Ep. 011 How Listening Is A Vital Part Of The Inclusivity Conversation

Welcome to the Cracking Content Podcast, helping entrepreneurs to amplify their expertise through storytelling, content and PR so they can get more sales and make a bigger impact. Every business has a story to tell. Don't be afraid to tell it.

How listening is vital to the inclusivity conversation.

In this episode Claire talks to international leadership and inclusion coach Aduke Onafowokan. She is also the Founder of The Sister Sister Global Network and Lead Associate at Inclusivitii.

[1:02] The Sister Sister Network is a social enterprise. We are pretty much a drop-in centre for leadership and personal development training for women.

[01:53] What we do at Inclusivitii is helping organisations get better at diversity and inclusion, whether that's from developing the target operating model for inclusion, thinking in practice, to even doing diversity and inclusion audits, to know where they are in that journey and what changes they need to make

[3.07] We always listen, that's the first value, to really understand what people need right now. Part of that listening is also trying to understand where the needs are different and trying to find out what we can then do to support different levels

[4.45] So we attract that community through making sure that the things we're talking about is very relevant.

[6:11] But I think at its very core, networking is really about human-to-human connection, so it's really personal. And it's all about knowing what you bring to the table, but also how you show up.

[9.39] My second TedX talk three ways to be more inclusive. So I thought I'd do three ways to be more inclusive. Inclusive in everything you do, whether it's your marketing, your thinking, even how you write your content or just the products that you design, but how to be more inclusive.

[11.32] Sometimes it's okay to just step up and say, "Hey, I would like to do a TED Talk. This is my idea. I would like to do a TEDx Talk, and I would love to understand how to do it." So just take that leap of faith. Don't wait and just do it. I wish I had done that earlier.

[13.57] To be more inclusive in your content marketing. The first thing is to listen. Listening is such a powerful skill. As children, we're taught how to read and write, but there's nobody that really teaches us to listen. We are taught to keep quiet, but we're not necessarily taught to listen. So a lot of us grow up without listening skills.

Aduke travels the world, speaking to audiences about developing a learning mindset on effective leadership practice, inclusion, equity, race, gender, and other aspects of diversity and intersectionality (when multiple aspects of identity overlap).

With a clear focus on recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse talent, as well as extensive experience in global organisations and expertise from Yale and University of Oxford, Aduke helps organisations to understand and manage the complex challenges of diversity and unlock opportunities to create inclusive and equitable organisations.

Through her social enterprise The Sister Sister Global Network, Aduke supports thousands of women to access leadership and personal development and connect with leaders through networking opportunities. The Network runs in partnership with organisations including The UN Foundation Girl Up, University of Oxford, NatWest, UK Parliament and UNICEF on Campus to empower women and future female leaders at work and in business.

Featured in international media such as BBC and Medium, Aduke’s second TEDx Talk – Inclusion in an Era of Polarisation offers leaders salient points on redefining leadership and responding to the moment.

Through her body of work and in her personal life, she continues to contribute to the advancement of women, leadership, and diversity.

You find Auduke at: https://www.adukeonafowokan.com/