Would you like to advocate for more diversity and inclusion in the company? And are you wondering how you can be a good ally? Then start with yourself. Here I explain what allyship means in the company and how to get there.
What does the term allyship actually mean?
Allyship is pronounced “Elleischipp”. It is an English term that means something like allyship in German. It refers to the solidarity of privileged people with members of a marginalized group. Education, financial means, but also gender, age, race, sexual orientation and many other factors determine our role in social power relations. Those who conform to set norms and ideals automatically benefit from privileges. While a trans person, for example, is often Microaggressions is exposed, a cis person experiences general acceptance. In contrast to people with physical disabilities, people without physical disabilities enjoy the advantage that (office) buildings and cities are designed to meet their needs.
This is why allyship is important in the company
In companies, these dynamics mean that privileged people with the same qualifications are hired more frequently and are promoted to management positions more often. Allyship aims to break through these structures from a position of power and thus ensure social justice, equal opportunities and participation. Allyship should therefore be understood as a process in which you, as an ally, make visible the lack of social justice in everyday life and actively stand up for the victims of discrimination.
How do I become a good ally?
Allyship does not mean good vs. evil. Most of us are – depending on the situation – sometimes more and sometimes less privileged. In order to recognize how you can be an ally, you have to deal with the existing power relations and with yourself. This can sometimes be painful. Who likes to think about the fact that they got their hard-earned promotion because of undeserved advantages? If this thought bothers you or triggers resistance within you, realize that it is not about a moral judgment or denying your performance, but about a change of perspective and future equal opportunities. Allyship is a constant learning process. Take the first step with our popular allyship training.
LGBTQI+ activist Anne Bishop using 5 steps in her spiral model explained:
1. where do you stand?
Become aware of your own role in society: Where do I enjoy advantages, where am I marginalized?
2. what does that trigger in you?
The answer to the first question can be uncomfortable. Be clear about your fears, hopes, challenges and contradictions.
3 Why is this the case?
Take a close look at the world: Analyze history, individual social contexts and existing power dynamics. Listen carefully to those affected.
4. what can you do about it?
Develop a strategy for what allyship in the company should look like for you and how you can achieve more diversity. Above all: pass on the mic.
5. use your position to help others!
Act and behave like an ally. Then go through the 5 steps again.
What does Allyship look like in the company?
If you want to ensure diversity in your company, you don’t have to wait for a large-scale diversity strategy wait. Act for yourself! A typical example from everyday office life: In a meeting, a woman is talking about a topic in which she is an expert. Suddenly, she is impatiently interrupted by a colleague. He really gets going, doesn’t let her get a word in edgewise, lectures her and ends up repeating her thesis. Behind this is his Unconscious biasThe male colleague is told that she cannot be as competent as he is because of her gender. This has major disadvantages for the female colleague: her performance is perceived as weaker in the team and the man is remembered as the real specialist. Here, another man can become an ally – for example, by classifying who originally put forward the thesis and emphasizing that he would like to hear it again from the expert herself.
7 helpful formulations for allies
This way you can react to discriminatory situations:
- “I’m not comfortable with what you just said.
- “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I have to say something.”
- “Maybe you didn’t mean it that way, but that sounds trans-hostile/homophobic/racist/sexist/ableist to me…”
- To a witness: “Did you just hear that too?”
- “What prompted you to make that statement?”
- “Do you really think that…?”
- Important! Involve the person affected: “I want you to know that you are not alone.”
Your attitude as an ally: willingness to change vs. performance
Allyship is an attitude. It’s about acting unselfishly – and not for the public’s applause. It’s not that easy, after all, we want to show our best side at work. So make sure that you keep an eye on the added value for those affected and don’t use allyship for self-promotion. Otherwise, what activists call performative activism, justice theater or cookie-seeking, the hunt for a reward cookie, will happen. But if you act out of honest empathy and conviction, you will quickly develop the right instincts. Fears and insecurities are part of it! Nobody is perfect, and ultimately you are in a learning process: what counts is sticking with it. And then you as an individual can also make a valuable contribution to allyship in the company.
Recommended reading and sources:
Bishop, Anne (2015): Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People
Do you already know my LinkedIn Learning on the topic of allyship? Click here!
Read more about our in-house allyship training courses in Berlin and throughout Germany here.
