Text FEATURE: Engaging Men in Diversity
Engaging Men in Gender Diversity Approximately 75 percent of executives in the transportation industry are men, according to the 2019 Women In Trucking (WIT) Index. In such a male-dominated environment, it’s critical to enlist the support of male leaders in efforts to help bring more gender diversity to the industry.
How can women engage men in improving gender diversity in the workplace? “Awareness building is an important first step in winning men’s support,” says Kelly Wolf González, Director of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at KeepTruckin Inc., who addressed the topic in her presentation at the 2019 Accelerate! Conference & Expo. “Studies show that the higher men’s awareness of gender bias, the more likely they are to recognize the importance of achieving gender equality.” González recommends that women seek out potential allies – men who understand their own advantages, recognize the need for greater diversity and want to share their support. From their current position of greater power and privilege, men have a platform to help transform unequal power relations between men and women in the workplace, González explains.
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They can help effect change in four key ways: • Listen with empathy and seek to understand different perspectives. • Ask about others’ experiences and share their own. • Show up by being present, engaged and committed. • Speak up as an advocate and evangelize.
Men as Allies in the Real World Fortunately, more and more men in the transportation industry are recognizing the value of greater gender representation and showing interest in increasing diversity in the workplace. For example, about 14 percent of active Women In Trucking (WIT) members are male, and five of the association’s board members are men. Championing Professional Development Jim Taber, National Account Manager at Arrow Truck Sales Inc., is one of the newest male
members of the WIT board of directors. He welcomed the opportunity to take on the role this year, succeeding Jim Stevenson, the company’s Vice President of Business Development. “Our industry is clearly dominated by men, so we, as men, need to be involved in promoting gender diversity,” Taber explains. “It’s up to us to act as champions for our female colleagues and be their advocates. We need to help bring awareness to their skills and attributes, give them access to people they might not have access to, and include them in future visions for the company.” Taber sees value in involving more women in leadership. “If you don’t have different points of view, you can all tend to start rowing in the same direction. You need to have a variety of perspectives and life experiences at the table,” he says.
