1.1 Allyship

Allyship is essential in creating inclusion in the workplace. Watch this short film, to hear a useful introduction.

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Transcript: Video 2: 5 Tips For Being An Ally

FRANCHESCA RAMSEY

Hey, friends. So I'm trying something different with my setup. And I don't know if it's working, but you will deal. [LAUGHS]

Imagine your friend is building a house and they ask you to help. But you've never built a house before. So it'd probably be a good idea for you to put on some protective gear and listen to the person in charge. Otherwise, someone's going to get seriously hurt.

Look, I'm helping.

It's the exact same idea when it comes to being an ally. An ally is a person that wants to fight for the equality of a marginalised group that they're not a part of. We need your help building this house, but you probably should listen so you know what to do first.

Let's do this.

So here are my five tips for being a good ally. Understand your privilege. Now, a lot of people get hung up on the word privilege. So let me break it down for you nice and easy. Privilege does not mean that you are rich, that you've had an easy life, that everything's been handed to you, and you've never had to struggle or work hard.

All it means is that there are some things in life that you will not experience or ever have to think about just because of who you are. It's kind of like those horses that have those blinders on. They can see just fine. There's just a whole bunch of stuff on the side that they don't even know exists.

So for example, there are currently 29 states where you can legally be fired for being gay. And there are 34 states where you can legally be fired for being trans. Now, as a straight cis woman, those are things that I don't have to ever think about if I don't want to.

I'm not going to be fired because I'm straight and I'm not going to be fired because I am cis. So it makes sense that before I can fight for the rights of others, I have to understand what rights I have and others don't. That's privilege.

Listen and do your homework. It sounds like a no brainer. But it's not possible for you to learn if you aren't willing to listen. So you've got to know when to zip the lip. I don't know. You get what I mean.

But that's the thing that's so cool about social media. There are so many people sharing their stories all around the world and connecting with people that they normally would never get a chance to without the power of the internet. So do your homework. Start reading blogs, tweets, news articles, and stories so that you can get caught up on the issues that are important to the communities that you want to support.

Speak up but not over. If the fight for equality was a girl group, the ally wouldn't be the lead singer or the second lead singer. They'd be Michelle. And ally's job is to support. You want to make sure that you use your privilege and your voice to educate others.

But make sure to do it in such a way that does not speak over the community members that you're trying to support or take credit for things that they are already saying. This isn't Mario Kart. Stay in your lane.

Realise that you're going to make mistakes, and apologise when you do. Nobody's perfect. Unlearning problematic things takes time and work, so you are bound to mess up and trip and fall. But don't worry. You can brush yourself off and get right back up. I'm back up.

Just remember that it's not about your intent. It's about your impact. So when you get called out, make sure to listen, apologise, commit to changing your behavior, and move forward.

Last but certainly not least, actually the most important thing on this list, is remember that ally is a verb. Saying you're an ally is not enough. You've got to do the work, 1 through 4, 1 through 4.

As always, there are links in the video description box, some of the things I mentioned in this video, along with some resources that have been really helpful for me as I've gone along in my journey to be more conscious. So I want to hear from you, in the comments, what are some sites that you suggest checking out and what are some things that have helped you become a better ally.

Let me know in the comments below. Don't forget to subscribe. And I'll see you when I see you. Bye.

End transcript: Video 2: 5 Tips For Being An Ally

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Becoming a good ally is not a quick change, and it requires a consistent approach. Atcheson (2021) describes allyship as:

• a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalised individuals and/or groups of people
• not self-defined—work and efforts must be recognised by those you are seeking to ally with
• an opportunity to grow and learn about ourselves, whilst building confidence in others.

On a personal level, there are many ways you can become a better ally. In their article, Melaku et al (2020) focus on gender and race related advice for white men in the US, but they ‘believe it can be used by members of any privileged group who want to create inclusive organisations’:

• Educate yourself – take the time to read, listen, watch and deepen understanding. Recognise that members of an underrepresented group won’t all have the same experiences.
• Own your privilege – acknowledge the advantages, opportunities and resources you have automatically been given, while others have been overtly or subtly denied them.
• Accept feedback – establish trust with, and seek feedback from, people from marginalised groups. Be thoughtful and sincere, using responses such as ‘I recognise I have work to do’, or ‘how can I make this right?’
• Become a confidant – let people know they can confide in you and make yourself available. Listen generously and try to empathise with and validate their experiences.
• Bring diversity to the table – invite colleagues from marginalised groups to meetings. Ask them specific questions, encourage them to lead the meeting or to represent you at an event.
• See something, say something – monitor your workplace for inappropriate comments and behaviour, and be clear and decisive in shutting them down. Frame any confrontation as a learning or growth opportunity for the person and the team.
• Sponsor marginalised co-workers – get to know their strengths and weaknesses, help them to develop and put their names forward whenever new projects, stretch opportunities or promotions are discussed. Introduce them to key players in your own professional networks.
• Insist on diverse candidates – strengthen your own recruitment processes (using some of the ideas you learned from Week 6).
• Build a community of allies – look for like-minded people within your organisation and boost your impact by forming groups interested in fighting inequality.

You may find it useful to watch this short video from Lean In, which categorises allyship actions into three groups – individual, interpersonal and structural.