Gill Castle, was the first person with a stoma to swim the English Channel.  

Having a colostomy pouch isn’t something that people usually speak of in public. It’s an awkward subject, one we might want to push away and not think about, rather than acknowledge that, for 165,000 people in the UK alone, a stoma is part of everyday life.  

In a brilliant and extremely candid interview on the BBC Gill spoke openly about needing her colostomy pouch after a traumatic childbirth. She talked about the impact on her daily life. About being in the supermarket and having to hand her newborn baby to a member of staff as the bag had leaked and she needed to clean up. 

Not only was her openness refreshing; it was her key to liberation. None of this was her fault. It could have happened to anyone. She was matter of fact. “I just go to the toilet in a different way to other people.” So true. 

And she encapsulated her perspective perfectly when she said “When there’s no secrecy, there’s no shame”. Spot on! 

Having open dialogues about ‘sensitive’ subjects helps to break down stigma, embarrassment, fear, shame and guilt. It helps to normalise topics that people avoid. So many modern issues have taboos around them. Alcohol, finance, obesity, politics, sexuality, grief, divorce, eating disorders, to name a few. But whatever the topic, a spirit of openness is essential. And it guides how we shape and plan any research project. 

Out in the world, many attitudes stop people from sharing their truth because they feel they’re in a minority. However, in a research group, the reverse applies, because every cohort shares similar experiences. Handled correctly, this fact is a powerful tool in helping participants to speak with candour. What might give a person minority status in wider society instead becomes the defining unifier. This forum lets each participant let their guard down. They feel safe in the knowledge that they are not the only one. 

At Hummingbird Insights, we work in a spirit of openness. We tailor our approach to help participants realise that they aren’t alone. To recognise that they are in a safe space where they can share their lived experiences. 

Textbooks may tell us that depth interviews are best suited to sensitive or personal topics. But sometimes the shared experience of a group environment can provide the support and reassurance required to help people open up. Suddenly they’re in a place of common feeling, where others share their pain, their embarrassment, their awkwardness, their shame. It can be a cathartic and rewarding process. 

Sometimes there’s a need for both the sharing of ideas and for individual feedback. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. 

So the solution could be groups with private response at key points. 

It could be an online community with both open discussion and individual, private tasks. 

It could be iterative interviews, so that ideas from one session are shared in the next. 

It could be introducing new or alternative perspectives as stimulus – as soundbites. 

Essentially, it’s not so much about which approach we use but having the expertise to predict the different benefits that each approach will bring. How it will enable us to uncover rich insight for you. And how participants will feel, ensuring that they feel valued and listened to. And sometimes, providing a forum in which they can speak openly to others is the most important thing. 

When respondents are in the best headspace to share their open and honest realities, clients benefit from gleaning the most valuable insights. Not only that, but when respondents feel positive about the experience, they give their best. Showing understanding and sensitivity creates a halo effect that rewards the client with richer insights. 

Hummingbird Insights focus on how to approach the challenge. From start to finish, we challenge common beliefs about methodology and approach, supporting open and honest dialogue wherever possible. 

Uncover deeper truths. Talk to Hummingbird Insights.