Allyship has the power to make a real difference in the work of Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). But until we switch on to what allyship really means, and what it requires to do it well, then it will never deliver what we hope for.
What is allyship?
Allyship means taking accountability for who I am and what I do in order to actively rebuild a just and equitable society, where everyone and everything belongs and has value.
The business case for allyship
Across businesses, there is a universal understanding of the business case for DEIB action – from the most senior leader to the bottom of the corporate pyramid.
Research shows that openness to diversity widens access to the best talent. Inclusion allows effective engagement with that top talent. Equality enables delivery of fair outcomes. Belonging creates a place where people can feel safe and valued. Together, these lead to organisational outcomes such as enhanced innovation, creativity, productivity, reputation, engagement and business results.
And, allyship is being posited as the next key to unlock the D&I conundrum in the workplace. The theory goes like this: to invoke this change, the majority must help, support and advocate for the minority. If engaged correctly, it follows that allies might hold the power and means to shift the dial on DEI across organisations, sectors, geographies and groups.
Allyship risks being trivial
However, when we talk about allyship as an identity or badge to be worn (“I am an ally”), or as a ‘one-and-done’ item on a list, we risk making it trivial and limiting its potential impact.
Many leaders, and organisations, consider allyship to be a one-directional, static relationship. The ally is positioned as powerful, and supporting the marginalised. The receiver of allyship is often perceived to be less powerful (or even powerless).
From this perspective, allyship is at best ineffective, and at worst stigmatising and harmful. Allies who take this perspective:
- Don’t acknowledge privilege.
- Don’t address biases.
- Intervene for personal gain.
- Don’t recognise identity differences.
- Want to save or protect the target.
- Come across as having a superiority complex.
- Lack the skill to take effective action.
Allyship must exist in context
In order to make a real difference, allyship must take into account the complex, interwoven, hierarchical, power-based nature of organisations.
Humans make meaning through stories
Human beings make sense of the world through multiple layers of stories. We tell stories about ourselves, the groups that we do and don’t belong to, and the world as a whole.
This is me – “My Story”
Who am I? – What’s my lens on the world?
This is us – “Our Story”
Whose group am I ‘in’? – Who is my group? What’s our identity (e.g. white cis-gender, non-disabled)? What does that mean for our impact on the world?
Whose group am I not in? – What other experiences, perspectives and worldviews exist out there?
The patterns that are always true – “The Story”
What’s the bigger story? – What are the universal truths, that hold across geographies, across time, that have no boundaries?
Without an understanding of all three stories, and an ability to comprehend how they all operate and interact at the same time, there is a risk that allyship stays small and ineffective.
Organisations are messy
Organisational life is not nice and neat like the fake world of The Truman Show. In reality, organisations are places where people talk, share views, evaluate what’s going on and decide (both individually and collectively) how to react to what they hear.
Organisations are actually informal coalitions of divergent people with divergent interests and difference, where resources are scarce. And inadvertently, what this creates is an environment of:
- Inequity
- Scarcity
- Power imbalances
- Multiple worldviews, identities, cultures and perspectives.
It is this messy environment that means leaders need to embrace a more meaningful form of allyship.
Embracing the messy reality of allyship
Until we can embrace the messy, co-constructed, relational nature of allyship, we will never see the benefits.
Allyship is messy. It needs leaders who are willing to roll their sleeves up and walk alongside others on a never-ending journey.
Organisations need leaders who truly do allyship. Who can work with the complexity of interwoven stories. Who can leverage power and politics and harness coalitions for change.
Only then will DEIB initiatives truly hit home.
We are holding a ‘by invitation’ virtual Safe Space event for senior DEIB, talent and HR leaders, on Wednesday 26th June at 1pm (BST), who want to explore what it means to embrace the mess of allyship. It will be an opportunity to network, get curious, ask questions and share ideas with leaders from across industries. It will explore what it will really take for allyship to drive change in the DEIB agenda.
If you are interested in attending, contact us at becoming@becoming.training.
Allyship: A messy business
Register your interest here to get a copy of our upcoming whitepaper as soon as it is published in June 2024.
