Contributing to Diversity: How To Be an Ally

When it comes to corporate diversity, how does someone be an effective ally? Dr. Eden King, Academic Director in the Leading Workplace Diversity online short course from Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, suggests using the ALLIES acronym as a useful guide. In this, ‘A’ stands for access and opportunities, ‘LL’  represents listening and learning, ‘I’ is for inclusion, ‘E’ for encouraging balance, and the plural ‘S’ is for sharing this information with others.

Transcript

In a study my colleagues and I conducted last year, we asked people to fill out surveys every time they encountered subtle discrimination over a two-week period. We were interested in their experiences in general, but in particular we wanted to see how other people responded to the discrimination they encountered. Would these observers notice? Would they step up? Unfortunately, rather than standing up to support the targets of discrimination, most people stood by. 

In this video, I will address individual level strategies that allies can use to help make a difference in reducing workplace bias. I hope to give you tools to move from standing by to standing up. The ideas I will present come from research on targets of discrimination. Rather than assuming that we know what might be effective forms of allyship, we asked people how they wanted allies to support them and their organizations. We categorized the most common responses according to the ALLIES acronym.

In our ALLIES acronym, the “A” stands for access and opportunities. To be an effective ally, you should ask everyone for input during meetings. You should amplify the voices, ideas, achievements, and concerns of others by saying something like, “I agree with Erica that…” You can also provide access by intervening when others are interrupted or not given credit. You can nominate others for notable roles, awards and key leadership opportunities. 

The “LLs” in ALLIES represent listening and learning. To be an effective ally, you should ask about other’s experience within your organization. You should continually educate yourself on D&I. You should attend diversity events and trainings, like this one. 

The “I” in ALLIES reflects inclusion itself. You can enact behaviors, like invitations for informal gatherings; conducting business in locations and at times that are available to everyone; sharing information equally and providing honest feedback. These are all behaviors that reflect everyday acts of inclusion.

The “E” in ALLIES is used to signify encouraging balance. Ensure that formal meetings and activities are mindful of care responsibilities; don’t schedule things early in the morning or late at night. Educate yourself on family friendly policies and take advantage of those policies yourself. Be a role model. 

Finally, the plural form of ALLIES is used because sharing this information with others is a helpful aspect of allyship. You can do this by educating others on bias and the imperatives of D&I, by telling colleagues about learning opportunities and telling others about your commitment to diversity. You can volunteer to serve in roles with the specific purpose of being an ally for equity, and you can dispel myths that emerge. 

The ALLIES acronym can be a helpful reminder of the specific strategies that individuals can use to support colleagues from diverse backgrounds.