SAE Cover

Second edition of the bestselling book on microaggressions

Subtle Acts of Exclusion

How to Understand, Identify,
and Stop Microaggressions

A practical, accessible, nonjudgmental handbook to help individuals and organizations recognize and prevent microaggressions in the workplace.

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An award winning practical guide for today's workplace

Our workplaces are growing more diverse, but are we supporting inclusive cultures?

While overt racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination are relatively easy to spot, we cannot neglect the subtler everyday actions that normalize exclusion in our workplaces. Many have heard the term microaggression, but not everyone fully understands what microaggressions are or how to recognize them and stop them from happening.

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In this book, Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran offer a clearer, more accessible term, subtle acts of exclusion, or SAE, to emphasize the purpose and effect of microaggressions. Whether in the form of exaggerated stereotypes, backhanded compliments, unfounded assumptions, or objectification, SAE are insidious and damaging to our coworkers and colleagues. Dr. Jana and Dr. Baran give simple and clear tools to identify and address such acts, even offering scripts for helpful ways to approach discussions of difficult, uncomfortable, and deeply personal topics in a professional setting.

For more resources on addressing SAE, check out these online programs from the authors.

About the Authors

Dr. Tiffany Jana

Dr. Tiffany Jana

Dr. Tiffany Jana (Doc Jana) is the CEO of Loom The Culture Map, Inc., and is a highly respected and influential diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant, speaker, and author. As a nonbinary person, they are a trailblazer in the DEI field, advocating for the rights and inclusion of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity, race, sexuality, or other identities.

Dr. Jana's expertise in DEI is extensive, having worked with a wide range of organizations to create more inclusive workplaces and communities. They are known for their intersectional approach, which recognizes and addresses the ways in which different forms of oppression intersect, ensuring that their work is inclusive of all individuals and communities.

Dr. Jana has written several groundbreaking books on DEI, including Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences, Erasing Institutional Bias, and Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions. They are also a highly sought-after speaker, having given keynote addresses and presentations at conferences and events on six continents.

Dr. Jana has received numerous awards and honors, including being named one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc. Magazine, one of the Most Influential People in Business by Virginia Business Magazine, and the highest honor in the B Corp community - the Hal Taussig Award. They also led TMI Consulting, Inc., the world’s first diversity focused, award-winning B Corp for 20 years. They continue to be a powerful force for change, inspiring others to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces and communities.

Dr. Michael Baran

Dr. Michael Baran is a social scientist and CEO of Iris Inclusion, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion firm focused on evidence-based, highly engaging experiences and consulting. Dr. Baran draws on his own research in cultural anthropology and cognitive psychology to inform his current DEI work–his speaking engagements, writings, consulting, leadership development, workshop facilitation, and digital products. He has been supporting the DEI efforts of organizations of all types and sizes for 20 years – from Fortune 500 corporations to educational institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits. His work and his digital products have been covered in the New York Times, BBC, Forbes, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, Boston Globe, Slate, and more.

Prior to his starting Iris Inclusion, Dr. Baran worked as a Senior Partner at inQUEST Consulting. Before making the shift to full-time DEI work, he taught courses at Harvard University and the University of Michigan. He has worked as Associate Director at the FrameWorks Institute and Principal Researcher at the American Institutes of Research.

Dr. Baran received his B.A. from Emory University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Michael Baran