What would happen if employees with disabilities expected great work experiences?

Would it have a material impact on the outcome of say, securing a workplace adjustment / accommodation?

We think so. 

It’s why developing the inner confidence of every disabled employee to be themselves, share aspects of their story and request any workplace adjustments/accommodations they need to thrive is one of PurpleSpace’s four strategic priorities.

As part of this, we’re on a mission to cascade a universal definition of confidence as ‘a strong expectation of a positive outcome’.

We love this definition because it positions confidence as more than just a ‘feeling.’ It is not a personality trait or a simple ‘fact’ i.e., you have it or you don’t. Confidence is a personal assessment of a situation that activates our motivation to do something successfully.

The most impactful disability ERG/Network leaders understand that one of the most fundamental aspects of their role is supporting their community of colleagues with disabilities to build inner confidence. 

We see time and again that when ERG/Networks support employees to expectantly ask for the adjustments/accommodations we need, they create the circumstances by which employers can deliver.

This month we invite you to consider:

What would happen if your disability ERG/Network encouraged every employee with a disability to:

• Expect a workplace adjustment / accommodation if they needed one? 
• Expect their employer to deliver that adjustment / accommodation within an agreed timeframe?
• Consistently use the same definition of confidence as ‘a strong expectation of a positive outcome’?

New resources:

This month, we will be adding to our inner confidence toolkit with a new video explainer on the fundamentals and hurdles to building confidence and a new series of podcasts. 

Our Confident Conversations podcasts will share intimate conversation with guests offering insight into their own models for building inner confidence that have supported their career path and share stand-out lessons which employees can apply at work.

Peer Leadership Roundtables

One of the most valuable aspects of PurpleSpace membership is the opportunity to build your leadership capacity via quality conversation with other disability ERG/Network leaders.

Each month we convene groups of disability ERG/Network leaders to stimulate discussion on the monthly leadership lesson.

Connect with your peers during these interactive one-hour sessions for disability ERG/Network leaders. These sessions are a great way to share good practice and challenges, swap ideas and build your ERG/Network leadership capacity. 

In March, we have two sessions to choose from on developing the confidence of every employee with a disability:

• 7 March 08:00 GMT/13:30 IST/19:00 ACT
• 19 March 16:00 GMT / 11:00 EDT

Networkology Impact Strategic Forum 

Chaired by PurpleSpace Ambassador and Workplace Disability Lead at Channel Four, Giles Barker. The Networkology Impact Strategic Forum supports PurpleSpace’s strategic goal of building high performing disability ERGs via enhanced leadership capacity. Members will use this session to prepare for the April launch of our Networkology Maturity Model. 

The Networkology Impact Strategic Forum meets on 13 March at 16:00 GMT / 11:00 EST.

For more information, email Kirstie@purplespace.org.

PurpleSpace and external Useful Resources:

Tap into our Networkology know-how and check out some of the external learning that links to this month’s leadership lesson:

• Confident Conversations – this series is one part of the Purple Confidence Foundation Learning tools that help employees build inner confidence and personal resilience.
• Purple Confidence Development Programme – Are you ready to invest in your disabled talent? Our six-session module Purple Development Programme helps colleagues with disabilities to understand what they want their story to be, frame their story and build the career they want with confidence.
• PurpleSpace CEO Kate Nash OBE’s vlog on the Power of Expectation. 
• 10 Steps to Building Disability Confidence at Work.
• Maysoon Zayid – “I got 99 problems... palsy is just one”: Writer, actor, comedian and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid shares her life adventures with grace, humour and honesty.