Combat the “Halo-Horns” Effect, and Other Actions for Allies

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally.

Better Allies®
Code Like A Girl

1. Combat the “halo-horns” effect

In How One Company Worked to Root Out Bias from Performance Reviews, I learned a new term: “halo-horns.”

“The ‘halo-horns’ effect [is] where white men are artificially advantaged … because they get halos (where one strength is generalized into an overall high rating) whereas other groups get horns (where one mistake is generalized into an overall low rating).”

To combat this effect, the study’s authors recommend that performance review forms require at least three pieces of evidence to back ratings. This change, coupled with training on how the bias showed up in previous reviews, made a difference. A year later, the annual performance reviews for a mid-size law firm were more equitable and fair.

As allies, whether we are writing an annual performance review or providing feedback about a peer, we should look out for halo-horns. Identify three examples of the behavior we’re seeing instead of generalizing the feedback based on just one.

2. In times of trauma, let people know they’re not alone

As COVID cases surged in India last week, Google employee Mekka Okereke tweeted:

“If you have friends or co-workers in India, or your friends or coworkers have family in India, please be extra thoughtful and kind.”

While this may seem like common sense, not everyone is of the same mind. Harvard professor Dr. Hima Lakkaraju shared in a tweet,

“As I struggled to deal with the impact of COVID on my family members in India, I got delayed by a day for submitting my reviews for a conference & I got a message from a senior reviewer with the blurb below. My humble request to everyone — pls don’t say this to anyone ever!”

Here’s the message they received:

“I am well aware that the situation in India is tragic … But, you are not the only person affected by that. There are many Indian ACs, some with close family members in hospitals or with a very worrisome health condition, who have done their duties for the conference.”

A gentle reminder: allyship and empathy go hand-in-hand. In times of trauma, the best allies are even more empathetic than usual. I appreciate Dr. Brené Brown’s advice: Listen, hold space, withhold judgment, emotionally connect, and communicate that incredibly healing message of “You’re not alone.”

(Thank you to Dr. Patty Lopez for bringing Dr. Lakkaraju’s tweet to my attention.)

3. Go out on a limb

In 7 Pieces of Bad Career Advice Women Should Ignore, authors Cindy Gallop and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic provide a list of popular suggestions that they believe are best neglected. Reading the article through a lens of allyship, I picked up on this critical point:

“Women don’t need mentors. Women need what men get all the time — someone prepared to go out on a limb for them. A champion is someone who, behind closed doors, slams their fist on the boardroom table and says, ‘If there’s only room for one bonus in the budget, it’s going to Jane, not John.’ In other words, a champion is a committed sponsor who has the agency to influence people at the top and will use it to help you, someone who will be your loyal brand ambassador and push for you to get ahead — even if it means jeopardizing their reputation by disrupting the status quo.”

Now it’s your turn. Think about who you sponsor. If they tend to be “like you” or remind you of your younger self, consider developing relationships with a more diverse group of coworkers. Get to know their work, strengths, and career goals — and then go out on a limb for them.

4. Not enough chairs? Offer yours

When I worked in corporate America, I remember large conference rooms with tables and chairs in the center, surrounded by extra seating along the walls. Inevitably, people with the most privilege (white men and people in more senior roles) would take seats at the table. Others gravitated toward the edges of the room, in essence reinforcing a less-than status.

In my book, I recommend that allies invite marginalized people to take the seats at the table. Allies can go even further and offer to swap seats with them. Here’s how: “Sarah, I know you’re going to make some critical points today. Why don’t you take my seat so everyone can hear you better.”

If only someone had acted like this in Turkey earlier this month. In a meeting between Turkish leader Erdogan and the European Union’s two presidents, the one woman (Ursula von der Leyen) was left standing while her male counterparts settled into two gilded chairs at the focal point of the room. President von der Leyen was eventually offered a seat on an adjacent sofa.

She should have had a seat at the front with the guys.

5. Call out homogeneous “best of” lists

I love the adage “build your network before you need it.” For allies, this becomes “build a diverse network before you need it.” After all, if we have homogeneous networks, we will hire more homogeneity, create homogeneous succession plans, plan homogeneous speaker lineups, and curate homogeneous “best of” lists.

In The Power of Influence: Men Often Choose Men for Best-of Lists, But We Can Change That, Amber Coleman-Mortley reported on an announcement of a “Top 7 LinkedIn Voices and Influencers.” An independent digital marketing consultant curated this list, chose only men as the most important voices to listen to on that platform, and issued a press release. Interestingly, this consultant does not appear to be associated with LinkedIn.

My recommendation? If we see a homogeneous “best of” list, follow Coleman-Mortley’s lead and call it out. The chances are good that the author has a homogeneous network themselves and is missing out on the richness that diversity provides. We deserve better.

That’s all for this week. I wish you strength and safety as we all move forward,

— Karen Catlin, Founder and Author of Better Allies®

Being an ally is a journey. Want to join us?

😍 Follow @betterallies on Twitter, Medium, Instagram, or Pinterest

✉️ This content originally appeared in our newsletter, 5 Ally Actions; Subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday

📖 Read the Better Allies books

👕 Get your Better Allies gear

📣 Tell someone about these resources

Together, we can — and will — make a difference with the Better Allies® approach.

Get the 5 Ally Actions Newsletter; 5 simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace; with a red Subscribe button

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

Published in Code Like A Girl

Welcome to Code Like A Girl, a space that celebrates redefining society's perceptions of women in technology. Share your story with us!

Written by Better Allies®

Everyday actions to create more inclusive, engaging workplaces: the Better Allies® approach from Karen Catlin.

No responses yet

What are your thoughts?