Fast-forward to 2016, our success has been proven by the relative ease in which we have recruited volunteers to take part in our awareness raising campaigns (both online and staff panels at events). We recognise the changes that have occurred because of the first brave individual and the first inspirational followers - the many colleagues who have stepped forward. We have made good progress in helping our people to understand mental health in the minds of our managers, leaders and policy makers and we are making it easier for – people to feel inner confidence in their experience of difference. Our recommendations for others would be: Make it personal find willing people to share their stories openly and honestly – Keep repeating the messages across different channels to maximise your reach underestimate the challenge it is for the first few people to share their story Don’t – make it easier for them to do so by offering support and positive feedback from others Find your first followers (and your second, and your a powerful, third…). Create energised movement Case study PwC Stories sharing stories of people across the firm – DAWN’s – Encouraging people to ask for the adjustments they need What? Ability and Wellbeing Network (DAWN) has a key goal: to raise PwC’s Disability, awareness around difference and to do that they run events and match individuals with mentors and that enable their people to realise their full potential. buddy’s A key component in the PwC D&I strategy is to value all difference and enable people to be themselves at work. As part of this PwC had been running the series to “PwC stories” spotlight the different ways that people with different backgrounds were contributing to the success. The DAWN network wanted to use this concept to promote purple talent firm’s across the firm. How? The network decided to model the PwC stories series and start a disability series in order to encourage people with different impairments to share their story of disability or ill health. The publications aim has been to the experience of disability or ill health and ‘normalise’ encourage staff across the firm to share some of the challenges they face, whilst detailing the abilities of those individuals to break down the preconceptions around people with disabilities. The focus is on highlighting talent, and sharing positive stories. The stories are shared in the first-person and encourage people to offer the highs and lows of working while experiencing a disability or health condition.
Fast-forward to 2016, our success has been proven by the relative ease in which we have recruited volunteers to take part in our awareness raising campaigns (both online and staff panels at events). We recognise the changes that have occurred because of the first brave individual and the first inspirational followers - the many colleagues who have stepped forward. We have made good progress in helping our people to understand mental health in the minds of our managers, leaders and policy makers – and we are making it easier for people to feel inner confidence in their experience of difference. Our recommendations for others would be: Make it personal – find willing people to share their stories openly and honestly Keep repeating the messages across different channels to maximise your reach Don’t underestimate the challenge it is for the first few people to share their story – make it easier for them to do so by offering support and positive feedback from others Find your first followers (and your second, and your third…). Create a powerful, energised movement Case study PwC – DAWN’s Stories – sharing stories of people across the firm Encouraging people to ask for the adjustments they need What? PwC’s Disability, Ability and Wellbeing Network (DAWN) has a key goal: to raise awareness around difference and to do that they run events and match individuals with mentors and buddy’s that enable their people to realise their full potential. A key component in the PwC D&I strategy is to value all difference and enable people to be themselves at work. As part of this PwC had been running the “PwC stories” series to spotlight the different ways that people with different backgrounds were contributing to the firm’s success. The DAWN network wanted to use this concept to promote purple talent across the firm. How? The network decided to model the PwC stories series and start a disability series in order to encourage people with different impairments to share their story of disability or ill health. The publications aim has been to ‘normalise’ the experience of disability or ill health and encourage staff across the firm to share some of the challenges they face, whilst detailing the abilities of those individuals to break down the preconceptions around people with disabilities. The focus is on highlighting talent, and sharing positive stories. The stories are shared in the first-person and encourage people to offer the highs and lows of working while experiencing a disability or health condition.
PurpleSpace_purplestories.docx