Creating a culture of diversity and inclusion in the workplace requires the dedication of a team working together as allies. This alliance is essential to support the spirit and actions behind the cultural shift to a more inclusive workplace for people of all genders. To better understand the role of allies we co-hosted another installment in our Innovator Series in partnership with Intertrust, building on our recent diversity and inclusion events.
This time, we focused on how men can engage with women as constructive allies in the workplace. Two leading D&I experts joined me in the conversation: Cornell F. Woodson, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Equity at Looker, and Tariq Meyers, Global Head of Belonging, Inclusion, & Experience at Coinbase. Both shared their perspectives on how we can collectively develop a positive allyship for people of all genders and gender expressions in the workplace. The conversation also addressed the role of communication and dealing with microaggressions, challenges men face as allies, bringing our authentic selves to our workplace, “new rules” of D&I, and cultivating the right code of conduct to support success within a particular corporate culture. Ambriel Pouncy of Intertrust moderated the session.
It is worth noting that while our conversation focused more on the binary aspect of the male and female genders in building allyship to counteract sexual harassment and break the glass ceiling, there needs to be more dialogues in general to fully explore the unique lived experiences of trans men and women.
Gender equity and global economic impact
We kicked off with some staggering statistics around promoting diversity and the global impact. Building an alliance among women and men is a key way to achieve gender equity as supported by the findings of a McKinsey study – if every country matched the progress toward gender parity of its fastest-improving neighbor, GDP could increase by 11% per country on average in 2025, or $12 trillion total.
Why engaging men as allies in the workplace matters
At WiL, through the corporate innovation work we do with our corporate partners such as Suzuki, All Nippon Airways and others, we’ve seen how more diverse teams spur greater creativity and engagement in the workplace. Simply put, men and women working together as allies is good for business.
In addition, according to a 2017 BCG study, when men deliberately engage in gender inclusion programs, 96% of organizations see progress in improving gender diversity, compared to only 30% for organizations where men are not engaged. Further, men currently hold the majority of power positions - another key reason to engage men in the workplace conversation about gender diversity. According to a 2019 study by McKinsey & LeanIn.org, men comprise 74-78% of C-suite and SVP roles, as well as 77% of VP, 65% of senior manager/director, 72% of manager and even 51% of entry-level positions. Men are in a prime position to hire and promote women and, as importantly, to change the status quo at every level within an organization. For example, having an influential male ally and champion of a certain group of employees, whether it be a female group, an LGBTQ+ group, or other minority cohorts, is always powerful for driving a culture of equality.
"At WiL, through the corporate innovation work we do with our corporate partners such as Suzuki, All Nippon Airways and others, we’ve seen how more diverse teams spur greater creativity and engagement in the workplace."
A common challenge in the workplace: Microaggressions
Microaggressions - indirect, subtle, discriminations against members of a certain group leaving them feeling disrespected and demeaned - regardless of intention - are as bad as if not worse than blatant aggressions as they happen much more frequently, and without any legal recourse. From having their judgment challenged, to being overlooked, or being mistaken for someone at a more junior level, women are far more likely to experience such everyday discrimination. While 73% of women and 59% of men have experienced at least one type of microaggression, these everyday slights are more common for women. As seen in the graph from the 2019 study by McKinsey & LeanIn.org, women of color, lesbian, bisexual women, and women with disabilities experience migroaggressions at an even higher ratel. Microaggressions are an obstacle for building allyship, and over time, they could deplete employees’ cognitive and emotional resources, leading to burnout and turnover. And so it is critical to call out migroaggressions when you see them.
Building allyship
Now with these identified issues and opportunities in corporate diversity and inclusion, how can men initiate and navigate these conversations between genders in the current “#metoo” climate in a way that makes everyone feel safe? Our speakers shared some working guidelines for both genders.
Men
- Be more aware of our own behavior and communication
- Ask for feedback
- Do not retaliate when receiving negative feedback
- If for no other reason, retaliation is textbook harassment
- Speak up and call it out when you witness it!
- Only 27% of employees say that managers regularly challenge biased language and behavior when they observe it. One way men can help is to stop biases as they happen in the moment. Many women report having their ideas only taken seriously when reiterated by a man in the room. Men have the power to amplify and give credit where credit is due.
- Be an effective listener
- Believe women when they come to you with concerns, and accept that they are experts in their own gendered experience. And when you’re feeling called out, instead of reacting with defensiveness, try to listen and even seek to validate their experience. Start having more conversations with women and other gender groups. Invite other men.
- Show up to support diversity
- This includes attending diversity talks/ events, even if joining mostly to listen in. Your presence will be appreciated by women and others. If you can’t join, ask about it after, show that you care. This often opens up more organic and meaningful conversations.
- Read!
- There is a ton of information available online and other – in the form of books, articles, blogs illuminating challenges women and employees in general face in the workplace.
Women
- When dealing with microaggressions, don’t assume the intention is bad
- Often it’s not – maybe it is to expedite the decision process, maybe the person is just stressed out.
- When you experience microaggressions, calm down and establish some emotional distance
- Don’t take it personally, and don’t fuel aggression with aggression. It’s important to have a conversation at some point, because the worst thing to do about the aggressor is nothing and let their behaviors go unchecked. After you calm down, whether that's an hour later or the next morning, you can come back to the aggressor to have a rational conversation.
- When you do speak up, try to give the person the benefit of the doubt
- Assume you don’t know why they are behaving this way, and focus on your feelings and not their intentions. If you say something about their intentions and their character, you may be assuming incorrectly and it may provoke an argument. What can't be argued is the emotional impact you experienced. Be sure to separate intentions and impact. When giving feedback and explaining how you feel about the aggression towards you, give specific examples. “When you do/ say abc in xyz way, I feel …”
- It’s all the more important for women to support each other - e.g. call out microaggressions when witnessed
- If a woman is not being heard in a meeting, speak up and give her the floor. If a female colleague isn’t getting credit for her work, make sure credit is given where it’s due.
Belonging in the workplace: Respecting individuality and authenticity
There are other cultural aspects that should be addressed in the gender dynamic in the workplace - one of them is individual style. In the old paradigm, men may have been known to comment on a woman’s dress and appearance. While an individual style of dress may be just that - individual, certain modes may be offensive to others within certain corporate contexts. While it is not unreasonable for a company to define and communicate to employees before they join what is acceptable within its code of conduct, we also need to acknowledge that there is a fine line between communicating diplomatic expectations around a dress code that lead to a harmonious work environment vs. imposing old paradigm gender stereotypes around dress that are limiting and offensive.
Transitioning into a new era: Shifting to new social norms
Finally, there is the transition from old rules to new rules that crystallizes how to approach building a culture of D&I where gender and roles mesh together respectfully and impactfully. One of the first new rules is that Diversity and Inclusion is a CEO-level priority and considered essential throughout all levels of management. Also, diversity in the new era is defined in a broader context, including diversity of thought and neurodiversity, which acknowledges autism and other cognitive differences. The more we understand about diversity, the more we realize how deep and wide a territory diversity and inclusion can cover. As we shift from a male-dominated corporate structure to an equitable environment for all, we must continue to keep our eyes open to different ways diversity can manifest itself.
While these points all stand solidly as ideas to act on, illuminating how men can serve as allies in the workplace, the topic of D&I includes many other facets that we will continue to explore towards communicating a comprehensive understanding in the coming months.