Next Level Conversation

In this module, you did some really difficult work thinking about equity, inclusion, intersectionality, privilege, and power in the workplace. As we discussed, sometimes people are preceded by an expectation that has nothing to do with them. A person might have ideas about us before they really know us. 

It’s unfair, but we know it happens everywhere, including the workplace. It’s our goal to contribute to more inclusive spaces, but we also want to make sure you feel prepared for situations that might come up at work. We discussed written impressions with email last time, and now we’re going to focus on in-person. 

Below you’ll find some of our starter material on “making first impressions.” We suggest you take a look at that material, but then you can also build on that by discussing the following questions with someone you feel comfortable with: 

• What does it feel like to be misperceived in an in-person interaction? How do you respond in the moment?
• What aspects of your personality to you want to showcase to enhance an in-person impression?
• How can I take care of myself when I feel I’ve been misperceived in workplace interactions and I feel harmed, especially when I feel like It's based on my identity? 

If you don’t feel like you have all the answers right now, don’t worry! This isn’t the end of this discussion. We’ll dig into this in our modules about conflict, feedback, and self-advocacy. We’ll see you then. Please take care!