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HOW TO BE AN ALLY AT WORK—FOSTERING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY
Brigitte Kimichik • Jul 16, 2020
How To Be an Ally At Work—Fostering Racial Justice and Equality
Have you thought about what you can do at work to help promote social justice and equality? Whether or not you are in a leadership position, use your credibility at work to support those underrepresented and create a more inclusive workplace!
Here are some ideas you can implement immediately, even if you are still working from home:
Educate Yourself and Your Family Regarding Anti-Racism
Learn about the history of racism in this country and what you can do personally to make a difference. Check out this link for resources for adults
and resources for children.
Learn Company Policies and Consequences to Enforcement of Code of Conduct
Ask your company to provide employee training on anti-racism policies and how to identify and deal with violations and microaggressions in the work environment. Training should include how to identify such conduct (and if you may be contributing through unconscious bias), how to intervene and defend against such behavior, how to report such violation in person or anonymously, and company communication of zero tolerance and consequences, including termination from the job if appropriate.
Be an Upstander
If you witness racist conduct or other discrimination, say something. Don't assume someone else will deal with the violator. Ask that person to stop any such comments and remind him or her that they face potential consequences for violating company policies that prohibit such behavior. Pull that person aside if you think he or she will respond better and encourage an apology. Standing up for your colleague in public exhibits leadership skills. If your violated colleague decides to report the conduct, offer your assistance as a witness. Here is an example
posted on our website.
Listen and Learn
Join your company's diversity task force or create your own. Get to know your colleagues of color and other diversity. Listen to their experiences and suggestions for a healthier work environment and collaborate. Then become their champion and sponsor.
Encourage Collaboration and Diversity
Populate teams and working groups with people of color and other diversity. There is plenty of commanding research that suggests diversity in opinion and collaboration is more beneficial for company's health and prosperity. "By breaking up workplace homogeneity, you can allow your employees to become more aware of their own potential biases—entrenched ways of thinking that can otherwise blind them to key information and even lead them to make errors in decision-making processes," as noted by Heidi Grant and David Rock
of the Harvard Business Review.
Promote Expertise
Make an effort to promote the expertise of diverse colleagues to those looking for help on work projects or customer inquiries. We all know how uncomfortable it can be to promote your own unique skills.
Recommend for Assignments
Introduce your diverse colleagues to other departments and recommend them for work projects and assignments. All employees should have equal exposure to training and opportunities.
Give Credit for Contributions and Accomplishments
Upon completing assignments and other company projects, acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments of your diverse colleagues publicly in front of the group and to management. Your diverse colleagues may not be well known, and they must be acknowledged as beneficial contributors to the company.
Advocate for Leadership Roles
Companies are being evaluated and measured on whether they promote diversity in the workforce and leadership roles. How many minority employees are Black and how many are in leadership roles. Does the company live by its creed to promote racial justice, equality, and diversity? Hire and train diverse employees to populate leadership roles for a more well-rounded and culturally diverse company. As we have noted, research suggests, diversity is healthy for your bottom line. A 2015 McKinsey report
on 366 public companies found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity in management were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean.
Get involved and help change the culture of your company for a healthier and more prosperous work environment. You can make a difference and improve your leadership skills at the same time!
Let's help #changetheculture to a more healthy, inclusive and diverse work environment, free from #racism, #bullying and #sexualharassment. #TimesUp. For more on this topic and others, please join us at the www.thesandboxseries.com
and checkout our new book “Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace.”
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The world of golf is not immune to sexual harassment. The Authors of Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace take a closer look.
Promoting work policies prohibiting one-on-one travel with female colleagues is not only damaging to the progression of women in the workforce, but is also illegal. The authors of Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace take a closer look.