b7: building and sustaining your allies network

B7: Building and sustaining your

allies network

Speakers:

• Rachel Collier-Wilson, Vice Chair LGBT Staff Network

and librarian, University of Sheffield, and

• Michael Evans, Senior Business Analyst, Accenture

Chaired by:

• Michelle Booth and Ian Rutter, Stonewall

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Building and sustaining your allies network

• Understand the value allies can bring to changing

organisational cultures

• Learn how to engage allies from across your organisation

• Gain ideas on how to motivate your allies from passive

support to proactive agents of change

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What is an ally?

An ally is an individual who doesn’t

identify as LGBT and believes that LGBT

people should experience full equality in

the workplace.

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Allies throughout history

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Allies throughout our Diversity Champions

• 82 organisations in the Top 100 have an employee network group for allies

• 77 DCs have visibly signalled their commitment to sexual orientation and gender identity equality

• 80 DCs have participated in LGBT employee network group events

• 51 DCs helped organise an all-staff event on sexual orientation* equality

• 64 DCs helped organise a recruitment drive for more allies or their equivalent

Open@TUoS

Allies supporting LGBT equalityRachel Collier-WilsonVice Chair LGBT Staff Network (and a librarian)

19/09/2016 © The University of Sheffield 8

19/09/2016 © The University of Sheffield 9

#RainbowLanyard

“...if just one member of staff feels

more supported in the workplace, or

one student feels more comfortable to

come forward and talk openly…it’s

worthwhile.”

Gemma Halliwell (Student LGBT Chair)

“if being a visible ally helps just one

person feel that little bit more

comfortable around campus, then I

think I’ve done a great job” James Gregory

“…the idea revolved around making staff

and students feel comfortable and open to

be themselves…” Dr Matt Mears (LGBT Chair)

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Learn

Support

Promote

Challenge

Think

Commit

Link

Imagine

Engage

Volunteer

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What we ask our supporters to do

1119/09/2016 © The University of Sheffield11

To educate others and

ourselves and to learn through

doing so, thereby improvingthe world.

University of Sheffield - Mission

Michael Evans

Senior Business Analyst

Accenture

LGBT Ally Network

September 2016

Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. 15

What is our LGBT Ally Program?

Our Mission: To support and encourage straight employees in taking equal responsibility for making out working environment explicitly inclusive of LGBT employees

Our Vision: A workplace that de-mystifies the challenges LGBT staff face at work; helping everyone feel comfortable talking to and about LGBT staff and issues. Where everyone understands that creating an inclusive environment for LGBT employees is everyone’s responsibility and our active and explicit commitmentto LGBT inclusion helps differentiate us from our competitors.

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Why implement an Ally Network?

Engage more than just your LGBT employees

Make more people a part of the conversation

Drive an inclusive culture

Retain & attract talent

Expand professional and personal networks

Allow people to bring their whole self to work


Our Story

1995: Accenture launches first global I&D strategy

2003: I&D strategy evolves into Global I&D Corporate Function

2004: LGBT Network established

2009: Accenture Diversity Council formed

2010: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity & Expression added to non-discrimination policy

2012: LGBT Ally Network launched


What makes a mobilised Ally?

As a mobilised LGBT Ally: I will Be Visible

I will Be Informed

I will Be Vocal

I will Be Active

by wearing my lanyard

by adding the flair to my signature

by taking it back to my client / colleagues

by using my charity days to support the community

by starting conversations

by holding brown bags for my team

by speaking up if you see disrespectful behaviour

by contributing to the circle, Accent on LGBT

by sharing news / links / best practice


24 LGBT Ally Networks across the Business&

11,000 Allies across the organisation

Examples of Best Practice• Canada: Community meetings & Allies’ sharing their personal stories• Netherlands: Workplace Pride Conference• France: Opening up the conversation on Allies with clients, media and students• UK: Monthly ‘Pink Thursday’ socials, engagement with organisations such as Stonewall and

BFI

How are we doing?


What next?

• Increase the number of LGBT Ally Networks • Focus on maturing existing Ally Networks • Ensure more cross-network collaboration with other

groups and Allies at Accenture• Educate even more of our Allies & Network to truly

empower them

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THANK YOU!

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Interactive Session

b7: building and sustaining your allies network

Documents