Men: Be the Hero
By: Michelle Bogan
Being pro-women does not mean being anti-men. We want — and need — men to work with us as partners to redefine how the workplace should work for everyone’s benefit.
[Related: Empowering Men as Allies Part 1: Intersectional Allyship]
The major work to be done is pushing against the status quo and questioning whether existing ways of working, operational practices, and cultures really reflect today’s values and drive engagement for men and women alike.
It’s not about separating the men from the women — forming an internal women’s group is not the answer in isolation. It’s about finding better ways to work together.
It also does not have to be about looking in the rearview mirror and revisiting past generations’ ways to doing things. It is about looking forward and making it work NOW.
[Related: Good Men of the World: Step Up. We Need You.]
There are tremendous benefits to be gained, benefits we all reap:
There are small things you can do right away that start to change the tide. Mentor an up-and-coming female co-worker. Introduce women you work with to key men in your networks and vice-versa. Make sure you evenly distribute or rotate the administrative/housekeeping tasks at work among male and female team members. Ensure women get time to present in a meaningful way in key meetings. Go to bat for professional development specific to women.
Changing the status quo can feel like a monumental task. But like any big effort, it can be broken down into small tasks that you can start chipping away at right now. Momentum will start to build, and then it will begin to carry itself and generate its own energy and excitement. Each next step gets easier.
To the men who have been great partners and mentors and have helped, we say thank you. Please keep helping, keep the dialogue going, and set a great example for others. You make it possible for us all to win.
[Related: Women’s March 2018: Why I Marched Again]
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Throughout her twenty-five-year career, Michelle Bogan has mentored colleagues and clients, founded and led women’s groups, and helped promote many women and men to leadership positions. In 2018, she founded Equity for Women to advance the mission of empowering women at work.
Originally published at www.ellevatenetwork.com.
