Women in Financial Services
Why increasing your awareness and practical tools are critical to becoming a good ally and exceptional leader
Mark.Freed / 05 May 2021
Tracey Abayeta, Men for Inclusion Advisory Board shares her thoughts on why increasing your awareness and practical tools are critical to becoming a good ally and exceptional leader
The more I work within the realms of DEI, the more I’m convinced that being an ally in the workplace is effectively learning to be an exceptional leader that is able to unlock the value of a diverse team. Those who are intentional about managing diverse teams inclusively will win in the long run because they will create work environments where everyone (irrespective of their background) can thrive and fulfil their full potential.
Therefore, impactful DEI agendas will prioritise cultivating more inclusive leaders which requires a two pronged approach of
1) increasing awareness and
2) equipping leaders with the tools they need to lead more inclusively
They say awareness is curative and sometimes even the well intentioned leaders have blind spots. Conversations that bring leaders and minority voices within organisations can be a powerful tool to accelerate understanding and uncover blind spots. However, shedding a light on problems alone is not enough. Equipping leaders with practical tools that they can apply in their role as people managers is effective. Once the tools are provided, people can reflect and see what practical changes can be made to ensure more equitable outcomes on their team. It’s a journey but for those who are committed to creating environments where anyone can flourish on their teams, it’s worth the effort.
One of the reasons I’m excited to sit on the advisory board of Men for Inclusion is that I genuinely believe it operates by these two principles of increasing awareness and equipping men to better engage in the DEI agenda because we recognise that we need men (who hold the balance of power) to play an active role in building a more equitable future.
Join us on May 18th for our webinar How to be an ally for women from ethnic minority backgrounds where you will get to hear from women about their lived experiences and also share practical tips to be an ally for underrepresented women in the workplace. Please follow this link for more information and and Registration
About Tracey Abayeta Advisory Board Member
Tracey is passionate about people fulfilling their full potential in the workplace irrespective of their backgrounds. Her unique career path which started in investment banking enables her to understand challenges that minorities face in the corporate world. Through her work at SEO London, as founder of Opportunity Central and working as an HR professional for an independent investment bank, Tracey has structured and delivered a number of successful formal mentoring programmes and works extensively on projects that promote diversity & inclusion and talent development within the workplace which has impacted thousands of lives. She is a certified coach who helps people unlock their potential by understanding how to unlock the value in their relationships to support their career goals. A notable career highlight was her nomination of the Champion Award in 2018 for a female leadership programme she structured and executed while at SEO London (HerCapital).
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