Activating Allies

An ally is often defined as someone who is not a member of a marginalised group but wants to support and take action to help others in that group. Allyship in the workplace is crucial for inclusion and equality.

My passion for gender diversity and levelling the playing field has seen me spend many years helping women take their seat at the table.  The flip side of this coin is ensuring the seats are there and the table is accessible. 

In recent years, an increased understanding of the powerful impact of male allies at work and at home has led many organisations to recognize men as allies as a critical component of their diversity and inclusion efforts.  Men who are allies for women colleagues are crucial partners in achieving gender equality. Without that partnership, it’s much harder to address the barriers and inequalities that women face.

Those who have seats at the table find they are often a lone voice or get an unfair workload in the DEI space because it’s their passion but also they are the lone voice from that community so lead all the initiatives connected to their background.

Due to the work we’ve been doing in this space there are often Allies wanting to support but unsure how.  Either through not knowing what to do or a fear of doing/saying the wrong thing we are often waiting for permission to step forward and support in a space we’re not sure how to navigate or if we’ve got the right to be in.

This programme is designed to help educate leaders and their teams on being good Allies.  Including:

·       What is Allyship?

·       Overcoming unseen barriers: why support is needed

·       How do we best provide support?

·       How does this affect me?

·       Sharing privilege and ensuring all voices are heard, discussing fears and cancel culture

·       What’s the impact and how do we know it’s working?

·       Unlocking unconscious bias

·       How our organisations can engage and support allies.

This unique programme includes

·       A bespoke workshop for your leadership team

·       Staff sessions delivered in lunch and learn format

·       Follow up check ins and implementation support

·       Tailored to organisations needs not off the shelf

·       Shared learning and understanding, teams are talking the same language and sharing their experiences

·       Additional resources to support implementation

·       Practical strategies and proven experience

If you’re already showing your commitment to closing the gender gap in your organisation and purchasing this programme alongside the Women in Leadership programme we’ll reward your commitment with a discount.

Available as an in house programme for your organisation. Download the programme guide here and get in touch for availability.

The Activating Allies programme is available as a trainer the trainer for you EDI team. A combination of workshops and coaching enables you to roll this out in house yourself run by your own team and putting your own unique twist on the content. Get in touch to discuss.

Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the same. To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality, companies need to go beyond table stakes.

The reasons women leaders are stepping away from their companies are telling. Women leaders are just as ambitious as men, but at many companies, they face headwinds that signal it will be harder to advance. They’re more likely to experience belittling microaggressions, such as having their judgment questioned or being mistaken for someone more junior. They’re doing more to support employee well-being and foster inclusion, but this critical work is spreading them thin and going mostly unrewarded. It’s also increasingly important to women leaders that they work for companies that prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion.

If companies don’t take action, they risk losing not only their current women leaders but also the next generation of women leaders. Young women are even more ambitious and place a higher premium on working in an equitable, supportive, and inclusive workplace. They’re watching senior women leave for better opportunities, and they’re prepared to do the same.

Women in the workplace report McKinsey