No one wins a war without an ally. And since the startup community lovesss pretending like they’re in war, we will too.
While not everyone is fortunate enough to have all the different types of allies, here are a few kinds you could keep an eye out for:
If you confide in this person, they will make it a point to make sure you’re never left alone with your abuser, they will help deflect any unwanted attention and they may go so far as talking to your abuser for you. They might even be able to handle it quietly and deftly if they’re older/more powerful.
More often than not, they won’t be a colleague — they’re an old, close friend. You know they’re always around with a shoulder to cry on. And while they can’t help you at work, they’ll be able to help you make the right connections, offer you a shoulder to cry on and be angry enough for the two of you.
They’ve been there and done that. They’ve witnessed several cases of assault and harassment in their lives and they know the different ways this can play out.
But of course, take their advice with a pinch of salt. If they’ve been through this before, a lot of their advice will be tinted with their own trauma. You can’t blame them for that, it just is what it is. They do mean well.
A Champion often holds a powerful role within the company. When everything goes south, they will advocate for you both as a person and an employee. If you chose to continue working at the company, it is likely that they will be able to help you the most while dealing with retaliation or any coverups about why you may have gone missing.
It is tempting to believe that people are what they tweet. But that is bullshit. People tweet for status not out of conviction.
So don’t believe everything people tell you about themselves.
Even if someone is genuine in their convictions, make sure they have a spine. They don't have to organise a riot for you, but they do need to be able to back you up. A coward is hardly any better than a fraud when push comes to shove.
Ally = Spine + Authenticity
<aside> 👋 For more quality content, follow us on: Twitter | **Instagram |** [email protected]
</aside>