Becoming an ally
“You have to be willing to lose something—it doesn’t have to be losing your life, losing your house, or losing your job — but being willing to risk something”
7 characteristics of a great workplace ally
A great ally is conscious of their privilege or influence and uses it to lift other’s voices. This can take many forms in the workplace like recommending a colleague for an internal job opening or stretch project. A manager, for example, can help their direct report grow their career within a company by helping them gain experience and learn new skills, as well as by being their voice to senior leadership.
Advocate for others
Allies don’t just talk the talk; they take action to make the workplace and the world a better place. Whether they overhear a microaggression or notice a colleague using the wrong pronouns to refer to someone, they will speak up to address injustice and ensure that type of behaviour, even if unintentional, is not tolerated in the workplace.
Speak up against injustice
This could be through one-off conversations with peers or take the form of challenging larger organisational policies or leadership initiatives. Workplace allies aren’t afraid to speak up, even if it makes them uncomfortable or means threatening the status quo.
Give credit where credit is due
A recent Women In The Workplace report by McKinsey and LeanIn.org found that women get interrupted 50% of the time in meetings; and 38% had experienced others taking credit for their ideas. Research shows it’s not limited to women but to people from other marginalised groups too.
Employees who don’t feel recognised are twice as likely to quit in a year. Looking out for this behaviour and returning the conversation to the original speaker or acknowledging that ‘that’s a great idea, I think Audrey mentioned it earlier too’ are both easy ways for allies to make sure credit is being received where it’s due. If it’s a regular issue, then leaders may want to take the initiative and set some ground rules for meetings.
Share the spotlight
Don’t hog the mic for yourself. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak in meetings and encourage subject matter experts to regularly share their expertise and thoughts. If someone calls on you to share details on a project your team is running, pass the question to a colleague is appropriate so they can showcase their hard work and get facetime with more senior leadership.
If you’re someone who is frequently approached about speaking engagements, consider passing along the names of other qualified minority experts who would make good speakers. Similarly, you could nominate a minority colleague or peer for an award to call attention to and acknowledge their hard work.
Educate yourself
Strong allies know they need to put themselves out of their comfort zones and learn more about the experiences of others who don’t look like them. This can take the form of reading a book, listening to a podcast, or watching a video to better understand how you, as an ally, can help. Be cautious of speaking directly to a member of a marginalised group to understand what it’s like being in their shoes -
you’re taking up their time and asking them to do some of the lifting that you could do with your own research. Consider what actions you can make routine, that might be as simple as putting your pronouns in your email signature to help normalize gender identity and show non-binary employees you’re an ally.
Listen
This may seem simple but being able to listen is an extremely powerful skill of a strong ally. This step is two-fold. You need to not only be willing to believe others and validate their feelings, but you also need to know when to shut up and let someone else have the floor. While allies are an important part of any discussion, it’s important to remember you need to speak with the people you want to help, not for them. Know when your voice will add value and when you are better off amplifying the voices of individuals around you.
Be human
You don’t have to have all the answers to be an ally. Mistakes happen—if you mess up on your quest to be a workplace ally, just own up to it, sincerely apologize, move on, and promise to do better next time. We’re all learning. Showing humility, vulnerability, and empathy in the workplace is incredibly important because they not only make you more relatable, but they also set you apart as a trustworthy ally.