Allyship in Action

At 希尔顿全球酒店集团 , we’ve created The Check-In – a series that shares perspectives on issues and insights that shape the human experience at work. To mark International Women’s Day, I wanted to share a piece I previously wrote on allyship that still rings true as we seek to create an inclusive and equitable world for all.

The global theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity, a unifying call to action that inspires people everywhere to take action and stand up as allies. However, declarations of intent are only the first step on this journey. Effective, non-optical allyship is a lifelong process that requires commitment, a deep sense of empathy, and tangible acts of support.

It requires the courage to ask tough questions of ourselves: how have we shown up for others, where have we fallen short, how are we correcting our mistakes? As we continue working together, here are actions we can take to be more effective allies:

1.???Conduct an allyship audit. Evaluate your starting point and examine your beliefs and activities. How do you show up at home, at work, in your community? Who are you sponsoring or mentoring? Do you seek feedback or have a challenge group to keep yourself honest? Identify the areas where you might have power to help others, by sharing your access, knowledge, relationships, and resources.

2.???Start a dialogue. Having a conversation about inclusion requires authenticity, vulnerability, and active listening. While words matter and we must absolutely choose them wisely, we can’t let a desire to find the perfect phrase or approach interfere with our ability to take a first step towards allyship. Acknowledging someone else’s experience or voice, seeking to learn more about a less familiar community, apologizing where needed for a misstep are all powerful signals that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to inclusion.

3.???Take action. Track and build a record of performance and impact. Allyship requires shifting mindsets and activities to align with our commitment. Just like wanting to be an athlete and becoming an athlete are two different things, allyship requires regular training, learning, coaching, and happens over time. We all have many opportunities to demonstrate and practice allyship in our everyday lives: through a work interaction, in talent decisions, as community volunteers or family members. Ultimately, allyship is not self-defined, but rather it is an earned status given by those we seek to support and become allies with.

As a society, the collective consciousness on issues of equity and inclusion has shifted. However, the work of building a better world for all is far from done. At Hilton, I continue to be so proud of the work of our Team Members around the world. Through engagements with our Team Member Resource Groups, participation in learning sessions, and utilization of leadership resources, they’ve shown an inspiring commitment to creating a more inclusive world. As Malala Yousafzai said, “I raise up my voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard.” Happy Women's History Month and International Women’s Day to all!