Throughout the course of this year, we've discussed implicit bias on our internal Social Justice team at Praecipio Consulting. Implicit biases are sub-conscious thoughts or stereotypes we have about a specific group of people based on their race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, appearance, etc. The feelings and thoughts we form based on these biases are ones we may not intentionally form or are aware of, but everyone has them. The team looked further into how these implicit biases affect the workplace and discovered they correlate directly to microaggressions. As we begin a new year, the Praecipio Consulting team is looking for ways to better our company culture, as well as ourselves personally, so addressing microaggressions and their effects on the workplace seemed like a great way to do this as a group, as well as individuals.

What are microaggressions?

According to Derald Wing Sue, microaggressions are the everyday slights, indignities, put-downs, and insults that members of marginalized groups experience in their day-to-day interactions with individuals who are often unaware that they have engaged in an offensive or demeaning way. The perpetrator of the aggression typically does not realize what they said or did toward the victim is offensive, which makes microaggressions even harder to call out or recognize. There are three types of microaggressions: microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations.

Three types of microaggressions

First, we have microsassaults. Microassaults are more obvious and are usually purposeful. They are often violent and directly target a victim. In the workplace, an example would be if a male coworker gropes a female coworker and plays it off as a joke.

Next are microinsults. Microinsults are the most common type of microaggressions. They are a bit more subtle and unconscious, especially compared to microassaults. They disrespect or demean another person, even if the perpetrator "meant it as a compliment." In the workplace, an example would be if a non-white co-worker was giving a presentation and an employee commented on how articulate the presenter is. 

Microinvalidations are very similar to gaslighting another person. They are often subtle and unconscious. Microinvalidations cancel the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of marginalized individuals. In the workplace, an example is when an LGBTQ+ employee confides in a straight employee about a microaggression they received, and the straight employee tells them they're overreacting. 

Microaggressions and the workplace

Although at the moment, a microaggression may feel like a joke or a harmless action to the person committing them, they have a large impact on the receiver, especially if the microaggressions occur repeatedly over a long period of time. Psychologists often compare them to death by a thousand cuts. Because of the manner of microaggressions, they are often not reported by employees. It’s important to understand what they are and how they affect others to ensure a safe and inclusive company culture. The first step in addressing microaggressions is to recognize when a microaggression has occurred and what message it may be sending. Think about your actions and your words: you may have positive intentions with your behaviors, but think about the impact they have on others. 

At Praecipio Consulting, the Social Justice team has compiled a Resource Library that the company can use to learn about a range of topics, a few geared toward microaggressions and how we can work to eliminate them from our environments. Below is a list of helpful resources around microaggressions that we have in our library. 

• Podcast: NPR Life Kit: Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away
• Forbes article: 7 Common Examples of Microaggressions - Dana Brownlee
• Book: “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
• TEDXTalk: Eliminating Microaggressions: The Next Level of Inclusion - Tiffany Alvoid
• Project Implicit: Implicit Association Test

If you have read, watched, or listened to any of these resources, we'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you have any recommendations for other resources we should add to our library to learn more about microaggressions, let us know!

Ask any project manager what the number one contributor to a successful project result is, and they will tell you that it’s having the right people on the team. That goes for vendors too. Because behind every consulting gig are people making decisions that influence your company’s future. 

The decision to select an Atlassian Business Partner is a big one. The stakes are high, with perhaps millions of dollars and people’s careers hanging in the balance. A bad vendor decision could haunt you for a decade or longer. 

The process to choose a vendor usually starts with a referral or by viewing the Atlassian Partner Directory. However, with over 50 Platinum Partners distributed across the globe, it can be overwhelming. After visiting a few of the partner websites, you may be no closer to a decision.

Christian Lane, CEO of Praecipio Consulting, an Atlassian Platinum Partner, offers his thoughts on how to approach the partner selection process to ensure your project is delivered on time and within budget. 

He starts by sharing his recommended list of “must-haves.” In his opinion, any vendors not having these should be immediately disqualified. 

Look for relevant experience

To be approved as an Atlassian Partner, you must have smart people. All companies can easily add up the years experience among their people and come up with an impressive number. But that’s not the differentiator between firms. Don’t accept a general numerical answer. Dig deeper and ask for specific experience in your industry and what the scope of those projects were. 

Executive involvement

There is nothing more frustrating than dealing with a person that isn’t empowered to make decisions. You want top levels of management to be familiar with your project and understand its strategic value. This way they can apply their leadership and senior experience to add value. You want them to ask questions about workflow, reporting, integrations, and how it relates to the overall goal of the project.  

Rate of repeat business

As the saying goes, “The best predictor of future success is past behavior.”  Ask the vendor about their rate of return business. It’s perhaps the clearest indicator of a company's performance and customer satisfaction. Lane adds, “72% of our business last year was from repeat clients. Any competent firm should be able to tell you their number. If they don’t know it, that's a red flag in itself.” 

Percentage of revenue from change orders

Avoid the bait and switch. Managers want to deal in absolutes when it comes to money and time required to get the job done. You don’t want to fall in a trap of working with a vendor only to be told that your request wasn’t included in the original scope. For example, at Praecipio Consulting, we have a defined process to expose any and all needs of a project. By clearly defining the work from the start, you avoid missed expectations and expensive changes. For our team, this process starts with defining the problem in the sales process and includes engineers and other technical people. If there are any limitations or features to add for the solution, they contribute to the conversation. All parties move in lockstep, and a delivery commitment is made. The process has proven to work, as only 2% of our revenue last year came from change orders. Lastly, pay attention to how much value is delivered before the signed contract. 

Listed in the Atlassian Partner Directory

Only choose a partner from the official Atlassian Partner Directory. These companies have demonstrated their expertise and willingness to dedicate themselves to the software. They have to make an investment to be included, and their business model revolves around partner support. Using any other firm not vetted by Atlassian should be approached with extreme caution and is not recommended. 

Platinum Partners have the most experience and have been doing this type of work the longest. They have been recognized as the best and have inside knowledge about new products, features, and beta testing. For example, our leadership team members have participated in panels, councils, and have had an influence in building the software and program itself. 

What do they stand for? 

Commonly referred to as mission, vision, and values, look for what drives the vendor beyond earning revenue. Do they share your same morals and values? Besides words on a website, do they walk the walk on issues like social justice and environmentalism? Lane says he has seen more customers comment recently on their social injustice stance and Praecipio Consulting's commitment to the 1% pledge initiative. “We’ve always been socially aware and decided to build a company that leaves the world better than we found it. I’m proud of our ideals. As part of our hiring process, we want to make sure employees can get behind our causes and work toward the greater good. When clients recognize our efforts, it fuels our fire to want to do more.”  

Net Promoter Score

Ask vendors what their Net Promoter Score (NPS) is. NPS is a commonly accepted simple score of how likely customers are to refer you to their peers.

• 0-6 are detractors, meaning they will tell people to stay away from your firm and NOT hire you.
• 7-8 are passive promoters, meaning they will praise you when asked
• 9-10 are active promoters, meaning they will go out of their way to tell peers about your good work 

Praecipio Consulting holds a lifetime NPS score of 71 (for context, the industry benchmark for software and tech companies is 28). Our team is proud of this score because they put so much heart into every project and seeing their clients' delight with their work is the ultimate payoff. 

Lane adds that the less quantifiable metric is “Ease to do business with.” Entering an agreement to work with an Atlassian Partner is a big commitment in terms of time. Are they responsive and U.S. based? Are they flexible and adaptable? And do you enjoy working with them? There has to be good chemistry to get the best result. Lane concludes, “Business is hard enough as it is sometimes. Don’t spend your valuable time working with difficult people. Control all the variables you can and make the most informed partner choice you can.”

The employees of Praecipio Consulting were devastated by the news of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). To me, and to so many of us here, she was a role model and a major inspiration. I felt a deep and profound loss upon hearing the news. 

Many people don't know this about me, but the first time I remember somebody asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said a Supreme Court Justice. I was only in 1st grade. While I don't remember anybody telling me that was a silly dream, I do remember people saying, "you should be xx instead." It almost always had nothing to do with being smart – it just wasn't what little girls grew up to do. Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated to the court as its first female justice when I was three years old. She was the only woman to serve until RBG was nominated when I was 15. There have been 113 Supreme Court Justices in the history of the United States, yet only four have been women. In 2015, RBG was asked when will there be enough women on the bench, and she said, "When there are nine." 

Regardless of one's political position, RBG's presence on the Supreme Court left an undeniable legacy for women and men across the world. In her memory, we encourage you to read through her 'dissents' during her time on the Supreme Court. While these are highly technical writings, her ability to intellectually challenge the majority voice using the written word absolutely astounds me, making them very worth the read. You don't have to look very far into any of these documents to pick up on the level of intentionality and acuteness she brought to the highest court in the land. 

Image Source: Librado Romero for The New York Times

Many different organizations have pulled together lists of her achievements as well, from co-founding the ACLU Women's Rights Project to winning cases before the Supreme Court, long before becoming a Justice.

There are several ways to reflect upon and honor her legacy:

Learn more about what she fought for

Many resources are readily available to learn about RBG and her legacy – here are a few you can start with!

• Watch PBS's NewsHour Special on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's legacy and the court's future
• Watch RBG, the Award-winning documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Read The Atlantic's profile on RBG's legacy
• Check out this comprehensive reading list of books from the New York Public Library that celebrate her life and work 
  
  

Donate to organizations with the same values as RBG

• Donate to organizations that help with legal support, like the ACLU, National Women's Law Center, or the Center for Reproductive Rights* 
• Support organizations that provide reproductive healthcare for LGBTQ communities like The National Center for Transgender Equality or Medical Students for Choice 

Reach out to your senators and reps directly

Forget not that democracy is by and for the people. As constituents, there are several ways that we can provide feedback to our senators and representatives.

If you have feedback, here are some options for contacting your senators and representatives:

• This link provides the DC offices, phone number, and website for every senator
• This link is the local office phone numbers of every senator
• For your representative, you can find information here based on your zip code (Most use a contact form, some will provide an email address. The site will also list their physical offices in your district.)
  • TIP: Advice I received a long time ago — the switchboard operator is the least returned message.

It is worth noting that if you want to reach somebody who is not your senator or representative, you will likely not get a response back, as they are not obligated to respond if they don't represent you. If looking to put pressure on or to support these people, signing petitions can be a great way to show support through sheer volume.

Reading this post is only one small thing we can do to remember the legacy that Ruth Bader Ginsburg left. So while you're learning more about her life, don't forget that you too can be Notorious like RBG. 

*At the time of publishing, the Center for Reproductive Rights is currently matching donations in Justice Ginsburg's name.

At Praecipio Consulting, we are committed to our communities as we continue to fight back against the systemic racism and police brutality that has plagued this country for far too long. Like many of you, we are hurting as we try to process the tragic and senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Brayla Stone, and too many others. 

We believe that Black Lives Matter. Therefore, we are committed to educating ourselves, and listening to and amplifying Black voices.

It is troubling that, in the wealthiest country in the world, we’ve yet to fully realize our constitution's values of justice and equality. Yet, this is an old truth. Like many privileged Americans, we’ve struggled with finding a way to make an impact to help, support and participate in the movements that work tirelessly for justice and to reform the laws of systemic racism. We have problems. Black Americans and other historically marginalized groups continue to be oppressed. Black American men are profiled, incarcerated, and killed unjustifiably at astonishing rates; this is systemic – we need reform on so many fronts, now. COVID-19 is exacerbating the disproportionate load and stress on the marginalized; the gap between the haves and have-nots is expanding faster and wider than ever.

We believe that Praecipio Consulting has a responsibility to its employees and communities to uplift marginalized voices and groups. In doing so, we recognize the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, culture, nationality, immigration status, gender, sexuality, ability, age, and all social systems. We will work to bridge the equity gap and build communities that welcome and affirm people to be their whole selves, honoring unique identities and life experiences. 

As an immediate step, on June 2nd, we began matching employee donations and doubling Volunteer Time Off (VTO) toward relevant organizations and causes and created a Social Justice team. Today, we'd like to share with you our Social Justice team's plans.

Praecipio Consulting's Social Justice team's mission is to bring social, political, and economic awareness to the forefront by investing time and effort towards the education, advocacy, and required participation needed to enact invaluable change for marginalized groups in our society.

We are taking the following actions both internally and externally to make our mission a reality.

• Internal Education - pulling together colleagues to educate ourselves with a Social Justice Learning club that will include books and documentaries, holding Lunch & Learns focused on these topics, and building a resource library for our company.
• Community Engagement - identifying organizations in our communities with whom to partner and volunteer, aligning ourselves with actions and events addressing social injustice and change, and determining how we can be that change within our own circle of influence. We will seek opportunities in education, justice reform, environment, health care, and economic impact.
• Direct Support - invest our time, equity and profit through our commitment to Pledge 1% to organizations doing social justice work.

Transformative change comes from our collective voice and actions. We will continue to embrace and celebrate diversity. As a business with a large platform, we understand that we have a responsibility to do more in spreading the message of love over hate and doing our part in building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.

"Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. Why? Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet.”

- Representative John Lewis