Allyship is Key in a Successful Workplace
Allyship is Key in a Successful Workplace
AMA Series: The Key to a Successful Workplace? Allyship.
The DDI’s Diversity & Inclusion Report surveyed more than 15,000 and 2,000 HR executives which resulted in only 27% saying that they felt ‘inclusion’ is a strong pillar of culture and value within their organization. Similarly, only 22% of business leaders reported that they stepped up to the plate to challenge by recognizing and eliminating biases held within the company. The lack of inclusion has had a terrible impact, causing disproportionately high turnover rates among members of historically excluded groups.
There are plenty of training and articles discussing various forms of microaggressions, focusing on how one can intervene in the moment – an incredibly crucial component of allyship. To add to the method of intervening, there are a few other ways you can show support and solidarity with people who experience microaggression, systemic caused inequality and various other barriers to opportunity – one of which is through micro affirmation.
Contrary to microaggression, micro affirmations are small ways to affirm someone’s identity, provide recognition and validate their experience, build back their confidence, re-grow trust and foster a sense of belonging. These are all important elements in helping mitigate and disrupt the terribly awful and harmful narratives that have been spewed as part of historical oppression, political leverage, cultural marginalization, systemic inequality and individually held biases. And in all of this, the most important thing to have are – allies. Allies, that will stick by to provide these micro affirmations.
It’s important to have people that you can trust, people that would play the role of an ally. Everyone needs allies—in their personal life, as they move along their career path and at their place of work. And a small but massively significant point to note is that more than a friend or mentor, what the ally provides is a safe space, a common ground with coworkers, speaking out or taking action when discrimination occurs and supporting, advocating for, and championing others. An organization that fosters allyship can make significant strides toward achieving a diverse and inclusive culture where people of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, creeds, and sexual orientations can feel truly welcome and valued for their contributions. Unfortunately, not every workplace provides formal allyship training.
If you have been thinking of becoming an ally at the workplace, but you’re not quite sure where and how to start, this is what the blog post aims to do. The first and foremost suggestion would be to educate yourself to better understand how to find common ground with people who do not look or sound like you, and who might also think, behave, dress, worship, or love in ways that are different from you. To truly open your mind to learning about diverse coworkers, you must be prepared to acknowledge your own biases—and then work to overcome those ingrained assumptions by changing your perspective and habits of talking about people.
1. Assess the situation.
2. Evaluate your position.
3. Act .
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