Today men are encouraged to be allies, to empower women professionally in the workplace – but what does that mean practically, from the male perspective?
Aurora50 has been exploring the issue of male allyship at recent NOORA events, discussing it with male executives from Emirates Group and EGA invited to a workshop and in a panel discussion with male Aramex leaders at a NOORA site visit to Aramex’s regional headquarters in Dubai.
At the heart of male allyship lies the fundamental act of listening.
“I think the easiest way – and possibly one of the most effective ways – to be a better ally is simply to listen when someone is speaking, and to what is being said,” says Ben Lindley, Vice President Ramp Operations for EKAS Operations Services at The Emirates Group.
“Taking the time to listen can create an environment where everyone feels valued, feels encouraged and feels confident in sharing their experiences, without fear of prejudice or retribution.”
When people listen, he adds, everyone has the opportunity and the right conditions to “contribute to a fairer, more inclusive and more productive” workplace.
Nicolas Sibuet, Group Chief Financial Officer at Aramex, agrees. Men should “leave space” for everyone to express themselves, he says.
“It is important to listen carefully and with engagement, to be able to create an open environment where people are motivated and encouraged to speak up,” adds Sergey Akhmetov, Executive Vice President, Midstream at Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA).
After listening comes feedback, Mr Lindley says.
“I think it is important to actively seek feedback from female colleagues about their experiences and what steps can be taken to improve workplace equity.
“One can assume that an organisation has an inclusive culture based on your own beliefs and experiences but it’s only from feedback that we know what the reality looks like.”
Mike Rich, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Aramex, says male managers should also ensure they ask for advice.
He does, however, also encourage women to “openly” seek advice and support too. “It is a two-way street,” he observes.
Authenticity is another value that is important for allies, emphasises Mr Akhmetov.
He says men should be authentic and “act with humanity”. They should also “pay attention” to both their own feelings and to the feelings of the woman they’re speaking with.
Mr Sibuet says women, too, should “stay true to who you are”.
“You should not change or adapt yourself to the male environment,” he says. “Otherwise you will take on behaviours that are not natural to you.”
Mr Rich agrees that women need to fight against imposter syndrome. “You are in that position because you deserve to be there, because you have worked hard and you have shown potential.”
Mr Akhmetov says a supportive culture is vital in allyship.
“It is important to create relationships that are built on trust and respect,” he says. “Practicing and living this is crucial.”
Listening to women’s concerns at the NOORA workshop he attended gave him a “greater understanding” of the challenges women face in day-to-day business life, Mr Akhmetov adds.
“It magnified the importance of providing support and advocating.”
He recommends coaching and mentoring programmes for both men and women, to “foster adaptation of change to our working culture”.
While mentoring is important, Mr Rich says male sponsorship of talented women is the turning point in allyship.
“Without sponsorship, there is no real movement,” he says. “That is the secret. It means giving her exposure, talking about her publicly, giving her public support and showing her voice.
“Sponsorship puts the sponsored woman in the spotlight and that’s the key to success – and change. We need to lead the way we want to be led and sponsor the way we want to be sponsored.”
Mr Sibuet says change is already “happening naturally”. “The younger are growing up with more inclusive minds and purpose-driven leadership.
“The way I see it, my son is growing up differently. He has a completely different inclusiveness from the way I grew up. We can accelerate it, but it is there.”
But, he adds, male allyship is a “journey of continuous improvement”.
“The ultimate challenge is the male-female relationship in the corporate environment – not nationality, not race, but a binary approach to genders.”
[Related: Five ways that men can bring allyship to work]
NOORA is Aurora50’s community for corporate GCC-based women who lead with impact. We offer both corporate packages and individual annual membership. NOORA members meet at least six times per year for face-to-face workshops and networking events; we also offer webinars, site visits to partner offices and an online network.
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