Men’s Listening Circles

What is the purpose of the men’s listening sessions?

Many organisations find it difficult to engage men in inclusion work. Men often feel that DEI work is not for them and that their voice is not necessary in the conversation. However, it’s essential that men are called in to inclusion conversations and that they understand the benefits of doing so for themselves and others.

These men’s listening circles provide the opportunity for men at your organisation to share their perspectives and experiences in a safe, informal space.

These facilitated listening circles seek to understand the workplace experiences and challenges of men across the business. The aim is to engage men, create a space for men to speak openly and honestly and build support for inclusion strategies while creating new male allies.

Topics discussed during the sessions will include: barriers to men engaging in DEI work, male allyship, fatherhood and equal parenting and men’s mental and physical health.

There are two primary benefits to these sessions: the process itself is powerful in engaging men in DEI work and creating more male allies. And secondly, the outcomes from the exercise that can be used to consider any changes to your inclusion strategy to ensure it is addressing everyone’s needs.

What do these sessions look like practically?

These circles are a combination of focus group and one-to-one conversations and take place online. All participants will remain confidential, and Chatham House Rules will apply. The exercise will be advertised internally but participants will register directly with me to maintain anonymity. 

At the end of the listening exercise, I will create a report and share my analysiscluding key themes and recommendations, with your DEI and HR teams.

To learn more about the men’s listening circles, please get in touch on hello@elliottrae.com