Checklist for men (everyone) who want to be allies for women (everyone) at work (and in life)


“Allyship is a continuum from awareness to advocacy. It takes time and growth.”


  • Review your prepared “lines” or phrases that you’ll use in any scenario of inequity or unfairness or micro-aggressions. Post them in your office!

  • Do your housekeeping — ensure that your pronouns are visible, that you are not using exclusive phrases, that you are responding to folks in a timely fashion, etc.

  • At the start of every meeting, whether or not it’s “your meeting,” make sure everybody is there, and everybody has equal seating or access.

  • At the end of every meeting, open up the discussion for anybody that you haven’t heard from.

DAILY


  • Email yourself a self-assessment of your own allyship. Every Friday!

  • Do an audit of next weeks meetings and make sure everybody who needs to be there is included.

  • Review your calendar of activities at the end of the week and make sure that you connected with teammates equally or fairly. This includes reviewing cancellations and reschedulings.

  • Find a moment of (successful) allyship and celebrate it publicly.

  • Make at least a half hour a week of time for mentorship to someone — anyone — who you are in a position to help (even if it’s just by listening).

WEEKLY


  • Review your company’s values and reflect on how you’ve been living those values.

  • Look at the calendar and be aware of key holidays / commemorations (Women’s history month, Hispanic heritage month, religious holidays, etc.

  • Check in with all of your teammates and ask if their schedule is working for them or if they’re facing any logistical challenges that you can help address.

  • Schedule any forthcoming performance reviews that need to be scheduled.

  • Check in with every teammate and ask them a simple question: “Are you feeling included these days?”

MONTHLY


  • Set goals related to your own allyship and track your succes!

ANNUALLY


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