At Aperian, we define allyship as the practice of elevating others who haven’t enjoyed the same advantages as you. This looks very different for various cultures, and allyship actions that are accepted in one place may cause more harm than good in another.
We recently hosted Allyship with a Global Lens: a roundtable discussion about different cultural perspectives on allyship. The event was moderated by Xin Yi Yap (Singapore/USA), and featured panelists Freeda Fernandes (India/Singapore), Anja Stentoft Jacobsen (Denmark), Anthony Greco (USA). They discussed their own cultural context for allyship and provided several practical tips for ensuring effective allyship with others in a way that respects their identity and cultural background.
The webinar was lively and full of great questions from participants and insights from our Aperian experts. Here are some of the questions and answers covered during the webinar.
Freeda: Asia tends to be more status oriented, compared to the more egalitarian cultures in the United States, Australia, and some Scandinavian countries. So when individuals look at their roles, they think about them in a limited scope, and believe that they are to play a part in the context of a larger structure and system. So the concept of allyship, which actually requires you to go beyond your role, can be quite daunting and make some feel uncomfortable. Thus effective allyship can start with really good leadership role modeling. When leaders themselves display allying behaviors, it signals to team members that being an ally is a good thing, and you are welcome to ally with others. Having that sense of direction from a leader helps team members feel psychologically safe allying with others in more status-oriented cultures.
Additionally, effective allyship in these cultures can look very subtle. People might not stand up and verbally say that they support one another, but it can show through very informal exchanges of sharing a connection, introducing someone to a person of influence, or giving others a platform to share their ideas.
Anthony: Before we talk about what effective allyship looks like in a specific culture, we really need to know the context and norms of that culture. Resources like the GlobeSmart Guides are the perfect place to learn more about different cultures around the world, including topics like communication styles, resolving conflict, common business practices, and how you can drive change. With a greater cultural context, you can leverage that knowledge to carefully plan your approach. You want to make sure that your actions are helpful, and that you’re not going to potentially make the situation more harmful for another person.
As an outsider of that culture, you should also consider what kind of influence or power you might have that members of the culture may not. Are there situations or spaces in which you might be able to voice something that others wouldn’t be able to, or challenge people that they can’t? You don’t want to overdo this—it’s from a line that you have to walk really carefully—but there might be certain situations that are really important to the people that you’re allying for and with, and knowing when you can use your power and influence to drive change and influence is really important.
Freeda: People can get nervous when they’re told to speak up. In an Asian context, that can be pretty much the scariest thing you can ask someone to do! It can be helpful to reframe the concept of ‘speaking up’ as well as create additional spaces that allow individuals to feel safe sharing authentically.
Allyship is a pretty new concept in Asia. Similar to “diversity” and “equity,” people are still trying to get familiar with these terms. They’re being transported from the West, so to speak, so organizations are trying to get comfortable with what these terms mean and how they apply in the workplace. Then, translating that into application and action takes a while as well. So it is helpful to level-set as an organization around what allyship means, then establish the expectation.
Anja: I often think about a quote from the American poet and civil right activist, Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Here are a few ways to start practicing allyship:
Anthony: When we want to ally with others, it’s really critical to take on a listening posture, be in learning mode, and center the experiences and feelings of others. It’s important to understand what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, and if and how they would appreciate an intervention. There is so much diversity within any given group, and one person may really appreciate allyship in a certain way, where it might make another person more uncomfortable. Consider different work styles and environments that you’re operating in and plan your approach accordingly, keeping the impact you want to make as your guide along the way.
Freeda: Navigating legalities and compliance is always tricky. But I think when you’re connecting with individuals, it’s important to lean into their full identity, whether they identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. It means a lot to just be there for someone and help them feel heard, seen, and understood. Of course the action part is something you may not be able to go all the way on. But it can go a long way for someone to feel they have someone listening to them.
Anthony: Of course, it’s ‘safety first’—for yourself and for the people you’re allying with. You don’t want to create an unsafe situation for them. However, within many cultures where it is highly illegal, there are still organizations out there who are doing great advocacy work. So there might be ways that you’re able to lend your voice or resources to those groups who can drive change. It might not be as direct as some of the allyship that you can practice in other areas. But there are still things that you can do. Raising that awareness is a great starting point.
Anthony: We all win together, and it can be good to help people understand that this is not a ‘zero sum game’ (meaning whenever one person wins, the other loses). Someone receiving new opportunities they haven’t before doesn’t mean that someone else has less as a result. We like to think of it this way: we’re not redistributing the same pie, we’re making a bigger pie so that we can all share and enjoy it.
For even more insights from Freeda Fernandes, Anja Stentoft Jacobsen, and Anthony Greco, and Xin Yi Yap, watch the Allyship with a Global Lens on-demand webinar.
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