Lori Pizzani: How To Be A Supportive Ally

Lori Pizzani, Senior Manager – Content Marketing, Synechron, NYC

I am, and have always been, a huge supporter of DEI and inclusionary initiatives within businesses who understand that a diversity of individuals and their varying perspectives make for a much better engine that drives any business. If everyone in a meeting room looks alike, sounds alike, thinks alike, acts in lockstep, then diversity of thought is likely absent from the meeting. If all heads are nodding in agreement, something is inevitably missing. Healthy debate and respectful disagreement and discussion is good for any business. I don’t mean fostering a mutiny or encouraging arguments. I mean genuinely tapping into and fully respecting the diverse thoughts of all who toil day in and day out to support a business’ successful operations. It is only with an abundance of different individuals having varying perspectives, insights, thoughts and opinions that businesses can truly and thoroughly think through a service, a product, a new campaign, a new venture, an acquisition, etc. After all, the reality is that the world that a business will be functioning in is populated by lots of people of various colors, cultures, religions, backgrounds, customs, likes/dislikes, tastes, preferences and ideas. To think otherwise is incredibly naïve and narrow-minded, even if a business services a very specific demographic, age group or market segment. To grow, you generally need to expand your reach. I believe in inclusionary initiatives at businesses who recognize that bringing together a team of different persons, all with varying and complementary skills, abilities and talents, will be the most effective team. I want someone on my work/project team that can do what I cannot do – not an exact twin or mini-me. This also means respectfully meshing those who are more experienced in one area/aspect, with those who are uniquely skilled but perhaps new to the industry or the company. Every day provides us with an opportunity to engage and learn from each other, and use our talents to complement one another toward achieving a greater goal. I also firmly believe in teaching and uplifting all of the folks around me, and supporting them in large or even small, very subtle ways. There’s enough division in this world. I personally believe in multiplication! If I can uplift and support just one person, and they then decide to uplift just one person, we can start a chain effect that will sustain the most difficult of days. As such, a while ago I started a Motivational Minute email chain for a few folks in our unit that now goes to dozens of persons across Synechron each Friday. These are so named because they contain motivational quotes or thoughts (all stolen…I mean borrowed…images from the internet) that should take recipients no more than one moment to read. They are meant to inspire folks across our practices and global offices to gracefully slide them into the weekend, or to make it through the last workday of their tiring week, on an uplifting note. I invest the time to add some brief comments, and send them off. I know I have achieved my goal when I get responses such as, “I really needed this today” or “I couldn’t agree more. Thank you.” But I don’t need the kudos. Just knowing that I have touched peoples’ hearts is plenty enough of a reward for me.