What Kind of Ally are You?

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Welcome!

What kind of ally are you to the people you work with and the communities where you live?

We all have biases no matter our backgrounds. However, we can all work together to build a more inclusive environment at work and the communities where we live.

There’s more than one way to be an ally, and this self-assessment will help you gauge your current style of allyship. You might not have experienced all these situations described in the following questions; however, do your best to pick the option that most reflects how you think you would respond.

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1When you hear a story about bias in the workplace, how do you respond?

I listen to the person, believe, affirm and empathize with their experiences.
I read, listen to podcasts, and talk to other people from marginalized groups to better understand the challenges they face.
I follow up to ensure that the person's perspective was heard and not dismissed or ignored.
I recommend and advocate for new policies, both formal and informal, within the organization to address similar bias incidents.
I listen to the person, thank them for sharing, and return to what I was working on.

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2How do you engage with people who are different from you in ways that are helpful, supportive, or that build community?

I do a lot of listening, and I use my voice and relationships to boost the messaging of marginalized individuals.
I treat everyone in the same professional manner. I have not invested time in learning about those who are different than me.
I join groups of people who are different than me in my community and at work to learn about and discover how I can support them.
I lend my skills, labor, and time to groups in my community who are doing work for underrepresented and marginalized groups.
I speak up and use my privilege to give credibility to perspectives that may not be accounted for when others dominate a conversation.

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3During team meetings, how do you ensure that everyone feels safe enough and has an opportunity to share diverse perspectives?

I acknowledge those who share good ideas and affirm their contributions to the conversation.
I create opportunities for feedback and confidential conversation before the meeting to bolster a team member’s confidence.
I give people opportunities to share their perspectives and listen to learn.
I listen to different perspectives and offer my own. If a question is posed, I answer and try to exert my influence.
I direct questions to those who might have more experience or different perspectives, rather than answering myself even if I might have an answer.

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4You work on a global team and scheduling meeting times that work for everyone is difficult. How do you help make sure that the solution is equitable?

I recommend alternating meeting times so that no one group is always meeting at inconvenient times.
I encourage people who might always be meeting at inopportune times to approach the project lead and support them when a new time option is suggested.
I advocate for alternating the usual meeting time zone so the person who is usually inconvenienced can meet during their typical working hours sometimes.
I create a list of potential meeting times that accommodate a wide-range of time zones and regions.
I request that those who work in different time zones work an alternate schedule on meeting days.

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5How do you ensure that you are continuing to grow your cross-cultural knowledge and diverse perspectives?

I attend a lot of diverse event-planning meetings to listen, learn and help. I typically don’t say much, but I do try to make sure that they have what they need to make an event successful.
I rely on others to keep me informed about what I need to know.
I try to bring people with me to events, meetings, and other social activities who I know would appreciate the activity and whose voice is missing. I never want them to feel tokenized, but I do want them to feel integrated and valued.
I check email, guest, and speaker lists to make sure that the events I’m attending, or planning will both present diverse perspectives and speak to a diverse audience. I will also defer my own spot as a panelist or speaker if I feel like someone from an underrepresented group would be a good or better fit than me.
I spend time listening to podcasts and reading articles, books and social media accounts of people globally who have different lived experiences than me.

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6When your business unit/function has an opportunity to work on an innovative new project, how do you ensure that the team working on it is diverse?

I review past projects and recruit the top performers without considering their backgrounds and perspectives.
I educate myself about the project and compare people’s work backgrounds to see who might be a good fit and offer diverse perspectives.
I ensure that people whose diverse perspectives might be valuable or underrepresented are added to the meetings.
I encourage people I know who might benefit from an opportunity and might not have the visibility or courage to pursue a role on the team.
I ask people whose perspectives aren’t represented if they want to work on this new project. If so, I give the project lead or senior stakeholder their names.

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7We all have unconscious biases. How do you make sure that yours aren’t getting in the way of being an ally?

I spend time reflecting on my biases, stereotypes that influence my perspective and their origins in my own experiences so that I can work toward overcoming them.
I make sure that I give others time to share their perspectives during meetings, especially when I want to do all the talking. Taking time to listen always helps me see my blind spots.
I speak professionally when talking with others. I don’t think unconscious biases impact being an ally.
I am intentional about meeting people who I might ordinarily avoid because of my own discomfort and feelings of awkwardness. I’ve found that my preconceived notions were often a reflection of my own biases and not based on actual experiences.
I am really careful as I advocate for others to ensure that I don’t dominate or monopolize the discussions. I’m careful not to focus on my perspective and that the people I’m trying to advocate for need and want me to speak up for them.

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8How do you invest in communities of color, cultures different than your own, and communities that often find less visibility and support either locally or globally?

I tell everyone I meet about books, businesses, professionals, etc., of underrepresented or diverse groups that they can patronize if they’re looking for a certain service.
I like to compile lists of books, businesses, professionals, etc., that I can share with others or use myself when I’m in need of a service.
I invest my time and capital (emotional, financial and/or my position) frequently to help underrepresented or diverse groups grow their businesses and sell their products.
I occasionally patronize businesses in different areas. If I am satisfied with the service, I may recommend the business to others.
I intentionally look for services, books, businesses, professional services, etc., that are owned or operated by underrepresented or diverse people to support or buy from in my day-to-day life.

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You’re a Champion!

As a champion ally, you promote the inclusion, utilization and visibility of individuals who others may not consider. You recognize their abilities and contributions both privately and publicly and you’re willing to sacrifice your opportunity if it means someone else gets a chance.

As you continue in your allyship journey, remember to check in from time-to-time with yourself and with the individuals you’re championing. Your friends, colleagues and community members know that you support them. However, it can be difficult to discern between supporting someone and inserting yourself when it’s not needed.

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You’re an Amplifier!

As an amplifier ally, you make sure to that the diverse voices and experiences of others are seen and heard. You boost their experiences as integral parts of your communities and as diverse and global perspectives that are necessary for all of us to learn and grow.

As you continue in your allyship journey, remember to check in periodically with yourself and with the individuals you’re amplifying and supporting. Sometimes, we can unknowingly make ourselves the focus in amplifying others, so we always want to make sure that our intention and impact align.

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You’re a Scholar!

As a scholar ally, you do the work of learning, reading, fact-finding and compiling information to bolster the efforts of those around you toward more equitable, inclusive and diverse spaces. People can count on you to bring the best solutions, resources, and up-to-date knowledge about diversity, equity and inclusion.

As you continue in your allyship journey, think of ways that you can show your support in other ways. This might mean doing things differently, such as speaking up in meetings or playing the role of supporter for someone who isn’t feeling included by inviting them to things.

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You’re a Supporter!

You often work discreetly to help underrepresented or marginalized groups get their projects and goals started. You provide encouragement, feedback, and affirmation in your daily one-on-one interactions with these individuals, and you might be a valued confidant for many.

As you continue in your allyship journey, think of ways that you can extend yourself publicly to ensure that your friends, colleagues and community members know that you support them as well.

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You’re a Future Ally!

As a future ally, you are beginning to learn more about how to be an ally and advocate for inclusion. To begin to foster an inclusive workplace, you can take the following actions:

Be curious about the perspectives and experiences of others
Try to ensure all employees’ perspectives are considered
Speak up and advocate for others when you see bias or inequity

As you start on your allyship journey, remember to recognize and become more aware of any biases you may have and hold yourself accountable. Allyship is an ongoing process and requires making an intentional choice to advocate for inclusive practices.

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You’re a Champion!

As a champion ally, you promote the inclusion, utilization and visibility of individuals who might not otherwise be on the radars of others. You recognize their abilities and contributions both privately and publicly and you’re willing to take a seat if it means someone else gets a shot at the limelight.

As you continue in your allyship journey, remember to check in from time-to-time with yourself and with the individuals you’re championing. Your friends, colleagues and community members know that you have their backs. However, it can be a fine line between supporting and swooping in to save people who might not need saving.

You’re an Amplifier!

You’re a Supporter!

As you continue in your allyship journey, think of ways that you can extend yourself publicly to ensure that your friends, colleagues and community members know that you support them as well.

You’re a Scholar!

You’re a Future Ally!

As a future ally, you are beginning to learn more about how to be an ally and advocate for inclusion. To begin to foster an inclusive workplace, you can take the following actions:

Be curious about the perspectives and experiences of others
Try to ensure all employees’ perspectives are considered
Speak up and advocate for others when you see bias or inequity

Your allyship approach varies between these two types. This likely means that you are adjusting and adapting to situations as they occur. That might signal a willingness to be flexible and grow, or it might indicate that you’re still finding your bearings and might be uncertain about how to respond in a situation. In either case, that’s okay. Allyship is journey and not and end point.

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