Improvement Through Inclusion

Becoming An Upstander, Not A Bystander

In Karen Catlin’s book, Better Allies, she addresses the challenges marginalized groups of people face at work, how to spot them along with actionable solutions. In order to do this successfully, Catlin provides practical steps on the path to allyship. Her experience as a woman in tech and years of research has provided a one-stop manual packed with solutions for any organization to create a more diverse, inclusive and engaging environment. Such a manual, Catlin believes, is more than a path to employee empowerment, but the key to a company’s competitiveness.

Inclusion Is More Than A statistic

As a public relations agency in the twenty-first century, workplace culture is important to the Double Forte team. A diverse workforce must translate into diverse opinions. Creating a culture where individuals feel comfortable sharing their opinion is not only key, but where progress becomes palpable. Otherwise, diversity is only a statistic, not a practice. Our CEO, Lee Caraher is not only a woman in the workforce but a supportive mother to her family. She is an advocate for an open and engaging office. Good role models in the workplace, such as Lee, are the first steps to becoming a better ally. More on Lee’s workplace practices can be found here.

Guiding The Conversation

Not only is Better Allies informative, but it makes us think about how we can pave the way for a stronger support system. Catlin doesn’t speak of perfection or claim expertise. However, she uses personal insight to guide the conversation on becoming more self-aware in order to leverage privilege in support of underrepresented groups of people. Even if you’re not a company CEO, there is something new to be learned about healthy workplace culture. This book will make you think about your core values and how they affect the people around you.

More information on Karen Catlin can be found here.