From Token Efforts to Real Change: A Journey to True Allyship

As we celebrate Black History Month in the UK this October, it's crucial to reflect on how businesses can move beyond performative gestures to create lasting, meaningful change through genuine allyship.

Several years ago, in the October rush to honour Black History Month, the organisation I worked with at the time organised its usual lineup: a few panel sessions, some social media posts, and company-wide email messages about the importance of diversity.

One of these panel sessions had a facilitator and four speakers. After reading the email message sent out about the panel session, Lisa, a senior manager at the company, pulled me aside and shared her thoughts.

"Something is missing here", she said. "I appreciate these awareness events, but I don't know if you've noticed this though: Besides the facilitator of the session, who is Black, there isn't a single Black person on the panel to talk about Black people on a Black History Month event."

"There's no fair representation or recognition", she continued, "it's like having a panel session on Internation Women's Day to discuss issues affecting women, and the facilitator of the session is a woman but the panel speakers are all men, men of a specific race persuasion."

Her words hit home. It wasn't that Lisa didn't value the celebrations and awareness programmes—it was that allyship felt like an occasional gesture, a meagre token that lacks fair and balanced representation, rather than something woven into the fabric of our workplace. As she spoke, it was clear: if we wanted to be true allies, it needed to be a culture shift.

Parallel to Lisa's story is another story that Patricia, the Chief Digital and Information Officer at an investment bank in London – who also happens to be a friend and a true ally, shared with me not too long ago: "We had the diversity numbers on paper – 15% ethnic minority representation. But during a lunch with our Black colleagues, I learned that representation alone wasn't enough. One junior analyst told me she'd never had a mentor who 'looked like her.' It occurred to me that we had 'diversity champions' but no way to measure their impact. It was all talk, no accountability. That conversation sparked our 'Mirror Mentoring' programme."

As a leader in cybersecurity and a Black professional who has navigated predominantly white spaces throughout my career, I've observed both the progress we've made and the work that still lies ahead.

True authentic allyship isn't a destination—it's a continuous journey of learning, unlearning, and active support. It requires more than good intentions; it demands concrete actions, accountability, and a willingness to engage with uncomfortable truths about systemic inequalities in our workplaces.

The Turning Point: Listening and Learning

We started by doing something simple yet powerful: listening. Not in a one-time session, but through ongoing, open conversations where Black employees could share their experiences, needs, and aspirations. It was an eye-opener. One by one, our colleagues shared stories of subtle obstacles and feeling overlooked, not for lack of talent, but because of deeply ingrained biases and barriers that went largely unaddressed.

One colleague shared how often he felt like "the only one" in the room. Another spoke about feeling overlooked for projects that could help her grow. We realised these weren't isolated experiences; they were signs that our commitment needed to dig deeper. The leadership team needed to prioritise allyship every day and make it a genuine part of who we are as an organisation.

Getting Practical: Rethinking Recruitment and Retention

From our conversations, we understood that allyship has to start early, with the way we recruit. We revamped our approach, reaching out to organisations supporting Black professionals, and tapping into networks we hadn't previously explored. This wasn't just about numbers; it was about giving talented individuals access to roles and paths that had previously been out of reach.

Beyond recruitment, we turned our attention to retention. We asked ourselves, "Are we creating an environment where our Black employees feel they have a future here?" We put mentorship and sponsorship programmes into place, ensuring every Black employee who wanted it had an ally at the leadership level advocating for their career growth. And we tracked our progress, keeping ourselves accountable with regular feedback and transparent goals.

Small Changes with Big Impacts: Representation and Recognition

Representation matters. We looked around and asked, "Who do our employees see in leadership roles?" If we wanted Black employees to feel they belonged, they needed to see people who looked like them at the decision-making table. With that in mind, we started setting targets—not quotas, but pathways for talent to rise. Promotions, we realised, were one of the most powerful ways to show allyship, and soon, more Black leaders joined our board and management teams.

One standout moment came when Lola, an incredibly skilled project manager, was promoted. It wasn't just about her rise—it was about her courage to show up as her authentic self, inspiring others and reminding all of us why diversity in leadership matters. Seeing her thrive and champion new ideas shifted how our team worked and interacted daily.

Creating Space for Real Conversations

We also understood that ongoing support requires constant communication. We introduced regular forums where Black employees could speak candidly about their experiences without fear of judgment or retaliation. These weren't the typical "feedback" sessions; they were raw, honest exchanges where people could share not only what was working but what needed to change.

Through these sessions, allies in the organisation got to listen, really listen, and learn from perspectives they hadn't considered. It changed how we operated. Policies began to shift, and we found ourselves more mindful of things like pay equity and fair workload distribution. One team leader said, "I thought I was an ally before, but listening to these stories was a game-changer. It helped me see where I needed to show up differently."

The Allyship Effectiveness Framework: Accountability in Action

We knew we had to keep this going beyond good intentions. So, we put together a framework to measure our progress. We called it the "Allyship Effectiveness Framework," a mix of practical steps and ongoing measurement. It focused on three areas:

1. Awareness: Training and discussions helped our allies learn about unconscious bias and how it affects everything from project assignments to everyday interactions.
2. Action: We established clear allyship practices, like regular mentoring and support check-ins, and set up tangible goals to ensure these practices were embedded in everyday operations.
3. Accountability: With regular, anonymous feedback from Black employees, we kept ourselves in check. We tracked diversity metrics, monitored career growth, and made adjustments based on real-time data. Allyship became not just an ideal but a measurable practice.

The Results: Beyond the Data

These changes didn't happen overnight, but the impact was powerful. Over time, we saw a rise in promotions among Black employees, a reduction in turnover, and, perhaps most importantly, a growing sense of belonging. Black employees felt more supported, allies were more engaged, and our team became a model of allyship in action.

Our journey isn't over, but we've learned that true genuine allyship requires more than an occasional event. It's a commitment to showing up every day, listening, acting, and being accountable. Lisa's words still ring in my ears, but now I hear them as a reminder of how far we've come—and as a call to keep moving forward.

Final Thoughts: A Culture of Real Allyship

For those on a similar journey, my advice is this: start small but start strong. Commit to real conversations, create tangible pathways, and set up a system that holds you accountable. When allyship becomes a part of your culture, you'll find that it's not just Black employees who benefit; everyone thrives in an environment of respect, opportunity, and authenticity.

As you embark on your journey to becoming an effective ally, ask yourself:

• What conversations am I avoiding?
• Where do I hold the power to make change?
• Am I willing to use my privilege to advocate for Black colleagues?
• How am I measuring my impact?
• Who am I championing when they're not in the room?

Remember: True authentic allyship isn't about one moment in October (or in February or in any other month for that matter) – it's about every day of the year.

Every step we took taught us something new about allyship—and showed us that when you invest in it wholeheartedly, it has the power to transform not just individuals but the entire organisation.