How can you support the many diverse groups working in the public sector?
Leaders in today’s APS need to be able to harness and leverage the strengths of a diverse team, and they also need to create environments where everyone can bring their whole self to work and perform at their best. [_From The Hatchery -_ Public Sector Allyship & Inclusive Leadership Summit].
An ally is someone who takes action to support a group that they are not part of.
Whether you’re an employee, team leader, manager, or director – you need to be an ally for those around you.
“When you have the privilege of being a senior public servant, not least being a Secretary, you are given a huge privilege – a temporary lease on power that comes both with big opportunities and with big responsibilities. Use your power and privilege to support and encourage those who’ve never had it, or who have tended to be marginalised and excluded. It costs you nothing but can make a hugely positive impact on others.”
Jim Betts – Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
What can we do to be allies?
Most importantly – listen, support, self-reflect & change.
Learn – We need to get an understanding of the issues facing a marginalised group, the barriers which they are confronting and some perspective on what it is like to be from that group. As an ally, you will never be able to understand in the same way as a person with lived experienced will. That’s ok because it’s not your role.
Learning and growth will not happen without being challenged. Challenge yourself to cross-examine your bias after learning from different voices.
Understanding and recognising privilege – Having uncomfortable conversations with yourself, understanding the systematic and societal issues which may have played in your favour is eye opening and allows you to use this privilege to amplify those who do not have it.
Listen – Follow different people and listen to them. Find out what someone needs. Do they need you to bring up their cause in a senior-level meeting? Do they need you to change a policy to include them? Do they need you to challenge behaviour?
Call out inappropriate behaviour - Call out inappropriate behaviours such as micro aggressions and banter (even if the person didn’t mean it) – realise the impact of that behaviour.
Advocate – your actions and words must align. Now is the time you need to act and advocate for others. You could do this by:
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Fostering team cohesion and trust
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Sharing growth opportunities with others
- Giving up your space at an event or meeting for someone from a marginalised group to attend
- Consider who has been invited to meetings
- Consider who has been given development opportunities
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Giving credit when someone has a good idea and repeating it.
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Inviting someone with lived experience to attend decision-making meetings
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Encouraging your peers to join and support diversity and inclusion initiatives
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Listening to feedback and not viewing it as a personal attack
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Self-reflecting on your own behaviours
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Using inclusive language
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Believing underrepresented people’s experiences – act as a confidant