Research: What Effective Allies Do Differently

Many people strive to be an ally to their historically marginalized colleagues. But too often, they also fear that their allyship efforts could expose their co-workers to backlash, could be unwelcome by the people they strive to support, or could fall into the social traps of “performativeness.” Instead of doing nothing as a result of these fears, research suggests that, by rooting allyship in their virtues, potential allies can better understand why they seek to support others — and to maintain this support over the long-term. Specifically, there are four stages to follow, comprised of nine key virtues.