Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran

Subtle Acts of Exclusion

How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions

Berrett-Koehler, 2020

15 min read

10 take-aways

Audio & text

What's inside?

An inclusive corporate culture fosters greater collaboration, productivity, happiness and connection.

auto-generated audio

1×

auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

Qualities

Applicable
Well Structured
Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Everyone has unconscious biases. Though most “subtle acts of exclusion“ are not malicious, if people commit them unchecked, their effects can demoralize a workforce. Leaders seeking a more inclusive culture must discuss sensitive subjects like racism or sexism, even at the risk of getting the words wrong. Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran explain how your organization can put inclusive policies into place while never sugarcoating potential difficulties. They suggest activities for building awareness and inclusion, both important values that foster resilient teams of engaged employees.

Summary

“Subtle acts of exclusion” (SAEs) are words or actions that spring from conscious or unconscious bias.

Everyone performs acts of exclusion, most often out of ignorance or unconscious bias. Every SAE has an individual or group “subject,” who may or may not be present. The person who commits the SAE is the “initiator.” Observers who speak up for the target of bias are “allies.” Those who remain silent are “bystanders.”

Inclusive corporate cultures insist that everyone should notice and call out SAEs when they happen. Initiators must understand how they have committed a transgression and, rather than become defensive, they should vow to do better. Inclusion makes everyone better at their jobs, more collaborative and more likely to stay with their companies.

Obvious discrimination and structural exclusion are easier to identify than SAEs, sometimes called “microaggressions.” This term is misleading, because people who commit these acts aren’t necessarily aggressive, and the impact of using discriminatory phrases or actions isn’t small. Someone who asks a Filipino, “What are you...

About the Authors

TMI Portfolio’s CEO Tiffany Jana co-wrote Overcoming Bias. Scientist Michael Baran is a senior partner at inQUEST Consulting.

Comment on this summary

Sign in to share your opinion
V. Z. 6 months ago

Very informative
G. S. 2 years ago

Great start to discussion on framing a "normal".
I'm personally looking forward to the day when we'll finally drop the concept of normal and enjoy the authenticity that will find space to show itself.
L. R. 2 years ago

Interesting take on inclusion, great summary

More on this topic

By the same authors

Book

Erasing Institutional Bias

Book

The B Corp Handbook, Second Edition

In our Journal

6 months ago

Journal Article

Take Action for LGBTQ Inclusion at Work

Having a robust diversity and inclusion policy is good business.

1 year ago

Journal Article

Be A Better Ally

How to be part of the solution to end racism. Inclusive and diverse businesses lead to bigger bottom lines. Respect for different perspectives encourages engagement, collaboration, creativity and productivity. On top of that, it’s the ethical way to manage your workforce, recognizing that worker rights are human rights. But, as Pamela Newkirk writes in Diversity, Inc., […]

3 years ago

Journal Article

Curb Your Biases

How to avoid errors in judgment and thinking. Nobel Prize-winning author and psychologist Daniel Kahneman lays out the case for two systems of thinking in humans in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow. “System 1” is fast. It’s the system that reacts automatically to noise. It lets you drive without much conscious thought and answer […]

3 years ago

Journal Article

A Year in Interviews: Part II

getAbstract was honored to speak to a number of renowned authors and thought leaders this year. Here are some of the insights we gleaned from a year in author interviews. From economists to leadership experts, and computer scientists to China specialists, getAbstract was privileged to take deep dives into many authors’ areas of expertise and […]

4 years ago

Journal Article

Vote for Your Book of the Year!

For the 20th anniversary edition of the getAbstract International Book Award, readers are invited to cast their votes for the Readers’ Choice Award. Voting was open from 1 October to 14 October (12:00 CET). Thank you for your participation! The winners will be announced here on 15 October 2020. Curious about the selection criteria that […]

4 years ago

Journal Article

The Selection Criteria

Discover how our jury narrowed down over 10,000 recent releases to just 10 finalists, before selecting the shortlist – and finally the winners. The jury for the 20th getAbstract International Book Award consisted of Arnhild Walz-Rasilier, who created the Award in 2001, Haike Finch-Schattka and Andreas Neisser from getAbstract, together with Monika Dunkel and Marina […]

4 years ago

Journal Article

“Bullying Destroys Trust”

Bullying remains a persistent workplace problem, compromising people’s well-being, motivation and productivity. How do you recognize bullies, and what can you do if you witness or become a victim of bullying? Workplace bullying refers to a pattern of targeted intimidating, humiliating, sabotaging or undermining behaviors at work. Bullying behaviors can include practical jokes, misinformation, denials […]

4 years ago

Journal Article

“If a Diversity Expert Can Fail So Epically, Anyone Can.”

Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran on subtle acts of exclusion, how to recognize them, how to avoid them and how to deal with them proactively – on both sides of a conversation. getAbstract: To get everyone up to speed, let’s start with a short introduction: What are subtle acts of exclusion? Tiffany Jana: Subtle Acts of Exclusion is […]