Despite many efforts to develop DEI strategies and roadmaps in companies and organisations, inequality in the workplace is still rampant with the 2022 World Economic Forum Report stating that it will take us 132 years to achieve gender parity. One roadblock on this path towards progress could be the fact that many individuals underestimate their own power when it comes to creating real change.
Our DEI Palette Club recently organised a panel discussion on how to be an authentic ally with Magda Stega, Kimberly Johnson, and Rana Oszeker. During the discussion, many insightful tips were shared on what it means to be an authentic ally, how people can avoid performative allyship, what concrete steps people can take to be an authentic ally, and how authentic allyship can benefit the organisation. Inspired by our discussion, I put together an authentic allyship checklist to help you assess your own authenticity as an ally.
Rana pointed out the importance of your intentions when being an ally. It’s good to regularly ask yourself whether you are speaking up or posting on LinkedIn for your own benefit and exposure or because you genuinely want to amplify the voices of the marginalised group(s) you are supporting.
According to an article by Carmen Morris published in Forbes, performative allyship, which has become the order of the day, stifles progress and suppresses attempts to foster genuine solidarity. Used to distance oneself from potential scrutiny, performative allyship actually maintains the status quo despite its promise to enact cultural change.
The values of trust and safety were brought up by Magda as important considerations for allies. Being an ally could also mean providing a safe space for someone to either just be or share what is in their minds and hearts. This could take some time to cultivate as trust needs to be earned but your words and actions are what cultivates this safe space for others.
For more information on creating safe spaces, it would be worth reading Julie Bailey's article on how to be a safe space for someone published by Centerstone. For leaders, it would be helpful to read Anouare Adbou's article published on Hive on how to create a safe space for your team as well as Brigitt Altwegg's article on creating a safe space published by the Initiative of Change Switzerland.
Because of the diversity of marginalised groups, authentic allyship demands constant learning about both yourself and the other. It requires a lot of self-reflection, honesty, and humility as well as research to find more effective ways to think and act as an ally. In case you don’t know where to start, we outlined eight great books on diversity and inclusion to help you out. By constantly learning, listening, and asking questions with compassion, we expand our knowledge and become more active and effective allies.
Because engaging in allyship demands constant learning, it is important to diversify your sources of information. For example, take a look at your social media accounts. Who are you following? Is it an echo chamber of people who look and sound just like you? Is one specific issue being overrepresented in your social media feed? Are there other issues or other creators you could be seeking out?
Ultimately, we also need to remember that there is no such thing as a perfect ally. Because allyship is a constant journey, we will make mistakes. The important part is to learn and grow from them. For tips to assess your blind spots, it would be worth reading our blog on how to overcome unconscious bias in the workplace.
Those who are active allies do not just empathise but act on their empathy. As Kimberly Johnson said in our panel discussion, active allies see the struggles and fights of others as their own struggles and fights. Active allies support others when they flag an issue instead of playing down the situation or reducing the significance of their emotions or reactions to certain situations.
For more actionable ideas on how to be an authentic ally, it would be worth it to read our blog on how to be an authentic ally to women at work and how to be a powerful ally.
Authentic allies understand that their commitment to allyship sometimes comes at a sacrifice. As an active ally, they are willing to put their head above the parapet and support someone else who might not be getting the support from other people in the room even though it might cost them something or lead to some sort of conflict or confrontation. Being silent often, if not always, translates to being okay with the status quo. As an authentic ally, it is important to speak up and be comfortable being uncomfortable.
You can watch the event recording if you’d like to see the whole discussion! Would you like to receive invitations to events like this one? Join the Femme Palette community and we’ll keep you posted on what’s happening!
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