Don't mince your words: deflect racist remarks in the workplace with finesse.Joyce Scott was invited to be the keynote speaker at a seminar on leadership for executives. Drawing on her past experience as one of IBM's top sales people in a year in which she also had two major surgeries, Scott gave an outstanding speech. One executive--from an audience of mostly older white men--approached her after the speech and raved about how much he had enjoyed her talk and how much he had learned. And then he added, "You remind me of the girl who used to clean my house. You have such a warm Aunt Jemima Aunt Jemima is a trademark for pancake flour, syrup, and other breakfast foods. The trademark dates to 1893, although Aunt Jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889. The phrase "Aunt Jemima" is sometimes used as a female version of "Uncle Tom" to refer to a black woman who is perceived as face." Most racial slights and insensitive remarks in today's workplace may not be as blatant as what Scott experienced. Sometimes they're innocent statements and occasionally they're expressed to test mettle met·tle n. 1. Courage and fortitude; spirit: troops who showed their mettle in combat. 2. Inherent quality of character and temperament. . In either case, It's important to speak up, but make sure it's in a professional way, says Scott, a career strategist strat·e·gist n. One who is skilled in strategy. Noun 1. strategist - an expert in strategy (especially in warfare) strategian market strategist - someone skilled in planning marketing campaigns . "I told the, executive, `The next black person you say that to will be offended. Let me give you some advice...' In business you don't let things l like that go," she adds. "You find an appropriate and disciplined way to handle it." If you react impulsively im·pul·sive adj. 1. Inclined to act on impulse rather than thought. 2. Motivated by or resulting from impulse: such impulsive acts as hugging strangers; impulsive generosity. and "do three snaps in somebody's face," you can immediately lose credibility. Because these remarks are upsetting and frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: , it's important to take time out and remember that "this is work, not love," warns Scott. Racist or insensitive coworkers tend to say subtle things like, "you people." Oftentimes of·ten·times also oft·times adv. Frequently; repeatedly. Adv. 1. oftentimes - many times at short intervals; "we often met over a cup of coffee" frequently, oft, often, ofttimes people need things pointed out to them, says Scott, who may respond with, "You mean us Episcopalians?" Sam Horn Samuel Lee Horn (b. November 2, 1963 in Dallas, Texas) is a former baseball player who spent parts of 8 seasons in MLB and is now a cable television anchor for New England Sports Network, the flagship station of Boston sports teams. , author of Tongue Fu (St. Martin's St. Martin's or St. Martins may refer to:
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* Uncover the problem. If someone says something to offend you, such as "blacks are not good at customer service," then you should ask, "What do you mean?" The person may come back with the real issue, which you can then address. It keeps you from saying something you may regret. * Name the game. If you sense that someone is intentionally insulting you, look them in the eye and say something like "You're not putting black people down, are you?" If you say exactly what they're doing, they will probably backpedal, Horn says. * Take notes. This works well for someone who's using offensive language. Remain calm and pick up a piece of paper and pencil like you're going to take notes. Often they'll back off, because they know there will be a record of their remarks. * Choose your battles. Before confronting someone, ask yourself these questions: * Is it trivial? * Is it a persistent concern? * Is it intentional or innocent? * What are the extenuating circumstances Facts surrounding the commission of a crime that work to mitigate or lessen it. Extenuating circumstances render a crime less evil or reprehensible. They do not lower the degree of an offense, although they might reduce the punishment imposed. ? * Can or will it change? * Will I win the battle or lose the war? If you do decide to confront someone, have documentation of what was said and when; talk to the person in private; and ask for the behavior for you want. If you've ever been the target of an offensive remark, you've probably experienced the "I should have said" syndrome--you think of the perfect response when driving home or sometime in the middle of the night. "If you are never going to see the person again, write down the response so that it will be imprinted in your mind should you ever find yourself in that situation again," says Horn. If you will see them again, confront them as a coach instead of a critic. You want to give them the opportunity to save face and to change. Remind them of the situation and tell them that in their role as a supervisor, teacher or salesperson (whatever their position), they should be aware that some people can take what they said the wrong way. All in all, you must exhibit "paid professional behavior," suggests Scott and keep interaction on a business level--don't make it personal. "It's important to maintain your dignity and to keep relationships going." |
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