{"id":12266,"date":"2021-05-15T14:10:17","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T18:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=12266"},"modified":"2021-05-15T14:12:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T18:12:47","slug":"what-is-allyship-part-2-of-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/what-is-allyship-part-2-of-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Allyship? (Part 2 of 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allyship: Part Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my last post<\/a>, I introduced the concept of allyship. Being an ally means using one\u2019s privilege to act, and not merely saying the right things.<\/p>\n

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Allyship Can be Hard<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"allyship\"<\/a>Authentic allyship takes courage. To be a true ally requires doing the \u201cinner work\u201d of understanding how you participate in unjust or oppressive systems. Maybe in the past, you have passively and unintentionally benefited when policies and practices gave you unfair advantages over other people who were equally or better qualified.<\/p>\n

To be an ally, it’s important to learn how to listen and accept criticism, even if it\u2019s uncomfortable. Don\u2019t expect to be taught or shown everything. Use tools around you to learn and answer your questions (e.g., this list of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism resources<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Concrete Ways to be an Ally<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speak up for the underrepresented. Understandably, someone who might be the \u201conly\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 or part of a small minority in his or her workplace may not feel comfortable raising issues. They can have very real concerns about backlash or jeopardizing their professional relationships and even their job.<\/p>\n

Become a mentor or sponsor and support the career growth of someone from an under-represented community. A mentor is someone who provides advice while acting as a sponsor takes it to the next level by being actively involved in aiding someone\u2019s career development and \/or progression. Not only is growing diversity the right thing to do, but there\u2019s also a very real business case for recruiting as diverse a team as possible. Studies make it clear that companies with more diverse workforces perform better: companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a>If you have influence over hiring, look for alternative recruitment methods. There are organizations that advocate for underrepresented people when it comes to recruitment.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s the right thing to do and it makes very real business sense, then allyship should involve everyone, not just underrepresented people and groups.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Authentic Allyship: \u00a0Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/p>\n