In this excellent Harvard Business Review article, Tsedale M Melaku, Angie Beeman, David G Smith and W Brad Johnson describe how we can all be better allies.
What is an ally?
An ally is someone who is a collaborator, accomplice and co-conspirator, fighting injustice and promoting equity in the workplace through supportive personal relationships and public acts of sponsorship and advocacy.
Allies endeavour to drive systemic improvements to workplace policies, practices and culture.
Allyship starts with individual leaders taking responsibility for their own attitudes and behaviour. The authors provide 9 recommendations on how to do this.
Nine recommendations to be a better ally
- Educate yourself.
An ally takes time to read, listen, watch and deepen their understanding. Educating yourself does not mean asking people from marginalised groups to educate you. Do your own homework first.
2. Own your privilege.
An ally recognises the opportunities, resources and power automatically accorded to them. Owning our privilege can be difficult as it means admitting we haven’t entirely earned our success – even when we have worked hard.
3. Accept feedback.
Deliberately seek feedback from marginalised groups, but recognise the power dynamics at play. Psychological safety and trust is critical to enable those who potentially have less power than you to provide honest feedback. When you do receive honest feedback, be sure to respond to appropriately and with openness, recognising where there is still work to do.
4. Become a confidant.
Make yourself available, listen generously and try to empathise with and validate marginalised colleagues experiences.
5. Bring diversity to the table.
One marginalised individual in a meeting room does not equate to diversity. Invite more colleagues from marginalised groups to meetings and decision-making. Ask ‘whose perspective are we missing?’ Allies learn to step out of the spotlight, diverting it to marginalised colleagues.
6. See something, say something.
If you see racist or sexist behaviour, don’t wait for the marginalised people to react. Demonstrate your support in the moment. This includes intervening even when there are no marginalised colleagues in the room.
7. Sponsor marginalised coworkers.
This includes highlighting their strengths and achievements whenever new projects, stretch assignments or promotions are discussed. Nominate on the basis of potential.
8. Insist on diverse candidates.
Insist on a diverse talent pool when recruiting . This means more than one marginalised candidate.
9. Build a community of allies.
If you are a senior leader, use your position of power to push for organisational change.
You can read the full article, which expands on all of these points in much more detail here.
Inclusive leaders are allies
To find out how we can support your organisation in developing inclusive leader capability, including developing good allies, contact us at enquiries@inclusiveleadershipcompany.com
