CLM’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee recently held a webinar entitled, “How to Promote and Recognize Allyship for Diversity and Inclusion,” which included a discussion on how managers can better recognize the power of diversity in their organizations. Below are a few key takeaways from the presentation.
12:00:00 p.m.THE SPEAKERS
- Moiré Morón, AVP Claims, QBE North America
- Kristine Phillips, Partner, O’Hagan Meyer LLC
- Sarah Cho, Senior Claim Director, Chubb
12:03:44 p.m.
Kristine Phillips
“I think we all recognize, especially in the current climate of our country, that subjects like diversity, inclusion, equity, and allyship need to be at the forefront of our minds…no matter how uncomfortable or foreign a topic it is to us.”
12:04:48 p.m.
Kristine Phillips
“What is an ally? It’s someone who actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive, and conscious efforts. The verb ‘allyship’ is ‘a combining or uniting a resource with another for mutual benefit.’”
12:09:32 p.m.
Sarah Cho
“When we talk about allyship, you have to really pay attention to what people do, not what they say. We’ll give some tangible ways how allies can be supportive.”
12:20:18 p.m.
Sarah Cho
“Part of being an ally is clearing the air. You challenge negative behavior and rock the boat, because not rocking it can sometimes continue the oppression or marginalization.”
12:22:43 p.m.
Moiré Morón
“It’s important for allies to advocate for or sponsor underrepresented individuals’ careers, but one thing I think a lot of allies forget is that they need to make the space available for underrepresented employees to advocate for themselves, too.”
12:23:04 p.m.
Moiré Morón
“One myth about allyship is that awareness is enough. It’s not. For example, with Black Lives Matter and the racial tensions we have been experiencing recently, it’s not enough to just say, ‘I know of it.’ You should act on it.”
12:26:14 p.m.
Kristine Phillips
“No one is going to tell you, ‘Join this club’ or ‘You should be an ally to this person because you have this certain privilege.’ The onus is upon you, especially if you are at the C-suite level or are in a position where you can truly make a difference.”
12:34:18 p.m.
Moiré Morón
“One example of a microaggression is ‘Everybody can succeed in society if they work hard enough.’ That may be so, but you minimize the fact that [someone’s] experience and work don’t always speak for itself…. You also end up not acknowledging my blackness, and how it can negatively impact me or work against me.”