July’s Leadership Theme is focussed on the challenges of sharing personal information about disability and ill-health and how this can be increased if organisations create the right circumstances which encourage people to feel safe to share what is ultimately very personal information.

John Amaechi OBE, leading Psychologist, and PurpleSpace CEO and Founder, Kate Nash OBE, were In Conversation when he raised the provocative idea that organisations should perhaps spend their time looking at ways whereby they can ‘earn’ the privilege of receiving this personal information rather than simply placing the onus on disabled employees to ‘share’ it. His view was that, “Telling your workplace you have a disability is less about you and ALL about your perception of your workplace’s worthiness to learn about you… that it has earned the right to know you better”. 

In response, we produced the “Five Trust Tests” - designed to stimulate debate and help organisations to better understand the complexity of sharing and the ways in which they can learn directly from their own people. This briefing and our other know-how and peer engagement opportunities (listed below) will support ERG/Network leaders to be better equipped to help their organisations be ‘Five Trust ready’ and to support disabled colleagues to be bolder and more courageous in sharing their story of disability and/or ill-health at work. 

July learning & development opportunities

Connect with your peers at one of this month’s peer group learning sessions – these small, interactive one-hour sessions for ERG/Network leaders and those working towards disability inclusion are a great way to share good practice, swap ideas, share challenges and opportunities and build your leadership capabilities.

We have four sessions to choose from: 

• Tuesday, 5th July at 08:00 – 09:00 (BST)
• Wednesday, 13th July at 16:00 – 17:00 (BST)
• Thursday, 21st July at 11:00 – 12:00 (BST)
• Tuesday, 26th July at 13:00 – 14:00 (BST)

Further reading & helpful resources

Our extensive Resource Library has a number of resources to support you in embedding this month’s theme, including:

• Five Trust Tests: Focused on five key areas, this resource will help organisations and colleagues deepen their understanding of the sharing personal information about disability vs management earning trust dynamic.
• Spotlight On … Damian Riley, Capita: Video interview with Damian Riley, chair of Capita’s Ability Network (CAN), on the importance of encouraging people to share their personal information.
• Insights Report: A collation of top tips and reflections from conversations with our members who attended previous peer group learning sessions on Encouraging the Sharing of Personal Information & Earning Trust.
• Earning It: Webinar featuring senior leaders from Allegis Global Solutions, Shell, Tata Consultancy Services and Community Business on how we can enable employers to ‘earn the right’ for disabled people to share personal information.
• Encouraging Openness: Short publication on how to encourage openness at work. 
• Secrets & Big News: Book written by Kate Nash, PurpleSpace CEO, looking at challenges and current practice with regard to disability, monitoring and sharing personal information at work.