Straight Allies

➜ TIP
Help your staff become straight
allies too by coaching them on how
they can make a difference
Developing open and constructive relationships with gay colleagues
can help straight allies to grow in confidence and allay anxieties
about ‘getting it wrong’.
I think everyone’s always a bit scared that they’ll mess up.
Certainly it took me a little while to get over this fear of
saying the wrong thing. When I took on the role of LGB
executive sponsor I said ‘look I’m really scared I’m going to get
stuff wrong, use the wrong words and offend people.’ But my
colleague on the staff network said ‘I know you, I know you
right to your soul, and if you say something wrong it’s
because you just didn’t know.’ So I was reassured that I
couldn’t mess up, and having that in mind made me bolder
and more confident. Once you’ve got over that, it’s a lot
easier to have those conversations with people. I’ve realised
that you can always ask forgiveness and people are very good
at knowing when it’s genuine. Amanda McKenzie, Executive
Committee member and Chief of Marketing & Communications, Aviva
SENIOR MANAGERS
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