Having a conversation and storytelling are two great tools in communicating the value of the Circle In platform, especially when it can be in the format of a panel discussion. Hearing from not only senior leaders, but also parents and caregivers within your organization builds rapport and allows your company to build a positive culture around being vulnerable and sharing personal stories that inspire
Action
WHEN: Firstly determine a date and time for the event
WHO: Decide who will be the best person/s to be involved in the panel discussion, which might include a senior leader, co-host, internal parents/caregivers and possible an external guest
WHAT: Set a topic of discussion for the event, possibly around a day of significance (International Women's Day, World Mental Health Day) or during key internal meetings like a Town Hall
WHERE: If in-person, book a room or communal space. If online, create the calendar invite with a short description and instructions on how to join the call
HOW: Email all panelists questions before the event and also find out a little about them to share as an introduction at the start of the event
Sample Personal Questions:
What name would you like to be introduced as?
What job title would you like us to use when introducing you at the beginning of the panel discussion?
What is your favourite hobby?
What causes are you passionate about?
Please provide a profile image for promotional purposes
On the day you may want to have an agenda to work through so that you have enough time to get through everything your hoping to achieve. Below is a sample agenda:
Sample Agenda:
Welcome to the event - 2 mins
Acknowledgement of Country (Australia) - 1 min
Overview of event agenda - 2 min
Senior Leader - Why supporting parents and caregivers is important in your organization - 5 mins
Panel Discussion - 30 mins
Q&A - 5 mins
Call to action - 2 mins
As mentioned, you will want to provide your panelist with key questions to answer on the day. Providing them ahead of time allows them to come prepared, and you can pick and choose which questions to ask on the day as you are hosting the event. Below are some sample questions:
Sample Questions for Panellist:
Tell us all a little bit about your parental or caregiving journey?
How do you manage your parental or caregiver responsibilities with your responsibilities at work, do you have any tips or tricks for the audience?
What support or resources have you relied on to help you in your parental or caregiving journey? How did you locate the right services and support?
What advice do you have for others managing parental or caregiving responsibilities?
What is the best thing/your favourite thing about being a parent or caregiver?
Other Suggested Actions
Engage your communications team and invite employees with all event details
Decide on who will host the session within your organization
Share the FAQs guide with your parents and caregivers after the session
Have a call to action at the end to drive engagement to the Circle In platform
Send a thank you follow up email to all that attended and panelist
Brought to life
When Lendi Group launched the Circle In platform, they planned to host a Panel Discussion with their COO, Circle In co-founder Jodi Geddes and a few of their parents and caregivers who shared their real stories on the platform. The event was a huge success with over 130+ attendees, great feedback and we saw a 28% increase of subscribers to the Circle In platform within a few days!
