors. Discussing how someone’s actions might exclude others – or acknowledging when we’ve done so ourselves –  feels more constructive than debating whether some action was “aggressive” or “racist”. Training about what types of language or behavior might exclude team members, or in fact what has, in practice, made you or them feel excluded, brings a useful tactical focus.

When we focus on creating inclusive environments where everyone can contribute fully, we support our colleagues, strengthen our teams and improve our work.

Yours in learning,

Laura