Inclusion Moment: Philip Heathcote, UCL & UK Rail Advisory Ltd
Driving productivity: Smarter, faster and more efficient major projects
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Today I’m going to talk about microaggressions – what they are, why they matter, and how they can impact significantly on morale in a project team environment.
My inspiration was starting my PhD and attending some of the induction courses at UCL. There was a topic called Microaggression. I have to put my hands up – I’d never thought about it. Never even considered it.
It struck a chord with me, as a child of the 1970s and 1980s whose humour is firmly rooted in the comedy and TV of that era. It made me think that, perhaps, I ought to just think a little bit more carefully about what I say and what I do.
Equally, I reflected on whether or not I was simply being a little bit ‘woke’ – was this political correctness going mad? I came to the conclusion that, actually, it’s not. It’s just about common decency and respecting others.
What is a microaggression?
Microaggression is a negative behaviour, remark or phraseology against some person or some group that we perceive as being ‘different’. Often, those comments and behaviours are unintended – they’re said without malice. Taken individually, they’re not dramatic – but they do send a message about who is valued and who isn’t valued, on a subconscious level. I think of them as tiny little cuts. Individually they’re not dramatic but, over time, they take quite a toll for the person on the receiving end.
Here are a couple of examples of microaggressions I happen to have witnessed in recent months.
Firstly, I attended a meeting where it was assumed that the woman present was there to take our coffee orders. Actually, she was the most senior person in the room – the project director. But the perception among certain attendees was the opposite.
And the other thing I witnessed at the seminar was that the Chair took questions predominantly from men, ignoring the voices of the women in the audience.
Just two examples of behaviour that’s reinforcing the value of one group versus another group; a few more are shown on the illustration below.
Now, I’m not a poster boy for good behaviour in this area. It’s something I have to work on, reflect on, and learn about myself – increasing awareness of what I do and what I say.
What to do about microagression?
What do I do if it occurs?
1) I pause and reflect on what I’ve said, and how it played out for the other person.
2) I put my hands up. Sometimes that’s a bit tricky, but it’s about owning it.
3) I then try to reframe whatever I said or did, in a more appropriate way.
Those are 3 simple steps that any of us can do. For me, it’s very much about reflecting on what I would have said and done historically that just wasn’t quite right.
What if you see microaggression from somebody else?
To be honest, there’s no single right way of handling it. But be solution focused – think about what you want to try and achieve.
Challenging somebody – particularly when it’s a behaviour that’s unintentional and wasn’t malicious – is quite daunting. But we have to call it out. To get the culture that we all desire – an all-inclusive culture – we must call it out. But be sensitive when you explain to someone why their actions could be perceived as inappropriate or unacceptable to the person on the receiving end. Use tact and diplomacy – don’t get into a disagreement. This is all about collective learning and collective growth.
Finally, check in with the person who’s been impacted – just make sure they’re okay.
Why does this matter in a project environment?
I think it leads to happier employees, happier staff. And, in keeping with today’s theme, having happier staff leads to higher productivity. It also helps us with staff retention and recruitment – particularly in the world we’re all operating in, where it’s really difficult to recruit and then retain the talent we need to grow and to improve.
I’m working in a business at the moment where the demographic is late 20s to early 30s, and this really matters to that cohort – so it’s particularly important for those earlier on in their careers.
Finally, I think this creates greater employee satisfaction, which we’re all striving for. It creates an environment where people can contribute and make a difference, and everyone’s voice is heard. This has to give us better project outcomes by definition.
My final thought on the topic of microaggressions is that inclusion isn’t built on grand gestures – it’s not built on a big bang event. It’s built on doing things every day a little bit better, and building everyday improvement into the environment and culture we’re creating.
For me, it’s opened my eyes about my behaviour and some of the language I use. It’s really made me realise that this does matter – it’s not being woke, it’s simply being courteous and respecting others.
About the presenter
Philip Heathcote, PhD Candidate, UCL & Associate, UK Rail Advisory Ltd
Philip Heathcote has 35 years of industry experience across business development, procurement and project management.
He currently splits his time between providing clients with strategy, commercial and contractual advisory work, and conducting PhD research at the University College of London’s (UCL) Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, focusing on project business development.
Philip is also a member of UCL’s Centre for Construction Project Organising (CCPO), which generates insightful scientific research and practical guidance on the organisation and management of construction projects.