QUICK TIPS: DEALING WITH STEREOTYPING
Allowing someone to slander you in the workplace is a major problem. You could end up constantly trying to erase the negative and false perceptions created about you by those who have labeled you as having a problem communicating with certain staff. Being labeled as having communication issues will affect your performance evaluations, salary increase, and can significantly decrease your chance to advance within the company. Anytime you are accused of having serious communication issues, you have to give serious thought about how to respond.
TIP#1: When it comes to so-called communication issues, try not to let the conversation become about your personality. Let it be known, right up front, that if your personality is to be discussed and dissected, you would expect that the personality of everyone involved (in whatever issue was raised) be discussed and dissected—person by person.
Why? Because, once the conversation goes down the path of discussing a Black person’s personality, it will likely become an all consuming, one-sided affair where the Black person will be expected to accept and acknowledge any list of faults being offered up by White coworkers and managers. If everyone’s personality isn’t being discussed, your personality should not be discussed. Communication is a two-way street. No individual should be held accountable for a conversation taking a perverse turn for the worse.
TIP #2: Check your company’s personnel manual to see what the guidelines are for handling work-based issues and personality-based issues. For instance, I had a former employer that explicitly stated that supervisors should stay away from making personality-based assessments of employees. Find out if there is similar language in your company’s personnel guidelines. Make sure that so-called personality issues, particularly fraudulent personality issues, do not creep into your performance evaluations and are not held against you in some other way.
TIP #3: Be careful approaching a person regarding racial stereotyping. I can guarantee that conversation will likely go quickly downhill. All the person will hear is that you are calling them a racist. Therefore, before having any sort of conversation about such a sensitive issue, address the perceived problem with your supervisor first. But, have as much supporting evidence of your position as possible. If your supervisor is non-responsive, you should contact Human Resources.
TIP #4: Try to determine the source of the stereotyping/labeling. If you can, try to figure out what incident(s) may have led to this person to have a false perception of you. Begin to document how this person may have twisted your words, made up allegations against you, poisoned others against you/slandered you. Document this person, if you know they have similar problems with other minorities. Find out everything you can about these other issues. Try to get statements from people, which will support your allegation. You can then address any issues with your supervisor. Remember, it’s important to show patterns of negative behavior from this individual. You have to prove that this person’s actions are negatively impacting your ability to do your job and/or your career (e.g., diminishing your promotion potential during performance review time, etc.)
TIP#1: When it comes to so-called communication issues, try not to let the conversation become about your personality. Let it be known, right up front, that if your personality is to be discussed and dissected, you would expect that the personality of everyone involved (in whatever issue was raised) be discussed and dissected—person by person.
Why? Because, once the conversation goes down the path of discussing a Black person’s personality, it will likely become an all consuming, one-sided affair where the Black person will be expected to accept and acknowledge any list of faults being offered up by White coworkers and managers. If everyone’s personality isn’t being discussed, your personality should not be discussed. Communication is a two-way street. No individual should be held accountable for a conversation taking a perverse turn for the worse.
TIP #2: Check your company’s personnel manual to see what the guidelines are for handling work-based issues and personality-based issues. For instance, I had a former employer that explicitly stated that supervisors should stay away from making personality-based assessments of employees. Find out if there is similar language in your company’s personnel guidelines. Make sure that so-called personality issues, particularly fraudulent personality issues, do not creep into your performance evaluations and are not held against you in some other way.
TIP #3: Be careful approaching a person regarding racial stereotyping. I can guarantee that conversation will likely go quickly downhill. All the person will hear is that you are calling them a racist. Therefore, before having any sort of conversation about such a sensitive issue, address the perceived problem with your supervisor first. But, have as much supporting evidence of your position as possible. If your supervisor is non-responsive, you should contact Human Resources.
TIP #4: Try to determine the source of the stereotyping/labeling. If you can, try to figure out what incident(s) may have led to this person to have a false perception of you. Begin to document how this person may have twisted your words, made up allegations against you, poisoned others against you/slandered you. Document this person, if you know they have similar problems with other minorities. Find out everything you can about these other issues. Try to get statements from people, which will support your allegation. You can then address any issues with your supervisor. Remember, it’s important to show patterns of negative behavior from this individual. You have to prove that this person’s actions are negatively impacting your ability to do your job and/or your career (e.g., diminishing your promotion potential during performance review time, etc.)
posted by S. Mary Wills at 1:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home