Throughout my career I’ve worked with various groups and individuals trying to understand how I can continue to be a better ally. Whether that be supporting them through a career change, new job opportunities, or calling out the daily micro-aggressions I may have missed. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great people, both formally and informally, in my career and support them in the best ways I could. I’ve learned a few things about “what it means to be an ally” that I’d like to share. Disclaimer, this isn’t an end-all be-all of things to do; more just a structured list of things that stuck with me over the years.
1 Listen and learn: Take the time to understand the experiences and perspectives of marginalized groups at your company. Listen actively and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the issues they face.
2 Speak up: Use your privilege and platform to speak up and take action against discrimination and bias. Speak out against harmful language, jokes, or behavior and actively support your colleagues.
3 Amplify voices: Use your platform to amplify the voices and ideas of marginalized individuals in the workplace. Provide opportunities for them to share their ideas and perspectives in meetings and discussions.
4 Be an active bystander: Intervene in situations where you witness discrimination or bias. Provide support and assistance to those who are being marginalized.
5 Educate yourself: Take the time to educate yourself about different forms of discrimination, privilege, and oppression. Seek out resources and training to help you better understand and address these issues in the workplace.
6 Support diversity and inclusion initiatives: Actively participate in and support diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs at your company. Even start your own resource group even if you don’t identify with one directly.
7 Self-reflect: Reflect on your own biases and privileges, and work to change any actions that may be harmful to marginalized groups.
8 Remember that being an ally is a continuous process and requires consistent effort, learning, and self-reflection.
I have countless examples of how these themes play out in practice that I’d be happy to share if anyone is interested. One of my favorite organizations is American Corporate Partners. They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting U.S. Veterans and active duty military spouses find rewarding careers. ACP connects veterans and spouses with business leaders from hundreds of America's top companies for free, yearlong mentorships. I’ve been partnering with them for years and have personally gained a lot of fulfillment and perspective supporting veterans getting back into the civilian workforce. Consider signing up as a mentor or working with your organization to partner with them!