In the diverse and dynamic workplace of today, the importance of developing a culture based in inclusivity, equitability, and empathic support is now more important than ever before.
I've written many blogs discussing these concepts individually, and for a good reason -- they're important, and their importance cannot be reduced down to anything less than my full focus. And despite how weighty each concept can be, I want reassure you that they can be captured under the broader DEIB concept I want to introduce today: allyship.
Allyship in the workplace is where all other critical systems such as those I've written about in my DEIB series begin. It is foundational to the mindset of a leader that prioritizes recognizing their positional power and making a conscious choice to effect change in their own workplace community.
Allyship goes beyond mere tolerance or support—it involves actively advocating for and standing with marginalized groups to create a culture where everyone feels valued and respected.
In today's blog post, I'm going to walk you through the many ways allyship can institute change, develop a positive workplace environment, the different types of allyship, and how you can incorporate allyship into your organizations.
What is Allyship in the Workplace?
Allyship in the workplace isn't just a buzzword: it's a mindset, philosophy, and commitment that leaders make a concerted effort to practice in their day-to-day operations. It refers to the practice of recognizing one's position, privilege, or influence and choosing to use them to advocate for the marginalized or underrepresented.
Allyship involves recognition, specifically recognizing how others may face certain inequalities and challenges that we may not have personal experience with. From there, leaders take a proactive stance to address these challenges, fostering an inclusive culture where all employees have the chance to succeed in the company, and thrive in a team dynamic.
Importantly, you don't have to be absurdly wealthy, privileged, or successful to be an ally to others. Allyship is a foundational building block for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, where anyone can be an ally, regardless of their background or privilege. It can take many forms, including mentoring, building strategic partnerships, and advocating for the interests of marginalized groups from a leadership perspective.
The various tenets of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives share a foundation of allyship, where the commitment to being an ally enables leaders to address inequities in their organizations and find where DEIB work needs to be done.
Types of Allyship in the Workplace
Allyship can take many different forms, and depending on your unique community, some may be more appropriate or useful than others. I also want to caution that not all acts of allyship are net positive, especially if it does not come from a genuine place. But I introduce all types of allyship to start the conversation, and hopefully you will recognize why true allyship needs to be based on an authentic sense of responsibility for the underserved or marginalized.
Different types of allyship can include:
- Intersectional allyship: A type of allyship that involves acknowledging that everyone -- including ourselves -- has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression.
The intersectionality aspect refers to the idea that while our experiences differ, the feeling of oppression is shared, and we use that to develop empathy for all allies.
- Performative allyship: A negative form of allyship when a person takes steps to profess support for a marginalized group for personal gain.
To say someone is engaging in "performative allyship" means that their reasons for being an ally are not genuine; they could be virtue signaling, attention-seeking, or simply complying with DEIB protocols without understanding or appreciating their impacts. - Upstander allyship: A passionate form of allyship that involves speaking up when witnessing unfair behavior and supporting those who have been affected.
It is the most direct form of allyship where the ally takes immediate action to call out and correct unfair behavior. - Confidant allyship: A more personal allyship that involves creating a safe space for people to express their fears, frustrations, and needs.
It could be lending an ear to a close friend as they share their experiences of discrimination, or volunteering to hold a weekly seminar at your work on different DEIB topics.
The Role of Senior Leaders in Allyship
Senior leaders play a crucial role in fostering allyship within their organizations, and the ways in which they choose to do so can range widely.
Leaders are often juggling an array of duties, but allies commit to paying attention to the struggles of their marginalized peers, and takes steps to become a better ally each day.
Leaders can create a company environment where allyship is encouraged and valued through various strategies, including leading by example, training, maintaining open dialogue, rewarding allyship, and incorporating allyship into their organization's policies and procedures.
1. Leading by example
Leaders should model the behavior they wish to see in others, and make a small action every day that expresses this concept. A leader is an example for others to follow, and effective leaders can serve a powerful example for allyship for the rest of the organization.
Strategies:
- Publicly support marginalized groups in your company: Use your platform to speak out on issues affecting marginalized communities, both within and outside of your immediate view.
Show solidarity in company communications, meetings, and public forums, and display a willingness to engage in difficult conversations if need be. - Address bias and discrimination: Take swift and decisive action when bias or discrimination occurs in the workplace, which may include ongoing action such as frequent check-ins, or consulting with your chief diversity officers.
Ensure that all employees understand that such behavior is unacceptable, and communicate how seriously you take inequitable behavior coming from your colleagues or employees.
2. Provide allyship training and resources
Educating employees about allyship and how to practice it is essential for fostering a culture of inclusivity, and is pivotal to making allyship a core value of your operations. Provide training and resources that help employees understand the importance of allyship, how to communicate when they or someone they work with may feel excluded, and how they can be effective allies.
Strategies:
- Allyship workshops: Invite employees to workshops and training sessions that cover topics like racial equity, unconscious bias, microaggressions, and how to be strong allies.
- Resource groups: Create employee resource groups (ERGs) that provide support and advocacy for marginalized communities within the company, and consult with them frequently on progress.
3. Encourage open dialogue and feedback
Inclusion and diversity programs can only succeed if they commit to learning more about what it means to be an effective ally, and correct possibly problematic systems. Leaders must learn from their mistakes and not give up trying to do what’s right. Create opportunities for constructive criticism and open dialogue about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) within the organization, preferably designed by a designated employee such as senior human resources or a specialized innovation officer.
Encourage employees to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improvement in a safe space.
Strategies:
- Host listening sessions: Regularly hold company listening sessions where employees can share their experiences, and provide feedback on the company’s DEIB progress or systems.
Encourage employees from all sectors to attend when they can, as listening sessions are particularly effective of such employees participate as allies with their peers. - Anonymous feedback channels: Even with a reassurance that all feedback will be anonymous, some team members may still feel hesitant to speak openly if they fear identification.
Provide anonymous channels for employees to report concerns or suggest ways to improve allyship and inclusivity within the organization, ideally with a system that does not identify which team members submitted their report.
4. Recognize and reward allyship
Positive behaviors are typically reinforced with rewards and praise, and ally behavior is no different. Recognizing and rewarding allyship helps reinforce its importance within the organization, and gives a tangible appreciation towards your team for taking the time to do the hard work. Acknowledge the efforts of employees who go above and beyond to support marginalized groups, or who have a track record of helping advocate on behalf of underserved team members.
Strategies:
- Allyship awards: Implement an annual award or recognition program that highlights allyship efforts by individual employees in your company.
- Celebrate success stories: Share stories of allyship within the company in your organization's preferred form of communication, such as newsletters or weekly check-ins. Highlight how these actions have made a positive impact on inclusion and diversity efforts.
5. Incorporate allyship into company policies
Company's thrive when they make innovation the cornerstone of their core values, and allyship is one of the most powerful avenues for fostering that innovation. Ensure that allyship is embedded in the company’s policies and practices to uplift the diverse innovators throughout your workforce. This can include everything from hiring practices to performance evaluations and beyond.
Strategies:
- Inclusive hiring practices: Implement hiring practices that promote diversity and prevent bias, such as including diversity and inclusion goals in your recruitment materials, or highlighting your group's track record of diverse hiring practices and support systems for current employees.
- DEI metrics in performance reviews: Include DEIB goals and allyship behaviors as part of employee performance evaluations, especially if the role involves hiring and/or employee relations.
Conclusion
Allyship is a vital component of a workplace where every team member comes to the office, signs on to the meeting, and knows that they will be valued, respected, and supported. By choosing to become an allyship-minded leader, we institute change throughout our teams and give back to the community we worked so hard to build.
Understanding the different types of allyship and actively incorporating it into your organization can seem daunting, but the benefits to your team are worth more than their weight in gold. Allyship fosters a culture of inclusivity that benefits both employees and the company as a whole.
The working world is more diverse than ever before, and it is our responsibility as leaders to lift up the success stories of tomorrow, no matter what kind of background they may hail from.
I trust that you are up to the challenge.
