Micromessages are small, subtle messages, sometimes subconscious, that are communicated between people often without saying a word.

Photo Credit: Intel Free Press

Micromessages include looks, gestures, tone of voice, or the framing of feedback.

Micro-inequities are negative micromessages we send other people that cause them to feel devalued, slighted, discouraged, or excluded. Suppose you are sitting in class and notice that no matter how many times you raise your hand to answer the question, the teacher does not call on you. How would that make you feel? Will you continue to raise your hand over time?

Micro-affirmations are positive micromessages that cause people to feel valued, included, or encouraged. Suppose you are trying very hard to understand a difficult math problem. Your teacher comes up to you during the break and says, “I really appreciate how sincerely you are trying to work through this. Have you tried dividing the problem into smaller chunks?” How would that make you feel? Are you more likely to persist and perhaps solve the problem than you were before receiving this comment?