Advertise on podcast: Inclusion at Work

In private, many leaders share the same underlying concerns: Is DEI at odds with merit? Are we lowering our standards to hit a quota? How do we handle the "woke" labels and internal pushback? In this episode of the Inclusion at Work Podcast, we sit down with Lily Zheng, strategist and author of Fixing Fairness. We move past the buzzwords to answer the tough, "spicy" questions that conventional DEI training often misses. What we discuss in this episode: Winning Over the Sceptics: How to show detractors that inclusion can solve their problems too.Universal Benefits: How fixing a problem for one specific group, like sending meeting agendas in advance for accessibility, actually improves the experience for every employee.The Cost of Silence: Why the common practice of avoiding difficult topics creates a backlog of unresolved issues that eventually hurt the business. Moving Past "Identity Politics": How to stop debating which group to prioritise and start solving the most broken parts of your business processes. Links: Lily ZhengFixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All

How do you feel about DEI going into 2026? This year, we are challenging the "doom-and-gloom" narrative by reminding ourselves and others that inclusion is something to be positive and excited about, as well as a proven driver of performance. In our latest episode, we break down four actionable ‘big ideas’ you can use to kick start your 2026: Communications-First Strategy: Pivoting from compliance-heavy jargon to positive, values-driven messaging that activates the "ambivalent middle."ERGs as High-Performance Teams: Shifting ERGs from informal social groups to structured, accountable units aligned with business goals.Meetings as Culture Drivers: Transforming daily "micro-moments" to improve inclusion while slashing low-value meeting time by up to 32%.AI as a Strategic Partner: Using AI as a "devil’s advocate" to challenge bias and stress-test People & Culture strategies. Listen now for ideas on how to elevate your 2026 strategy.

Is your organisation considering generational inclusion? When most of us think about diversity and inclusion, we go to commonly discussed dimensions such as gender, race, sexual orientation, and disability. But there’s another dimension—one that is often not considered yet is relevant to every person: generation. The more work we do in this area, the more we realise the huge and unique benefits of  focussing on generational inclusion.  In this podcast we explore why generational inclusion is so powerful—and so often overlooked. Plus, 3 key questions to reflect on for your whether you should be considering generational inclusion in your workplace.

How can we most effectively kick start DEI culture change in organisations? In this episode of the Inclusion at Work podcast we explore how we can use meetings as a way to drive broader culture change. Phil and Kerry explore this question, diving into: Why meetings can be a catalyst for culture changeThe importance of psychological safety in meetingsThe myths of inclusive meetingsWhat we mean by an inclusive meetingHow to make meetings more inclusive and effective Links Download: Inclusive and High Performing Teams ModelVideo: Pursuing Cognitive Diversity with Matthew SyedBook: The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety by Timothy Clark

Why is it hard to get some leaders onboard with Inclusive Leadership?  Inclusive Leadership is often misunderstood, resulting in many leaders ignoring or dismissing this powerful driver of high performance.  During this episode, Kerry Boy and Phil Cross unpack the biggest myths of inclusive leadership including why inclusive leadership ISN’T about the following: Being an expert on diversity, equity and inclusionCreating harmony amongst your teamMaking slow decisions by committeeNot having any bias

How do you feel about networking? Have you considered it as not only a driver of personal growth, but also organisational growth? In this episode we speak to Peggy Renders, Chief Customer Officer at Telstra and discuss the importance of connection in the workplace. She shares insights from Telstra's recent research, Return on Connection, emphasising the impact of strong networks on organisational performance and individual growth. Show Notes Peggy RendersReturn on ConnectionQuantium Telstra

Does the current conversation around DEI feel confusing, frustrating or overwhelming? In this episode of the podcast we are joined by Customer Experience lead and DEI chair Sommer Green. Together we explore the current landscape of organisational DEI, unpacking the challenges we are seeing and sharing actionable ways forward.

At their best employee resource groups (ERGs) provide a space for connection, mutual support and career development for their members. They benefit the organisation by driving strategic priorities and help the communities they advocate for by addressing inequity and creating positive change.  But at their worst, ERGs can become demotivated and negative. They can generate additional and non impactful work for themselves and others, and also create risks through organisational misalignment and agitation for change that might not actually be possible or desirable.  In this episode Kerry Boys and Phil Cross deep dive into what an effective ERG looks like and how we can ensure they impact our organisations and our teams positively.

Given the talent shortage, how do we get our hiring processes working in the best possible way? How do we make sure that our hiring processes are inclusive? How do we ensure that we are giving people a fair and equitable go-to people as part of that process? In this episode we answer some key questions that we are regularly asked by clients, providing you with learnings that will help you make real change in your organisation. LINKS: Find out more about how we can help your organisation with Inclusive Hiring, contact us at [email protected]. PODCAST LINKS: Website iTunes Spotify

Are your learning and development (L&D) efforts having the impact you’d like? In this episode of the Inclusion At Work podcast we are lucky to be joined by Tom Bailey, Head of Capability at Blackmores Group. Together we explore the question, "How do we maximise the effectiveness of our L&D?". During our chat we dive deep into: The challenge from the perspective of L&D professionalsThe question of value and motivation for participantsPrinciples for effective L&DSome real world examples from Tom’s experience putting this into practiceThe link between L&D and DEI

“Getting DEI on the Agenda" is the third podcast in our new "Thinking Differently About DEI" series.  In these conversations we explore new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI.  Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share our perspectives on: Why getting DEI on people's agendas is a challengeThe consequences of not getting this rightStrategies and real world examples for making DEI initiatives relevant and motivatingPractical tips for overcoming resistance and sustaining DEI efforts over time. Join us as we delve into these insights and more, providing you with tangible ways to elevate DEI within your organisation. 📧 Connect with Us To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at [email protected] Links Leaders For GoodKerry BoysPhil CrossEffectively Embedding DEI - PODCASTMaking sense of DEI complexity - PODCAST

In this episode of the Inclusion at Work Podcast we sit down with Anna Yanatchkova, Senior Manager, Global Goals Planning & Engagement and acting Head of Inclusion at the iconic Sydney Opera House. We dive deep into the topic of creativity, exploring: Why we are all ‘creative people’The importance of creativity for problem solving in organisations and as a societyThe connection between creativity, wellbeing, diversity and inclusionHow to go about fostering more creative cultures, including the roles of leaders and how we might think about the role of methods such a Design Thinking

Effectively Embedding DEI is the second podcast in our new Thinking Differently About DEI series. In this series we explore how we can find new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI. This episode looks at how we can shift away from attempting ineffective ‘transformational’ change to embedding DEI through “1%ers”; small changes that make a big difference. Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share: The challenges with how many organisations are trying to look at DEI as a “bolt on”A new model to think about embedding DEI from a “1%ers” approachHow this model can be applied to your organisation with real life examples  📧 Connect with Us To talk to us about anything culture change or DEI, email us at [email protected] What you’ll learn about 00:01:06 - Embedding DEI into Organizations 00:02:31 - Prevailing Attitudes and Challenges in DEI 00:03:15 - The Cycle of DEI Efforts and Incremental Change 00:05:11 - Inspiration from Cycling and Small Changes 00:07:36 - Benefits of Incremental Approach in DEI 00:09:25 - Examples of 1% Changes for DEI 00:14:18 - Strategic Approach to 1% Changes 00:17:13 - Measuring the Impact of DEI Initiatives 00:23:27 - Summary and Next Episode Preview Links Leaders For GoodKerry BoysPhil CrossMaking sense of DEI complexity - PODCASTWhole Systems Model

Making Sense of DEI Complexity, the first in our new Thinking Differently About DEI series. In this series we explore how we can find new ways to solve the biggest challenges in DEI. This first episode looks at how we can simplify DEI to help our team make sense of the work we are doing and to use our stretched resources in the most effective way. Based on learnings from a broad range of organisations, we share: The challenges with how many organisations are taking a “diversity group” first approach to DEIA new model to think about DEI from a “foundations first” approachHow this model can be applied with real life examples including strategy and L&D 📧 Connect with Us To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at [email protected] What you’ll learn about 00:01:27 Lack of progress in representation.00:05:06 Making sense of DEI complexity.00:08:05 DEI complexity challenge.00:13:23 DEI strategy from an inclusion first perspective.00:16:16 Strategic pillars in DEI.00:20:09 Focusing on inclusion and strategy.00:23:57 Allyship training and inclusion.00:27:09 Collective problem solving for ERGs.00:30:14 Moving to an Inclusion Foundation's approach.00:34:12 Building a platform for inclusion.00:37:21 DEI work and inclusion foundations. Links Leaders For GoodKerry BoysPhil Cross

Join Kerry Boys and Phil Cross as they delve into the complexities of fostering diversity within leadership teams on the latest episode of ‘Inclusion at Work,’ a Leaders for Good podcast. In this discussion, they shine a light on the hurdles faced by organizations striving for diverse senior leadership. They talk candidly about the limited candidate pools and the challenges faced by historically marginalized groups in accessing leadership roles, leading to the current disparities. Kerry and Phil unpack the various barriers obstructing representative leadership groups, offering insights into the complexities of the issue. But it's not just about problems; it's about solutions. Tune in as they share practical strategies for achieving genuine diversity and inclusion within leadership. 📧 Connect with Us To talk to use about anything culture change or DEI, email us at [email protected] What you’ll learn about 00:00:33 Increasing diversity in leadership is important for organizations.00:06:03 Importance of diversity targets.00:10:29 Improving diversity in recruitment.00:14:17 Inclusive hiring drives better results.00:19:02 Focus on diversity and inclusion.00:27:15 Focus on inclusion, not just diversity.00:32:44 Strategic approach to diversity and inclusion.00:34:36 Long-term approach for DEI. Links Leaders For GoodKerry BoysPhil Cross