Listen & learn

The importance of lived experience

Colleagues using sticky notes on a window to review
Colleagues using sticky notes on a window to review
The lived experience of your staff and stakeholders is central to developing inclusive policies and sustaining evidence-based inclusive practices. 
By establishing a listening strategy within your organisation, you can ensure that everybody is given the opportunity to have their voice heard.
Femal colleague displaying the okay sign with her hand and a male showing thumbs up
Meeting of colleagues having a discussion with a whiteboard easel in the background

STEP 3 on your journey to inclusion

Creating sustainable inclusivity in the workplace comes from truly listening to your staff and stakeholders, making sure that everybody’s voice is heard.

By making inclusive lived data the norm, you will break down barriers and empower your workforce and stakeholders to become part of the solution. 

Develop your listening strategy to hear the diverse voices of your workforce

Develop your listening strategy to hear the diverse voices of your workforce

Develop your listening strategy to hear the diverse voices of your workforce

Listen to the data, taking informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Listen to the data, taking informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Listen to the data, taking informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Monitor your progress as you build your inclusive environments.

Monitor your progress as you build your inclusive environments.

Monitor your progress as you build your inclusive environments.

Learn from the data, making informed adjustments and keep advancing.

Learn from the data, making informed adjustments and keep advancing.

Learn from the data, making informed adjustments and keep advancing.

Listen to the data 

The value of lived experience in the workplace

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many different experiences and overlapping stories, but rarely are these experiences valued (or valued equally) in the workplace. Lived experience is unique, and the lived experience of those from minoritised groups should be valued as an essential component of your journey to inclusion.

Our contemporary, evidence-based approach to workplace inclusivity is founded on the lived experience of stakeholders from underrepresented and minoritised groups and uses lived experience to inform and drive transformational change − a participatory approach to ensure all voices are heard. 

We will work with you to develop your own listening strategy that establishes a culture of continuous listening and learning, ensuring that your policies and practices are informed through participation of diverse stakeholders, and include the voices of people who have been through experiences as different from each other as possible. 

By listening to the voices of under-represented and minoritised groups, key problems that might have been missed can be identified and addressed, and inclusive policies and practices developed and embedded.

Adopting a listening strategy

Ensure you provide a platform for those aspiring to use their personal (lived) experience to cause meaningful change in your organisation.

Learn from the data

Use lived experience to identify areas for meaningful change or improvement.

Use lived experience to identify areas for meaningful change or improvement.

Use lived experience to identify areas for meaningful change or improvement.

Allow your inclusivity initiatives to be guided by lived experience, empowering your organisation to take informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Allow your inclusivity initiatives to be guided by lived experience, empowering your organisation to take informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Allow your inclusivity initiatives to be guided by lived experience, empowering your organisation to take informed, strategic actions that create lasting impact.

Monitor your progress through lived experience as you build your inclusive environments.

Monitor your progress through lived experience as you build your inclusive environments.

Monitor your progress through lived experience as you build your inclusive environments.

Let lived experience guide your inclusion strategy making informed adjustments to keep advancing on your journey to inclusion.

Let lived experience guide your inclusion strategy making informed adjustments to keep advancing on your journey to inclusion.

Let lived experience guide your inclusion strategy making informed adjustments to keep advancing on your journey to inclusion.

The danger of a single story

When we value lived experience, we are open to listening to multiple stories and being informed by different perspectives, which are crucial to addressing systemic inequalities. Single stories, on the other hand, often originating from simple misunderstandings or one's lack of knowledge of others, can lead to the formation of stereotypes or even suppress other groups of people due to prejudice.

Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. 

19 minute watch

The importance of lived experience

Our contemporary, evidence-based approach to workplace inclusivity is founded on the lived experience of stakeholders from under-represented and minoritised groups and uses lived experience to inform and drive transformational change − a participatory approach to ensure all voices are heard. 

We will work with you to develop your own listening strategy that establishes a culture of continuous listening and learning, ensuring that your policies and practices are informed through participation of diverse stakeholders, and include the voices of people who have been through experiences as different from each other as possible. 

By listening to the voices of under-represented and minoritised groups, key problems that might have been missed can be identified and addressed, and inclusive policies and practices developed and embedded.

Adopting a listening strategy 

Ensure you provide a platform for those aspiring to use their personal (lived) experience to cause meaningful change in your organisation.