Allyship and Endorsement - Panel Recap from InfoComm 2022

On Thursday, June 9th, 2022, I spoke at InfoComm 2022 as part of a response panel on “Designing for Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” in the Audio-Visual (AV) industry. After hearing from the incomparable Dr. Shelby Hill , President of Next Leader Up , I joined Dr. Hill, Ms. Althea Ricketts of Shure Inc., and moderator Frank Padikkala of Audinate for a deep discussion on DEI in AV. In a relatively short 20-minute time frame (that felt more like 5 minutes because of how much fun we had!) the four of us covered a lot of ground. The discussion covered the concept of “meeting equity through technology,” intentionality of DEI efforts, organizational skills in creating more equitable environments, inclusion as a business strategy, and the value of allyship. Regarding the final point, Dr. Shelby Hill shared an additional thought about the concept of endorsement. This led to a fascinating topic that the panel just did not have more time to explore.

?????????Dr. Hill elaborated: “In my career, I’ve had one or two people endorse me...we’re testing to see if the more privileged leadership endorses those who need support…just to see where it takes them.” ?Dr. Hill explained that he is working with companies to examine if the endorsement of leaders in a position of privilege endorsing those from historically underrepresented communities leads to more promotions, applications, retention, and performance. It makes perfect sense; endorsement leads to a culture of allyship where supporting all communities – not just those communities from which we come – is intentional. When this intentionality is applied consistently, it becomes a reflex, and when it becomes a reflex, it is woven into a culture of inclusion and respect.

?????????Identity safety is the perception that your identity will be valued in a particular setting (Steele et al., 2002), and according to Johnson & Pietri (2022) , schools often struggle to attract females and minorities to STEM education because of a lack of representation in STEM fields reduces the identity safety of these marginalized communities. The study by Johnson & Pietri supports Dr. Hill’s statement at InfoComm – the endorsement of an ally can lead to a greater feeling of identity safety, which leads to the feeling of being valued in the workplace. If we follow the logic, that likely means greater retention, recruitment, and performance by all employees involved.

?????????Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility can be a driver of innovation in companies and industries. If you are in a position of power and/or privilege, you can be a catalyst in your organization, industry, and/or community by providing an allied endorsement to individuals from marginalized communities. This will set an example for others and help to create and reinforce the culture of allyship that help organizations and industries grow. As Althea Ricketts stated at InfoComm, “Inclusion does not mean exclusion,” which is to say white males should not fear that inclusion means that they will be excluded. Rather, inclusion will result in more opportunities for everyone.

?????????You can watch “Designing for Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility,” including Dr. Shelby Hill’s keynote and the subsequent response panel using THIS LINK and beginning at 5:14:30 and ending at 6:04:45. Special thanks to AVIXA and the AVIXA Diversity Council for this incredible event.

?????????Chris W. Fitzpatrick , PHR, SHRM-CP, is the Manager, University Relations and DEI at Crestron Electronics and has spent 15+ years in the Talent Acquisition and DEI spaces. Chris is a Professional Speaker, aspiring game show host, and below-average charity golfer. Some of Chris’s presentations can be found on his YouTube Channel and can also be found on Instagram as ChrisFitzpatrickSpeaks .

Johnson, I. R., & Pietri, E. S. (2022). Ally endorsement: Exploring allyship cues to promote perceptions of allyship and positive STEM beliefs among White female students. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302221080467

Steele, C. M., Spencer, S. J., & Aronson, J. (2002). Contending with group image: The psychology of stereotype and social identity threat. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 34, pp. 379–440). Academic Press.