IWD 2023 (Part 1) – HOW MEN can be better allies and advocates at the workplace

For this year’s IWD, I am reaching out to men in my network with a challenge to be allies for gender equality, to value equality itself and work actively towards achieving it. This comes in TWO parts, the first today is on what you can do at the WORKPLACE. I shall post my next one on what you can do in your PERSONAL space for women in your life.

From the list of TEN action items below, my challenge TODAY to you is to only select 1 to act upon and then nominate forward another man you know to select another action item. Let’s keep this simple BUT meaningful and powerful because every action will eventually snowball into true impact.

I nominate Roger Kennedy , Joe Hart , Mark Anderson , Julian Vega , Simon Covill, MBA (Change), MBusCoach, Prosci , Ebohr Figueroa , Mariano Hoffman to kick-off – let’s all do our part! ?

ONE - Acknowledge your own power and privilege as a man

The first step to true allyship starts with self-awareness. Have you considered how your gender has influenced the opportunities that you’ve had in life? What are you able to do only because you are a man?

Expectations of masculine privilege permeate in various forms which may include:

• I can be reasonably sure that an investor will not ask, "When do you plan to have children?" during a meeting
• I can easily find a professional mentor of my gender.
• I won't be asked, "Who helped you write the code?" during a demo
• I will be respected as the leader of my company, not asked to be put in touch with the team "directly."

It is also important for men to consider that not all men have access to the same privileges of?"maleness" as others because of race, ethnicity, class, education, employment status, geography nationality, appearance, and temperament; this itself lends perspective of how a person’s intersecting identities impact his lived experiences.

TWO - Step back so others can step forward

A common misconception is that men often think about allyship for equality by means of doing more whereas they can also have a major impact by doing less. Be it a speaking, project or other opportunities to raise individual profiles, do consider a “pass up and pass on” strategy which can be a small, but meaningful way that men can shift the dial on diversity. It is a simple but powerful gesture that you can put into practice every day.

THREE - Publicly celebrate accomplishments

In 摩根大通 Chase, there is a concerted effort to elevate women, celebrate their successes and actively promote them; they call it the “30-5-1”. People are encouraged to spend 30 minutes every week to meet with a talented woman, 5 minutes congratulating a female colleague on a win, and 1 minute praising that woman to other colleagues.

Of course, there are countless ways to make a real difference for women, but it is critical that men across all levels to leverage on their gender privilege to acknowledge the accomplishments of women, be it in formal or informal settings because all it takes is one small gesture to help elevate the odds for a woman to be noticed by the right people.

FOUR - Model different ways of being

There’s a default behaviour and bias towards conforming to masculine norms in the workplace with expectations for people to be aggressive and unemotional.

Break that cycle; Willie Jackson of Readyset suggests that we can strive to show up with more gentleness, empathy, and vulnerability at work. This in turn, gives hope and empowers women and others to do the same - “That gives them permission to do so as well, and subconsciously signals that they don’t need to perform or show up in a particular way in order to engage with me in order to seem credible”.

FIVE - Share the non-promotable workload

Did you know that women are 48% more likely to volunteer for tasks “that benefit the organization but likely don’t contribute to someone’s performance evaluation and career advancement”? The research by Harvard concludes that the time spent around non-promotable tasks heavily influences why women are promoted less quickly than men. Therefore it is important that by simply sharing the load on non-promotable tasks, men can help women gain an equal access to the opportunities that progress their career.

SIX - Sponsor a woman

There are a lot of mentoring programs for women, which is great as mentors provide them with time and advice. But come to think of it, what women need are sponsors; people who are more invested, and provide opportunities, visibility, and connection. Therefore, if you truly want to help elevate more women to leadership, then do step up and take a more active role in introducing women to the experiences and opportunities that can help them to succeed.

SEVEN - Actively listen to women’s perspectives

It’s hard to shift the dial on equality when men stay ignorant of the true reality and needs of women;

women are the experts on their own life experiences, therefore it is crucial to seek out opportunities to hear their stories – and take their concerns seriously, without interrupting or trying to downplay incidents of sexism. To truly inspire trust and respect, men need to amplify women’s voices, acknowledge their experiences and take on the role of educating other men.

EIGHT - Be visible

This may be the biggest ask of men because many either fail to appreciate how gender equality affects them or fear how helping women could reduce their own opportunities.

But this itself is a vicious circle that only men can break. Always start by understanding that what helps women helps everyone. Also, when we introduce men to prominent male allies, it’s a strong impetus towards giving men the courage to join in; visibility matters and the gender equality movement needs more men actively, visibly advocating for it.

So, make a change today; step into the ring to join difficult conversations about gender issues with other men, advocate publicly for gender equality on social media platforms, and most importantly, speak up to “call in” others when we observe them abusing their power with others. Join (or create) a male ally group in your organisation to understand, identify, and incorporate gender-supportive behaviours.

NINE - Take responsibility

Being human means that we are all imperfect in some sense, which mean that we all can make mistakes. It is important that we understand the impact of our words or actions (be it past or present), and to take responsibility for them.

But that itself is the 1st act of being a true ally; if we receive feedback that our behaviour may have hurt others, it is an opportunity to “course correct”, which makes us better people in the long run.

TEN - Advocate for gender-equitable policies in the workplace

If you consider yourself to have done everything you can to advance gender equality in the workplace, then tell me, have you done anything about policies that stand in its’ way?

If your answer is NO, then if you are to be a true ally, then women need you to speak up for policies that remove bias and advance equality, including pay transparency, parental leave, and confidential reporting structures for sexual harassment.

References:

JP Morgan Chase – 5 Ways to be a better male ally

Actions Individuals Can Take to Become Advocates for Gender Equity

UC Berkeley - Nine Tips for Being a Male Ally at Work by Carley Hauck (she/her)