You’re busy, I know this. We all are.

Sometimes we can get so focused on the “day job” we forget why we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place!

With the current pressure to attract and retain talent at an all-time high, creating a company culture that enables people to thrive is a must for businesses that want to be in with even a chance of winning the commitment of the ever-elusive candidate.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you all the fah-la-la-la-la-ing your heart desires. But as you’re doing that, please take a beat to remember that not everyone around you will be celebrating Christmas, and we need to talk about why…

There will be times when we will all be curious to know more about a person we’re talking to. And we very well may want to know where they are from… HOWEVER… We need to be conscious of our motivation behind this curiosity – and what we do with the answers we are given.

Allyship is a verb. It’s about action. But sometimes we can forget that choosing not to do something is also an act of allyship. The work in allyship is about understanding when our voices are and are not required, and knowing that we have the influence and platform to elevate the voices that matter.

How do we speak up when we see or hear something we feel is wrong? This is always a tricky one to navigate. We understand more, and we want to step up as an ally. But how do we do this?

We live in a world now where simply not being racist is not enough to turn the tide. We must move to a position of being actively anti-racist to make real and long-lasting change possible.

Racism is a huge issue. It has been centuries in the making, and it is so inter-woven in the fabric of society that a collection of articles isn’t going to revolutionise anything. But it will provide you with a level of understanding, for you to confidently challenge situations that you feel are not ok, and to create open dialogue about how racism shows up in your work, your home and your life.

Most white people believe that racism is simply a case of not liking Black or Brown people, saying offensive things, or belonging to certain racist groups or organisation.

Ageism. It’s time we talked more about the “ism” that will impact ALL OF US.

As with all things that are rooted in real and meaningful change, there can also be an opposite side to allyship, and one we must be prepared for if we are to stay the course when it comes showing up for others who are different to us. Because remember: Allyship; it’s not about us.

Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone knows how to give a genuine and meaningful apology.

Biases. We all have ‘em. ALL of us.