How to Become a Good Workplace Ally – 8 Steps

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Workplace allies are colleagues who personally align themselves with others to promote a common interest. Being an ally can be a commitment. This is because you will need serious work on yourself first before deciding to advocate for others. Being an ally is an ongoing active engagement in understanding, supporting, and taking action to uphold diversity, equality, and inclusiveness – at work or outside of work. 

If you would like to take actual steps toward becoming a workplace ally, I am here to help. I am part of the LGBTQ+ and the AAPI communities so this topic is close to my heart. If you are ready, I am ready. Below is your guide toward becoming a great workplace ally.

Steps on how to become a good workplace ally:

• Self-reflect
• Check your privileges
• Eliminate unconscious bias
• Educate yourself
• Educate others
• Stand up for others
• Integrate
• Celebrate the community

1. Self-reflect.

As mentioned above, being an ally means aligning yourself with others. And so the most logical first step to aligning yourself with others is understanding yourself. What do you stand for? What are the things that are important to you? And what are your expectations out of this journey? I suggest finding out why you would like to become an ally. And if you are wanting to become an ally for a specific group of people, figure out what it is about this community that resonates with you. 

These questions are to flesh out your intentions or to be able to come to terms with personal issues that may be connected to the topic. For most people, it is the general sense of respect, love, and equality. For others, it could be some past traumatic experiences that need healing. A portion of people also chooses to atone for past discriminatory behavior. Whatever it is, you need to start with recognizing internal factors that may be at play so that as you help others, you also help yourself. 

2. Check your privileges.

You gain so much perspective in realizing that the things you may be taking for granted are the very things that other communities fight so hard to achieve. This could be as basic as being able to freely walk down the street without having to fear for your life. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine the struggles. These advantages are sometimes what make you out of touch with reality. It’s normal for you to get treated with respect everywhere you go and so it’s hard to believe that the opposite of that could happen. But it does happen.

3. Eliminate unconscious bias.

Unconscious bias (or implicit bias) is often defined as prejudice or unsupported judgments in favor of or against one thing, person, or group as compared to another, in a way that is usually considered unfair. – vanderbilt.edu

Bias is taught. And so if you are 25 years old now, you may have a few of them learned throughout the years. It may not be obvious because you have also learned how to conduct yourself around people. However, unconscious biases can have a subtle (or glaring) impact on your decisions. 

Some examples of unconscious bias:

Be honest and write down all these prejudices and dissect why you have these beliefs. Then take the next step which is:

4. Educate yourself

This is that step that brings you into the world of the community you want to support. You can be creative in trying to get to know them. You can start by connecting with people at work, listening to their stories, and asking questions. Build relationships with them. You can also watch relevant documentaries, keep up with local or global news, join forums, or research as much as you can online (get your information from reputable sources). Get to know the community’s history, milestones, issues, and aspirations. When you educate yourself, you do not only understand the actual problems they face and how you can help, you also get to do the next step which is…

5. Educate others.

It takes a village. You can educate others in your own little ways like answering questions from colleagues, correcting misconceptions, sharing relevant content on social media, or recommending new shows on Netflix that talk about the community you support. If you’re feeling ready and more courageous, use your voice to amplify others’. Create support groups, organize events, or arrange talks that raise awareness.

6. Be un upstander.

Don’t be a bystander. Stop discrimination when you see it. It’s one thing to be educated, it’s another thing to use that education to take action. In the workplace, jokes are harmless until they’re not. Some conversations could start casual until it becomes at the expense of one person. Discrimination comes in many ways, shapes, and forms. If we are educated enough to recognize them when we see them, we can call out people as quickly and as effectively as possible. If it is not safe for you to confront the abuser, use the right channels. Call your hotline to report the incident, ask for guidance from HR, or solicit help from your leaders. Apply what you’ve learned in actual situations.

7. Actually do the talk.

When things are integrated into your mind, words, and actions, transformation naturally starts to happen. You instantly become drawn to sincerely listening to people, understanding their day-to-day challenges, and extending support the best way you can. This is when it becomes a default setting for you to stand up for them, denounce abuse, and seek change. And this is also when others begin challenging their own beliefs and become welcoming to other ideas because they see your consistent and genuine embodiment of the cause.

8. Celebrate the community.

They’ve had unfortunate experiences in their lives. And when you’re in survival mode, it’s hard to look at the bright side. Pick them up by celebrating them. Point out their contributions, talk about their heroes, acknowledge their strengths, and let them know you appreciate them.

These are just a few ways that you can start your journey toward becoming a workplace ally. Your workplace provides plenty of opportunities to connect to people from all walks of life. This diversity makes your 40 hours a week more colorful, interesting, and unique. And you can take advantage of it by being inclusive, accepting, and welcoming. 

This has been another great huddle. I appreciate you stopping by, Allies. 

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