- Microaggressions: what they are and why they matter
- What behaviours may be unwelcome and/or inappropriate, how address them and avoid them yourself
- The role of unconscious bias
- Separating intent and impact
- The difference between feedback and criticism
- The power of empathy in diffusing resistance
- Understand the difference between micro-aggressions and other forms of discrimination.
- How to recognize and address a microaggression – for yourself, or as a bystander.
- When to call out unwanted behaviour – and when not to.
- How to respond if you are called out for committing a microaggression.
- How to manage the awkwardness of these conversations.
- Techniques for managing resistance or defensiveness.
- A four-step process for tackling the conversation.
Founding Partner and Director, Open Line Communications
From the front line to the C-suite, Sarah Neville helps organizations in virtually every sector - from small non-profits to Fortune 500 companies - to connect, inspire and build inclusive cultures.
A sought-after speaker at conferences and events across North America, Sarah shares her deep knowledge of business communication with expertise in diversity and inclusion, with a focus on the role of communication in building respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. She combines current research with irreverent humour to create an engaging and experiential and approach to learning. Open Line helps individuals learn to make authentic connections with employees, clients and peers. They help organizations take Equity and Inclusion initiatives from theory and awareness—into action and behaviour change.
Founding partner and Director of Open Line, Sarah has an M.Ed. in Adult Learning from OISE and a background as a professional actor. Sarah is an instructor at the Rotman School of Business Initiative for Women in Business, and Intercultural Skills Lab, and a regular contributor to Forbes Magazine, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Ottawa Citizen and the Huffington Post.
