In any context in which we find ourselves, bias and prejudice are harmful.  A sponsor of indifference, exclusion, unfair treatment, hardened divisions, even violence, bias and prejudice hinder teamwork, diminish workplace productivity, detract from customer satisfaction, and devalues those who are the subjects of such injustice. 

Our biases and prejudices are expressed through our words and actions.  Often, we aren’t even conscious of the message that undergirds our statement, question, or nonverbal behavior.  Such discriminatory acts against members of a marginalized group are called microaggressions.  We all commit them, despite being well-intended.  

To learn more about microaggressions and how they unknowingly show up in your day-to-day behavior, read “Microaggressions in Everyday Life,” by Derald Wing Sue.  For easy access, visit my website, tmgspeaks.com, for a link to the book.