Thought leadership

Sustaining career ambition while managing disability and / or ill-health can take gigantean levels of confidence, resilience and determination.  And that is at the best of times.  Add to the mix a global pandemic when organisations have had to modify every aspect of how they deliver, and it can be daunting to hang on to career ambition when everything feels uncertain.

This month we take a look at what ERG / Network leaders, allies and champions can do to encourage disabled employees to retain their career ambition through uncertain times.  This may include providing practical support to disabled colleagues as they ask for the workplace adjustments they may need, or inspirational support such as seeking out mentors or coaches to help them ‘think big’.  We have some very special learning and development offerings available to you in your role as thought-leaders to help your disabled colleagues, your network and your relationship with your champion to ‘rise’. 

We will: 

•Offer insights into the skills and strengths that human beings draw on in times of great challenge

•Invite members to share their coaching and mentoring best practice 

•Ignite your own curiosity – and that of your network members’ - to try new things when it comes to managing careers 

•Offer you the opportunity to engage with your peers

What can you look forward to this month?

Must Attend Events 

In Conversation with John Amaechi OBE and Kate Nash OBE – on 20th July at 11.30am (BST). With a lifetime of human rights campaigning behind them, these two fellow travellers will have a live, 20-minute conversation on:

•What people need to do to ‘rise’ to be their best self at work

•How to find the courage to ask questions about what you need from those around you 

•How employers are responding to the needs of disabled employees as lockdown restrictions are relaxed

•What disabled employees have learnt about themselves, and their employers, during the pandemic

•What disabled employees can learn from other people and movements in how they bring their authentic selves to work

After Dark Book Launch: James Partridge OBE will be launching his book “Face It” on 30th July 2020 at 18.30 BST in a virtual book launch exclusively for PurpleSpace member organisations.  James Partridge was 18 when he was severely facially burned and in this, his second book, he shares how he found a way to live happily with his distinctive face in our face-perfect society; how he turned the lessons he learned into practical empowerment for others with facial disfigurements; and launched the global campaign for face equality for everyone, whatever their face looks like. 

And to round the month up, we invite you to one of our Peer Group Learning Sessions where this month we will be focussing on “Putting a Coaching/ Mentoring Programme into Practice” taking place on 21st July at 10am and 28th July at 11am (BST). 

This Month’s Must Reads

In the July issue of ‘Spotlight On’ our Communications and Marketing Officer, Lauren Pemberton-Nelson, interviews James Partridge OBE about his upcoming book launch. 

Challenge Yourself

This month the three challenges we offer are:

1. Invite your whole network to our 30th July book launch. This could be the start of your very own Network book club, featuring inspirational stories that will resonate with members. 
2. Share with us your examples/best practices of a mentoring or coaching programme that has worked in your organisation
3. Invite your Champion/ Sponsor for a virtual cup of coffee and chat through some of the ideas raised in the 24th June webinar on ‘What Makes a Great Disability Champion?’

Get Involved

During July we launch another of our Strategic Working Groups:

ERG / Network Impact Working Group: where we bring together a group of Network leaders, D&I professionals and other change agents to collaborate with us in the production of our 2020 Annual Impact Report whereby we articulate the true value and impact of Networks / ERGs. 

If you would be interested in being a part of this important work, please do reach out to angie@purplespace.org. 

While we can't always control the situations we find ourselves in, we can control how we respond to them. With only one life to live, let's make the most of it and think big... let's help others and ourselves remove those limits holding us back and rise to our best self #ThinkingBig