Devan Naidoo has more than 25 years experience in the public and private sectors as an innovative leader in the development of the sub-Saharan region in Africa. He has served on the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce, has been a member of the past President Mbeki’s International Advisory Committee. He is a patron of VillageReach in Mozambique and Africa Aid, an empowering poverty-alleviation program.

He has an interest in diverse industries including hospitality, medicine, mining and engineering. He has used  his vast experience to build an entertaining session, littered with interesting and amusing anecdotes, that addresses the subtle but powerful things we do in our everyday interactions, but are mostly unconscious of.

Mr Naidoo graduated with an IMM Marketing Degree from Intec College and a Masters in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University.

Once an organization has addressed the issue of diversity and established a solid base of understanding, where does it go next? What steps should it take to get to the next level of a truly inclusive workplace?

Devan’s address focuses on the small, sometimes unspoken messages we constantly send and receive that have a powerful impact in our interactions with others.

Negative micro-messages have been referred to an invisible force that goads the high turnover of women and people of colour that so many corporations struggle to analyse and explain.

Devan’s topic is fresh and thought-provoking and something leaders in organizations will recognize and be able to act on with little fuss. He brings entertaining examples from his experiences in corporate which make for an interesting and engaging talk.

He has taken his lead from research conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in understanding the effect of micro-messages and its impact on individuals. Micro-messages, when added up may lead to micro-inequities – a cumulative pattern of subtle, semi-conscious, devaluing messages, which discourage and impair performance.

A subject relevant to post –apartheid South Africa – the ‘elephant in the room’ that people prefer to ignore.

Micro-messages can affect things such as employee productivity, morale, absenteeism and turnover - all critical to the success of the business. Negative micro-messages can cause employees to complain, withdraw, question their own abilities – whereas positive micro-messages can encourage employees to excel, commit to the company and feel motivated….Clearly, there’s a compelling business case for effective micro-messaging.

Managers and Leaders who are the voice of the company will add this learning to their skills when communicating with their peers and staff.

The speech explores the impact of micro-messages on individuals, team dynamics and organisational culture. It creates an understanding of how these subconscious messages can lead to large barriers that erode performance and also explores ways to prevent them.

Some common examples of micro-messages in everyday interactions include a wink of understanding from across the table, a distracted glance at the ceiling or your watch while someone is speaking.

In a 10 minute conversation 2 people will send each other an average of between 40 to 100 micro-messages.

Micro-inequities can occur when a manager or colleague communicates different messages to people, usually linked to a difference between them such as race, gender, age, sexual orientation or level.

Audience will learn how to become aware and deal with micro-inequities. Strategies in preventing micro-messages are addressed, for both the sender and receiver.

Understand the impact of micro-messages on individuals, team dynamics, and organisational culture.

It has become imperative for companies to focus on these small but impactful messages in order to attract and retain a more diverse workforce. The power of micro-messages is even larger when you consider the impact on business partners and clients.