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The world is changing. This is a fact that everyone can agree with. You have definitely noticed it too, in the way people are becoming more open and accepting of each other’s differences. However, there’s still much work that remains to be done. Progress is not a one-and-done kind of situation, it’s a series of continuous actions you must take every day in order to see change materialise. And this means making a conscious choice to prioritise inclusivity in all areas of your life and at all times, not only when it’s easy or convenient for you.
This can sometimes be challenging for men. You’ve definitely seen some social discourse on this matter, with a call to action directed at men to call out inappropriate behaviour even in situations in which they wouldn’t normally do it. It can be daunting to tell one of your mates that misogyny or racism isn’t acceptable even when they’re framed as jokes, but this is what makes you a true ally, and not just a bystander who only acts when there’s no risk to your social image.
One of the most important areas in which you should try and advocate for diversity is the workplace. This is a place in which you spend a large portion of each day, and, consequently, your life. And while it’s not healthy for your profession to become your whole life, you also shouldn’t brush aside the fact that it has an impact on your life. Now think if that impact was doubled by bigoted behaviour you’d have to put up with every day. Sounds like a genuine nightmare, right? The good news is that you can help. Here are some ways to show your allyship towards your colleagues and be a supportive, aware human being.
Language matters
You’ve definitely heard this before, and it’s anything but a cliché. The way you talk and the words you use is very important. The words we use are so ingrained into us and being conscious of what, how and when you say certain things is more difficult than it sounds. It takes some serious self-reflection to realise that you may have been coming off as insensitive, and not take it personally upon becoming aware, but instead learning from it and vowing to do better in the future. It’s easy to fall into a victim mindset, but this is often a problem as it shifts the responsibility to your female or BIPOC co-workers, and leaves them in a position in which they have to offer you emotional reassurance and guarantee that you’re not a bad, narrow-minded person. Instead of doing this, the preferable alternative is to educate yourself and improve on your own.
Another important aspect of language is how the same words and ideas are perceived differently depending on who the speaker is. For example, men can be perceived as confident and self-assured for coming forward with a bold, ground-breaking idea, while women may be labelled as “hard-driving”, “difficult” and even “aggressive”. This is even more pronounced in the case of women of colour, given the stereotyping that’s prevalent in society. If you encounter this behaviour in others, make sure to push back against it. If you’d support a male colleague for an idea a woman espouses, offer her the same response.
Very importantly, don’t interrupt your co-workers while they’re talking. The term “mansplaining” has been gaining traction in recent years, and it perfectly describes this impolite behaviour. The first step in supporting women and minorities is to listen. Although you’re an ally, you shouldn’t speak over the people you’re supporting. And, if you want to take it a step further, you can even solicit input from colleagues whose opinions you believe may be marginalised. Offering them a platform to express their opinions is very important.
Support flexibility
Parental leave is a big deal in many workplaces, and there’s a consensus among many employers that women make worse employees because they’ll have to take an extended period of time off at some point, to look after their newborn baby. And while it’s important to support female co-workers who take parental leave, the best way to challenge the stereotype is to take advantage of this policy as well. You should take active steps towards normalising this behaviour, starting with, for example, leaving work earlier to see your kid’s ballet recital.
It’s also helpful to support taking time off when you need it. Grind culture, which emphasises working no matter how you feel, is actually toxic and affects both productivity and quality of life. If you’ve suffered an accident at work, you can contact UK compensation claim lawyers who can help you overcome this difficult time. When you become injured you must take time off to recover, and you also help set a positive example to others.
Mentor people
If you’re a senior member of the company and have the opportunity to mentor others, you should consider sharing your knowledge with people from socially disenfranchised groups. This is important as it helps remove the “us vs. them” mentality that can find its way into social situations and particularly in the workplace where competitiveness is bound to show its head sooner or later. Moreover, it’s a direct action taken against stereotypes.
You’ve probably heard the mentality that people are inherently different from one another based on their racial makeup, gender or sexual orientation and that there’s some sort of nebulous, indefinite way you should speak to everyone in order to make sure they understand you. This frankly restrictive view doesn’t account for the incredible variety of human beings, who are raised with unique values and have various experiences that shape them throughout their lives. The truth is that people often show similar degrees of promise and equal desire to learn and improve themselves across social categories, and as such should be treated with the same amount of respect and given uniform chances to succeed.
When you take these steps, you don’t only help others, you also improve yourself. And while you naturally shouldn’t support inclusion because there’s something in it for you, it’s no small thing to become a better person, both professionally and personally, by listening to the people around you and making a conscious effort to grow.
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