Allies are your most important and effective resource in creating an inclusive culture. If there is one thing you are going to focus on, make it this. 

So first of all...what is an ally?

Being an ally means taking a stand for equality and fairness on behalf of a group of people different to you. It’s not about just being sympathetic or even empathetic - it’s about taking action. If you are part of the majority in any way, you'll have some element of power that you can use to advocate for and support people in underrepresented groups. It means speaking up and taking action to help make the world, or in this case your organisation or team, fairer for everyone. 

James Green, VP Project Manager & Innovation Ambassador at Société Générale is someone who is really doing the work of driving change inside his organisation. To him “being an ally is important because it is the right thing to do. It’s not necessarily the easy thing (at times), but it is the right thing”.

So why does he do it?

“With all of the recent noise and ignorance in the world I have realised two things:

1. Staying quiet (aka neutral) enables the negative speak, intolerance, and outright hateful things to continue

2. I want to show my children, the next generation, that standing up for what is right regardless of what others say or think is always the best course of action”.

Why are allies so important?

People believe them

Research shows that while anyone challenging someone’s biased comment or joke might help in the long run, challenges from people who aren’t the target of the comment are more persuasive to those watching. 

If you’re a man and hear a sexist comment, white and hear a racist judgement, or able-bodied and see someone do something that is ableist you’re in a far better position to challenge it than the person or group being targeted. 

A woman challenging a man on sexism is far more likely to be dismissed, met with annoyance or amusement or accusations of overreacting. If a black woman challenges someone for racism she may be met with apologies and excuses but still be considered rude or aggressive.

If you are outside the group being targeted you’re more likely to be listened to and you’re less likely to be branded a complainer.

It’s fair

People in out groups carry an unequal burden - they spend extra cognitive and emotional labour on dealing with bias, navigating space that isn’t designed for them and dealing with microaggressions, putting them at a disadvantage. 

If I have to leave ten minutes earlier to get to a meeting because I have mobility challenges, that’s ten less minutes that I have to prepare for the meeting on top of the distraction of being worried about finding my route inaccessible despite my planning. If I’m being constantly interrupted or ignored when trying to make my point,  I’m going to have to work harder to be heard. 

People in out groups also have to spend more time proving themselves. McKinsey found that 29% of white women had to provide more evidence of their competence in the normal course of business versus just 16% of men. It was even worse for black women at 42%.

Add in the expectation that when something biased or discriminatory is said it is up to the people directly impacted to protest and that’s a lot of time stolen from focusing on their jobs. 

It works, even on a small scale

Did you know you can change a culture if you shift the behaviour of just 25% of people? 

You’re setting a standard, role modelling to others what is and isn’t okay. Acting as an ally gives permission to someone else to do the same - we learn social and cultural norms based on watching how others act. If you get a new job and on joining notice that every time someone makes a disparaging or biased comment, however small, someone else challenges them on it in a straightforward, non-aggressive way, you’ll quickly learn that it’s a culture that values inclusion. And that it’s okay for you to challenge too.

Inaction is not neutral. Every time something is said or done and no one says anything it signifies acceptance and provides unspoken support to the person doing it. It normalises these views to other people and makes the target, or those who disagree, feel like they do not belong. 

But a small group of people speaking up can have an exponential impact - each time someone faces resistance when they make a biased statement or an inappropriate joke, they are more likely to stop doing it. 

They are ready

In every organisation I guarantee you there is a group of people who want to do the right thing; people who want to make a difference but keep quiet because they are scared of getting it wrong. 

They may be going through a similar journey to James:

“In the past I was told that because I’m white I have “power and privilege” but I would always think I’m just a working class guy putting food on the table. What “power and privilege” do I have? I have come to learn that my “power and privilege” is the fact that I am the straight white guy in the room. I am the one that must stand up, speak up, and say ‘this attitude offends me’, ‘that kind of language is unacceptable to me’, etc.  It is my responsibility to open the doors that have been closed to those groups who in the past have had the door slammed in their face, have been witness to actions that don’t match with the words being spoken, and truly living with an inclusive world view of tolerance and acceptance for everyone being authentic.’

Equip these people with specific guidance on how to be an ally, make it clear that you will support them when they act, and you will improve their engagement by giving them purpose, making them proud to work for your organisation. 

Help them become the agents of good they want to be and see your organisation lead the way on inclusivity.

Need some help to support your allies? See how we’ve helped at Société Générale, explore our inclusivity kits or book a chat with one of our experts. We’d love to help.

References

Centola, D., Becker, J., Brackbill, D., & Baronchelli, A. (2018). Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention. Science, 360(6393), 1116-1119.

Czopp, A., & Monteith, M. (2003). Confronting Prejudice (Literally): Reactions to Confrontations of Racial and Gender Bias. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(4), 532-544.

Czopp, A., Monteith, M., & Mark, A. (2006). Standing Up for a Change: Reducing Bias Through Interpersonal Confrontation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 784-803.

Kaiser, C., & Miller, C. (2001). Stop Complaining! The Social Costs of Making Attributions to Discrimination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(2), 254-263.

Leanin.org & Mckinsey & Co. (2018). Women in the Workplace 2018. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-in-the-workplace-2018.

Rasinski, H., & Czopp, A. (2010). The Effect of Target Status on Witnesses' Reactions to Confrontations of Bias. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 32(1), 8-16.