Authentic Allyship:  The Heartbeat of Healthy Organizational Culture

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Tanya Settles
June 21, 2024

Arguably, the most important job of local governments is to create, sustain and enhance access for the people who make up the constellation of community. For some people, though, equitable access isn’t always easy for many reasons that may include history, inequitable laws and policies and for some communities of color, the very notion of interacting with government creates fear and cause for concern. Allyship is important to governments, not just for the people and communities we serve, but it also plays an important role in enhancing organizational culture. Democracy works better when local governments take steps to improve organizational culture so they can better connect to people they serve. One approach is to encourage authentic allyship and collaboration among staff that strengthens a culture of respect, inclusion and access.    

Understanding allyship is complex. A common definition of an ally is a person who is associated with another person as a helper who provides support to overcome challenges where both parties achieve shared goals. In recent years, allyship has become understood as someone who amplifies and elevates the voices of others who may not have the same level of power and privilege. But even this definition is not perfect because it assumes that there’s a power differential between the ally and the other person.  A better definition is that allyship is not about paving the way for someone else—it is about walking the walk with them so both achieve something together that they wouldn’t be able to achieve individually.  The best definition of allyship might be that allyship is an action-oriented practice that should not depend on being forced to do something when an issue arises. Allyship is a deliberate choice that cannot be mandated, but one that can and should be supported in public organizations. 

Allyship is already in the DNA of public servants. In countless conversations with employees across local governments, two important themes emerge. First, people choose to work in government because of the sense of community and service it provides. Second, public sector employees truly believe that when they work collectively, they achieve together what cannot be achieved individually. In other words, in many ways, public sector success is measured in what is achieved as a whole, not based on individual accomplishment. Similarly, allyship occurs when individual people advocate for others who are relatively disempowered and whose identities have been threatened or potentially marginalized. Allyship means respecting the experiences and perspectives of everyone and then working alongside each other to ensure voice and decision-making influence. Organizations that instill allyship as a behavioral norm and part of culture overcome barriers, are more innovative and create pathways to equitable access, both inside government and among the communities they serve. 

“Ally”, as a verb, denotes action, purpose and impact. Allyship is a point of entry to have important conversations about issues of inequity that government entities should be having, but sometimes avoid. Being an ally means recognizing privilege then choosing to share it with people who may not have as much. It means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, along with continual and purposeful collaboration. When allyship happens on an organizational level in government entities, great things can happen:

Enhanced Workplace Culture. Allyship generates a collaborative workplace culture where all employees feel valued and respected. When employees see their leaders actively supporting a culture of respect and inclusion, job satisfaction improves and people feel free to build lasting careers in public service.

Strengthened Public Trust. Practicing allyship inside government leads to practicing it in interactions with the communities we serve. Accountability increases because governments are demonstrating a commitment to the community and showing that they take responsibility for being responsive and with accountability comes trust. 

Improvements to Policy Outcomes. Allyship improves efficacy of policies since it takes the views, perspectives and voices of all groups and identities into consideration. When organizational culture is based on allyship and collaboration, governments also become more innovative and can solve complex problems more effectively because they intentionally hear multiple voices, even those that are critical.  

Mitigation of Bias and Discrimination. Allies have a critical role in calling out bias and discrimination in the workplace, creating a safer and more equitable environment for everyone. Constructive allyship is also associated with improved psychological safety where employees feel valued, are innovative and feel safe taking calculated risks that can include exercising voice and offering perspective.   

True and legitimate allyship takes work, focus, dedication and a lot of learning and practice. Allyship cannot be required, and when it is, it risks becoming performatively disingenuous. Common missteps in allyship can include failure to recognize an ally’s own privilege, not recognizing identity differences or offering help that is more dependency-based than collaborative. However, when allyship is supported by leaders, employees experience a sense of purpose and value.      

---

Author:  Tanya Settles is the CEO of Paradigm Public Affairs, LLC.  Tanya’s areas of work include relationship building between local governments and communities, restorative justice, and the impacts of natural and human-caused disasters on at-risk populations.  Tanya can be reached at [email protected].  The opinions in this column and any mistakes are hers alone. 

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...