Challenging microaggressions.

- because their impact is major

"Microaggressions:

- death by a thousand cuts."

- Derald Wing Sue

Why it matters

Microaggressions are subtle, everyday and often unintended. Yet their cumulative impact on people and teams is significant. They show up in words, behaviour or context — and signal that someone does not fully belong.

What tends to break down?

Comments that were “not meant that way” but still hurt
Silence or discomfort when exclusion occurs
Uncertainty about whether — and how — to respond

Why is this so difficult?
Microaggressions usually stem from automatic thinking processes (system 1): unconscious assumptions, stereotypes and social habits. Because intent is often neutral, impact is easily dismissed.

What happens if organisations ignore this?

Reduced psychological safety and belonging
Increased stress and health complaints
Avoidance behaviour, absenteeism and burnout

This is not about oversensitivity — it is about predictable effects on the human brain and wellbeing.

What this enables

After this programme, participants are better able to:

Recognise microaggressions in everyday work situations
Distinguish between intent and impact
Respond constructively — as the target, a bystander, a leader or the (often unintended) source

The focus is on practical behavioural responses, not abstract awareness.

Our approach

This programme is grounded in behavioural science, social psychology and cognitive psychology.

We start from one core insight: Microaggressions are typically unintentional. The issue is not intent, but the predictable impact of automatic behaviour.

That is why we focus on:

how microaggressions arise through automatic thinking
the intent–impact gap
concrete, de-escalating interventions that work in real life

All learning is anchored in real cases from participants’ own work context, in a safe and respectful setting.

Programme

1: What are microaggressions?

The definition, origin and impact of microaggressions
How microaggressions are linked to our automatic system-1-thinking

2: Microaggressions @work

Learning to recognize microaggressions @work
Accepting the important distinction between intention and impact

3: Challenging microaggressions

We equip you with a series of practical tools and strategies to use in cases of microaggressions, be it:

as a target
as a witness or colleague
as a leader or manager
as a (often non-intentional) perpetrator

4: Personal Action Plan

Of course, it all comes down to behavioural change @work.
This is why our training always incorporates a personal commitment to take action.
Your commitment takes the form of an "if-then"-plan (or implementation intention). Research shows the chances of actual behavioural change are multiplied doing this.

Format

In-company training, 1 day
In-company workshop, half-day
Practical, interactive and case-driven

Reviews

"A very engaging session of the effects of unconscious bias. Even in a large group the trainer manages to get participants to share their personal experiences with stereotypical thinking."

Adel Mouchalleh, Expert Communication, VDAB East-Flanders

“Une formation superbe. Tout était bien préparé. Bons outils pédagogiques, maitrisé par la formatrice, Emilie."

Anonyme, Actiris

Curious how addressing microaggressions could improve well being and collaboration in your organisation?

A short conversation is often the best start.

Book a short call