Inclusion and Culture Listening Exercises

Course Introduction

Inclusive Group has been working with global institutions for 20 years around all aspects of culture, talent and engagement. We have learned that even in organisations with a deep and longstanding commitment to representation, cultural or behavioural blind spots can be common. When disparities emerge between an organisation’s commitment to culture and the lived experience of their people, this can present talent risks, and lead to hurt or cynicism among staff. At a point where awareness around representation and conduct has increased considerably, and employee tolerances and thresholds have shifted, it has perhaps never been more important for employers to take steps to identify and address cultural shortfalls and challenges.

What will participants learn?

There are typically three phases to this work: 1. An optional short survey to gather a high-level overview of sentiment relating to inclusion and culture. 2. A series of confidential discussions, with a representative sample of colleagues. 3. A summary of key themes and recommendations based on our findings. Findings are presented in a written report and shared during a workshop with key stakeholders.

Working with Inclusive Group

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Why use an external organisation to conduct a listening exercise? We have found that participants often feel more comfortable speaking openly and candidly with a third party. We are seasoned in delivering sometimes challenging and uncomfortable insights to leadership teams in a way that is not threatening, and is underpinned by practical and pragmatic solutions, drawing on our extensive experience of driving change across industries.

Details

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Each discussion typically takes 45 minutes per 1:1 and 90 minutes per focus group.
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Inclusive Group works with each organisation to agree a question set, which will be used during each meeting and can be shared with participants ahead of time.

Follow-Up

We recommend where possible that listening exercises are conducted through a series of 1:1 discussions, where colleagues feel safe to be candid and open, with the confidence that their views will not be shared ‘outside of the room’. However, the exercise can also be conducted through a series of carefully moderated focus groups. Each discussion is conducted by an Inclusive Group consultant with extensive experience.