Being an ally in the workplace involves a willingness and personal commitment to take action in pursuit of justice and equality for the disenfranchised. Too often, the burden of attaining equality is placed on marginalized individuals. A good ally takes on that burden instead. In this episode of Psychologists Off the Clock, Jill is joined by Brad Johnson and David Smith, co-authors of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace, to discuss how men can be better allies to women in the workplace. Together, they discuss good ally behavior including educating oneself about different identities or experiences, challenging one’s assumptions and beliefs, and learning and practicing the skills necessary to make lasting change. Engage in some good ally behavior right now, and listen in to this episode to learn how to be a better ally today!
Listen and Learn:
-Brad and David’s take on the problem of gender equality and whose job it is to solve it-How to practice situational awareness and make invisible workplace issues more visible-What the zero sum bias is and how to use the most current research on it to inform your behavior-All about EQ, IQ, and how they can work for you (or against you) in the workplace-How to be a ‘good guy’ in the workplace and how to inspire other ‘good guys’ to take action-What a likeability penalty is, who it affects, and why-Expert-approved steps you can take to be a more proactive ally at home and at work-Why the global economic benefits to eliminating the gender pay gap aren’t more of a concern and who to hold accountable for eliminating that gap-Brad and David’s views on the pandemic and gender in the workforce
Resources:

Brad and David’s books, Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the WorkplaceAlicia Menendez’ book, The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You AreEve Rodsky’s book, Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)Brad and David’s most recent article on Harvard Business Review about male allyshipKimberle Crenshaw’s article, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics

About Brad and David:

Dr. Brad Johnson is Professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the U.S. Naval Academy, and a Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Johnson is the author of more than 130 journal articles and book chapters—many on the topic of mentoring—and 14 books, in the areas of mentoring, gender in the workplace, and professional ethics. He speaks around the globe on the topics of mentorship and cross-gender workplace relationships.

Dr. David Smith is Associate Professor of sociology in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College. As a sociologist trained in military sociology and social psychology, he focuses his research in gender, work, and family issues including bias in performance evaluations, retention of women, dual career families, military families, and women in the military. Dr. Smith is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters—many on the topic of gender and the workplace—and 2 books in the area of gender in the workplace and inclusive mentoring relationships. He speaks around the globe on the topics of mentorship and cross-gender workplace relationships.

They are co-authors of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. Learn more about being a workplace ally, here at workplaceallies.com.