Topic 5 Respond as Initiator

Here are tips for the person who says or does the micro-aggressive act of exclusion.

Acknowledge the feedback with gratitude!

It is helpful to see someone giving you feedback as a wonderful chance to improve your behavior around inclusion. The person spoke up, even though it was hard, in an effort for you both to make the world a better place. This person provided an opportunity for us to grow. It is helpful to explicitly acknowledge the discussion with gratitude, so you might say something like: “Thank you so much for speaking up about this.” You may be thinking that this will come across as fake, because deep down you are embarrassed or feel defensive.  However, if you get in the mindset of gratitude and get in the practice of acknowledging even critical feedback like this, it can really start to feel natural and the appreciation can be genuine.