ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 33 EQUALITY overwhelmed at such an assignment, and many will struggle to identify the role they can play. Let us apply our business minds for a moment and approach this challenge in the same way we would any large project, by creating smaller easier to achieve goals. Let us consider first what you can do as an individual. Your number one priority in my opinion is to set your intent and declare yourself a male ally. Affirming your commitment publicly, whether that be within your team or to the wider world, will hold you accountable for your actions (or lack of). As a second step, I would suggest taking some time to reflect on your position and consider the power you have as a man, true allyship is grounded in the awareness of privilege. Research published by the University of Houston suggests that men who reflect on their privileges have an increased sensitivity to and willingness to confront sexism. Now we can venture into the nitty-gritty of allyship. Make sure you are visible as an ally, make certain your voice is heard, and be prepared to have some challenging conversations. With such visibility, you will quickly find yourself becoming a role model to others (remember, I want you to be the catalyst so don’t shy away from this aspect of the role). Be mindful of your actions, your use of language, and how you communicate, when you are mindful you will recognise when those biases start creeping in. Challenge inclusivity in everything you do, from networking lunches to corporate procedures and policies. Actively listen to the perspectives of your team and ask how you can support them. Create supportive partnerships or teams, in time, relationships like this will create a sense of belonging, will build trust, and will allow the sharing of life experiences, which will in turn increase understanding of the perspectives of those who are different from yourself. Be certain to share out the unpaid work, such as making rounds of tea and coffee (you can do this one at home too) or taking the minutes in meetings, these tasks often unfairly fall on the female and younger members of staff. Find yourself an ally from outside of your circle, someone who is different from yourself to help you navigate this time of change, think of it as going direct to the source, use their insights to guide your actions. Unconscious bias One stumbling block on the journey to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment is unconscious bias . How often do you stop and think about what you are doing, to apply your conscious mind to the task at hand? The same applies when we are making decisions regarding talent or career progression, for example, choosing an applicant based on gender, age, or educational background as opposed to their ability to do the role. We are all biased, it is simply the way our minds have evolved, to enable us to evaluate and make decisions quickly based on a default set of values for any given situation. These biases are something we can make a conscious effort to overcome, to be more mindful in our daily actions and decision-making. As a company, review your training catalogue and ensure that unconscious bias training forms a part of your mandatory training programme. It is quick and easy to deliver, and in my experience has been very insightful, provoking thoughtful conversation amongst teams. When employees receive unconscious bias training, they become more aware of the influence of implicit bias and are more likely to slow down their decision-making process and apply a more logical approach. However, training alone will have very little impact on improving the situation. To really move things forward we must design biases out of our processes and policies, only then will we start to move towards a fairer and more inclusive workplace. Final thought, if everyone around you looks and sounds like you, I am certain you are missing out. Lisa-Jayne Cook is service sales manager, GEA Heating and Refrigeration Technologies; Trustee, Institute of Refrigeration; STEMazing committee chair, World Refrigeration Day; evaluation and scrutiny board member, Gosport and Fareham Multi Academy Trust. Lee Chambers and Stephen Gill recognised as Men for Gender Balance at the Rising Star Awards