Meeting 2 – Microaggressions

[Angel De La Torre]

Hello JEDI Cohort,

Thank you for the thoughtful and brave shares around the topic of microaggressions at our Wednesday session. It feels incredibly hopeful to work with other businesses willing to share strategies, ideas, and do the work for a more JEDI-centered world.

We also appreciate your interest in our most recent tool – Direct Communication Worksheet. This worksheet was created based on the principles and strategies founded in conflict management with Emotional Intelligence with a workplace focus. It was also created with an effort to shift and strengthen our narrative for welcoming space for safe and effective communication. Encouraging members of our team to feel empowered to share their truth in a learning environment and without retaliation. Although it is focused on workplace examples it has helped prompt employees to explore more deeply where their experiences and concerns stem from.

It is in alignment with our company’s value of treating one another with dignity and respect. So, this worksheet has the intent to bring this value to life and in action. Not only to treat one another with dignity and respect but to also practice respect for ourselves and for our own dignity.
This worksheet is also a part of our newly developed Employee Relations policy which includes topics like Healthy Communication, How to Report a Concern, and our statement on Employee Engagement. We hope to continue to expand upon this as we become stronger in our JEDI work.

After learning more deeply about microaggressions and the app Speakfully, I see us potentially expanding upon this worksheet. Maybe having another one more focused on microaggressions and how to communicate so or more fine-tuning on the current worksheet to weave in examples on the topic.

Thank you again for your interest in exploring this with us, we welcome feedback and your questions.

Blaze on Trailblazers!
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Direct Communications Worksheet

This worksheet is intended to be a supportive tool to work through interpersonal workplace challenges, better
understand our own work needs and preferences, and to communicate in a healthy way with team members.

Use this worksheet for your personal use and record. Please allow the teammate you wish to address 48 hours (about 2
days) to complete their own worksheet and respond to you. This form is not to be given to the other person. It is only a
guide for your own use in preparation for the conversation.

We encourage and empower you to resolve challenges among one another in a respectful, growth-oriented and
understanding way. Please practice empathetic listening, ask clarifying questions, and discuss solutions you are both
committed to. Thank you for taking this step for yourself and for our team.

1.) Describe the facts from your point of view about the situation/event that caused you concern. Please give a
specific example, and be careful not to judge, but to only state the facts.

2.) What would you like to see change? For example, “I like to start this task earlier so I am not interrupted,” “I prefer to
be notified with a text rather than a call if someone is going to be late as I respond quicker with texts,” “I would rather
be asked for my help in a kind and respectful manner,” “I prefer not to engage in conversation that feels like gossip.”

3.) Describe how this situation makes you feel. For example: “I feel unheard when I’ve asked for focused project time
and it is interrupted with non-urgent things,” “I feel unable to work/disrespected when there is yelling around me or at
me,” “I feel concerned about quality and/or safety when we rush things,” “I feel hurt when you speak to me in a loud
voice, it feels like an angry tone.”

4.) What are some supportive suggestions or proposed solutions you can bring to help improve this situation? Think
about suggestions such as asking if your work preferences can be honored or seeking to understand why they cannot,
finding a common goal to a process like starting earlier in the day when it is less busy but dedicating a shorter amount of
time to the task, agreeing to communicate when anyone in the involved parties need to step away from a conflict to
breathe and reflect in order to come back respectfully and constructively.

[Grace]

Thanks so much for sharing Angel! Here are the slides from session 2: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Pt4czYzocrBcnFlqzrPd4IYWeRcXFJvgybyZthVlhsY/edit?usp=sharing

And a link to Speakfully: http://www.speakfully.com

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