The Women in the Workplace 2021 Report finds there is a disconnect between what white employees see ... [+]
Despite an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion within companies, the research shows that the experiences of women of color have not improved in the last few years, and they’re more likely to experience microaggressions than white women. One barrier on the path towards progress may be that individual employees are underestimating their own power when it comes to creating real culture change.
“Changing the day-to-day experiences of people in the workplace means you have to change the culture. If you're going to change the culture, that means you need all employees at every level to activate and to be part of the solution,” says Rachel Thomas, co-founder & CEO of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org. “You can have all the right policies and programs in place, but if individual employees don’t understand what true allyship looks like, they may inadvertently end up being part of the problem.”
This may be because workers may not know the action steps to take or which actions will have the biggest impact. For example, The Women in the Workplace 2021 Report finds there is a disconnect between what white employees see as important allyship steps and what women of color say makes the biggest difference. “There's this gap between intent and action,” says Thomas. “We believe people by and large have good intentions and that change is possible, but employees don't know what to do. So we built a program to bridge that gap and offer tangible tools for people to practice impactful allyship at work.”
While the onus to create systemic change inside organizations doesn’t fall solely on individuals, organizations and systems are made up of people. Therefore, activating individuals collectively to build belonging in the workplace can have a big impact.
LeanIn.org piloted their new Allyship at Work program, designed for virtual or dispersed teams, at companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club, NBA, WeWork, Samsung, Sony Music Group, and Adidas Latin America. “Practicing active allyship is an ongoing commitment, as is our continued work at shaping our inclusive workplace,” says Tiffany R. Warren, EVP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Sony Music Group. “This Allyship at Work pilot program helped many of our employees learn more ways to best show up as allies for one another.” The program includes a four-hour workshop that introduces participants to the practice of allyship, and three small group follow-up discussions to provide participants with support as they put what they’ve learned into action.
“Allyship is an action, a verb, and there will be a lot of trial and error to really learn how to be an effective ally,” says Thomas. “We created the Allyship at Work program to equip employees to use their privilege and power to support and advocate for people with less privilege to drive change within organizations. Many people don’t realize the power they have to create change and show up as an ally.”
Here are some steps leaders of all levels can take to show up at allies at work and drive positive change within their organizations.
Educate Yourself
Learning, and in some cases, unlearning, is an essential first step in allyship. Read books on the history of systemic inequality, immerse yourself in stories of people who have different backgrounds and experiences than yourself, and actively work to diversify your networks. Allyship shouldn’t end with increasing your knowledge, but it is an important place to start.
Resist Assuming What Others Need
What one person needs in terms of allyship may look different from another, so asking what one needs is an important step.
Thomas shared an example from her own work life where one colleague was referring to an open non-binary colleague who goes by the pronoun ‘they’ as ‘she.’ “Instead of assuming I had the solution or that they wanted me to speak up on their behalf, I said to them, ‘Hey, I saw there was a mix up in pronouns that probably doesn't feel good to you. Is there anything I can do, or do you want to think about it?’ They came back after a couple days and said, ‘You know what, thank you very much for asking. I felt seen because you noticed, and actually I've decided I would like you to do nothing.’ What’s so interesting about that is, left to my own devices, that is not what I would have done—I probably would have corrected the person who misused the pronouns. It turns out in this instance, that action may not have been the best thing to do.”
Practice The Art Of Listening
Allyship is about being conscious and intentional, and that means learning to truly listen to others. Though another’s experience may be different from your own, listening is a pathway to greater empathy.
“The onus should not be on the affected community to tell me what to do to help, but for me as an ally to discover by listening, understanding and, most importantly, empathizing, how I can help,” says Jeanine Dooley, head of inclusion & diversity for Diageo North America. “It is not an act of allyship to simply say, ‘Tell me what I can do and I will do that thing.’ Authentic allyship starts with listening and empathizing. In the context of allyship, it is not enough, as allies, to identify ourselves as ‘not racist,’ for example. To effectively defeat systemic racism — racism embedded as normal practice in institutions like education, law enforcement, and even corporate America — you've got to be continually working towards equality for all races, striving to undo racism in your mind, your personal environment, and the wider world.”
Don’t Put People Into Boxes
Humans are multifaceted and each one of us has a distinct set of experiences that makes us who we are. Understanding this is important for effective allyship, and can have a big impact on company culture.
“We are our own person and we do not identify simply as any one thing,” says Dooley. “We are gay. We are non-binary. We are veterans. We are female. We are differently abled. We are on the autism spectrum. We are millennial. We are first-generation Americans. Allyship creates an opportunity for us to share our experiences and identity with each other, so we feel connected to the broader whole and that we belong. That sense of belonging impacts not only the mood and temperament of the individual employee, but it shapes the company culture and, as many studies have shown, work output and professional performance as well. When employees feel like they can bring their whole selves to an organization, they are more likely to contribute to making the company better and positively influence the atmosphere and engagement of other team members.”
Recognize That Privilege Is Power
The use of the word “privilege” can sometimes be polarizing, but it is essential to recognize the privileges you have in order to show up as an ally for others. Privilege does not mean that you haven’t worked hard to get where you are, or that you have not faced hardships in your own life. Every single one of us has some form of privilege, such as being able-bodied or college-educated or neurotypical. Some people’s privileges add up to be greater than others, and allyship is about using the privileges we do have to advocate for those who don’t have those same advantages.
“Privilege is all of the invisible benefits you have as you move throughout the world,” says Thomas. “I often think of it like headwinds and tailwinds: The more privileges you have, the more tailwinds you have to push you forward and make things easier for you to navigate the world. Having less privileges is like heavy headwinds coming at you—everything is just harder and takes more effort.”
Privilege is usually invisible to those who have it unless they are working to become actively aware. “Privilege is never seen in the same light by the one enjoying it, and the one who is affected by its absence. It is a natural divider among communities,” says Dooley. “For an allyship program to be successful, it must be acknowledged; it must be admitted into the conversation. Addressing it head on creates authenticity and honesty. Only from there can candid, open conversation bring allyship to life.”
Don’t Let Fear Of Saying The Wrong Thing Keep You From Trying
Many people, especially people in the majority group, may be so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing that they do nothing at all. But inaction and silence is harmful too. Give yourself, and each other, some grace for making missteps. Learning is a journey, and you have to be willing to learn from mistakes—which people will inevitably make, because we are human—and keep trying. It is up to each and every one of us to use the advantages we have been given to try to show up, to speak up, and to be part of the change.
It can be everyday things that impact employees’ daily experience. For example, if you’re running meetings and notice that two or three people get 80% of the talk time, you might try creating boundaries by asking a question and setting a timer to allow each person equal time to speak. This allows space for more people to be heard and offers a greater diversity of thought.
“In my own personal journey, the more you ask and try—even when you get it wrong—the more comfortable you get with the practice of allyship,” says Thomas. “Getting in the game and showing up as an ally in and of itself is really valuable, and you will get better as you do it.”
