Allyship is not just for your HR and People team…
I don’t want to cause any confusion here, because yes, I do run a programme called Allyship for HR which focuses specifically on the challenges that HR and People teams will face when doing DEI work in their businesses. But…
Allyship is not ONLY an HR and People team thing. It is 100% a business thing.
No doubt, it’s usually the HR folks who find themselves leading the charge, that’s why my course exists. But company culture is not created by one person or department. It’s something we ALL contribute to. And our actions and intentions, no matter how routine or seemingly insignificant we think they might be, can and will have an impact on someone.
Whether it’s people who work in your team, your department, or your company, or your customers, suppliers, and the public. We all have a role to play in how our culture impacts people (as well as our reputation!).
An example of this was (sadly) shared on LinkedIn by A.C. Fowlkes. Now A.C. is a transgender man. And last week they received the exciting news they have been selected, “following extensive research and analysis”, to be featured in a publication on CEOs on “a path to becoming a prominent personality”. Hooray! Except…
The publication was Women Leaders Magazine. And they wanted to write about A.C. as one of the “Top 20 Outstanding Women CEOs of 2023”.
*gulp*
You can read A.C’s full post about it here, but needless to say this blatant disrespect for him as a man left him feeling hurt and angry, and I would place a sizeable wager the effect of this stayed with him for at least the rest of that day, if not longer.
Did Women Leaders Magazine set out to intentionally offend A.C.? Unlikely. But did their lack of research and attention to their actions cause him harm? Without a doubt.
So, no matter what your role is, your work is important. Which means your attention to DEI and being an active ally is critical. You and your contribution to inclusion matters.
When was the last time you reflection on your own potential to bring joy or to cause harm to those around you?
What might you do differently to make sure you can engage with your clients, customers, stakeholders, and colleagues in a fair and respectful way?
TOP TIP
We’re all becoming familiar with biases, and ways in which we can check ourselves and design them out of processes. While you’re thinking about this and developing your personal awareness, also remember to pay attention to the biases you will have built into your automated systems too.
We all know the phrase “Garbage In, Garbage Out” and this is no exception.
Check the integrity of the data you’re starting with.
Check the language you use in pre-populated workflows.
Check the assumptions and rules you have set up in your systems.
Where might they fall down and cause you clanger, like Women Leaders Magazine?