Active Bystander Scenarios
Consider:
What impact will this scenario have on your colleague/team/community?
What potential impact would not disrupting the behaviour have?
How do you feel in the moment? What emotions might you feel in the scenario?
Discuss:
How might you be an active bystander in that moment?
(Group 1) A colleague says, “Do we really need to be doing this EDI stuff? I haven’t seen any discrimination at A&W. We’re all so busy. Why can’t we just get on with our jobs?”
(Group 2) During a casual conversation between colleagues about weekend plans, one of your colleagues who came out as a lesbian mentions that she’ll be fixing up the house. Another colleague jokes that they didn’t know she was the “guy” in the relationship.
(Group 3 & Group 4) A colleague makes comments that upset you, and when you tell them this, they say, “That’s not even what I meant. Besides, it’s your choice to be offended.”
(Group 5 & Group 6) Given recent news, there is discussion in your work environment about movements around racial equity. You overhear a colleague say to your colleague of colour, “I don’t mean to be offensive but I don’t really understand why it’s bad to say ‘All Lives Matter’...I mean, they do, don’t they?”
For more information on why it’s problematic to say “All Lives Matter,” please read this: History of Slavery Professor Explains The Mistake In Saying ‘All Lives Matter’
(Group 7 & Group 8) During a meeting, your people manager says a racial slur during a meeting. Your colleague of colour waits until the end of the meeting before they call your manager out on it. Your people manager brushes it off and says, “That’s not what I meant. It was just a joke anyway.”
(Group 9) A new employee has just joined your team, and is meeting you and your colleagues for the first time. When they approach one of your colleagues to shake hands and introduce themselves, you overhear your colleague chuckle and say, “That’s a weird name. I’ll give call you ____ for short.”
(Group 10) You approach a supervisor for help with a problem you are having with a female co-worker. Your supervisor responds, “Don’t worry about it. She probably just gets upset when it’s her time of month.”