Kirk Docker Travels from Sydney, NSW
Topics
- Authenticity
- Communication
- Issues
- Media
- Motivational
- Society / Social Trends
Kirk Docker is one of Australia’s finest interviewers and storytellers. He is the co-creator and director of the ABC program You Can’t Ask That, now in its 7th season. The show has been awarded Rose d’Or, AACTA and Walkley awards and is the most successful format in ABC history, selling to 17 territories, and broadcast in 9 different languages worldwide.
When it comes to the content he creates, no subject is off topic. Kirk’s interviewees range from ex-politicians to ice users to sexual assault survivors. He has a deep curiosity, compassion and playfulness that elicits honesty from his participants, many of whom have never sat in front of a camera before. Through thousands of hours of open dialogue, what’s become absolutely clear to Kirk is that every human, no matter what they believe or how high their stature, share a core value: the desire to be understood.
Through his show You Can’t Ask That, Kirk offers a window into the unheard stories of misunderstood and marginalised Australians. Each episode takes a group that lives with a label (Transgender, Suicide Attempt Survivors, Schizophrenia, etc.). Participants are courageous, as Kirk guides them through the often crudely honest questions submitted by the public. The show’s purpose is to help the audience move past the myths and fears associated with those labels and understand who these people truly are.
In 2009, Kirk landed a spot on the program Hungry Beast (ABC), under the wing of respected producer Andrew Denton. He then went on to create and produce shows Demolitan Man (A&E) and Hello Stranger (ABC). Through his work, Kirk has interviewed thousands of people. His portrayal of these people is geared to reveal the universality of humanity, without apology or sensationalism. Through this experience, he’s honed a range of techniques that allow him to communicate effectively and empathetically with any subject.
Keynote Titles
- Creating a non-judgmental environment for open communication.
- How to help someone express themselves with authenticity.
- Asking the difficult questions.
- Understanding people’s contexts and motives.
- Looking past the stereotypes and personal bias.
- Balancing communicating with a plan and improvising in the moment.
- Interrogating versus understanding – how to ask questions with care.
- How to increase understanding between people of different ages, backgrounds, and statuses.
Testimonials
Kirk’s ability to connect and inspire on a very simple and human level is highly distinctive and valuable. He was able to design and deliver simple and learnable mechanisms for relationships to our most senior, as well as our most junior people with equal effect. He is authentic, funny, insightful, curious and caring. I have rarely, if ever, had such positive feedback after bringing in a guest. And that feedback was equally about the content, the learning, the experience, and what a fine person Kirk is. In almost every session Kirk has delivered people have requested his contacts for more work, and the feedback from those sessions has been equally good.
PwC | Consulting
McKinsey has partnered with Kirk in the delivery of leadership development programs where we needed to discover new territory, relative to the well-trodden leadership landscape that most senior executives know too well. Kirk’s talent is surfacing and exploring the wisdom of the people that surround us every day. He supports our client executives in developing skills that include but go beyond listening and curiosity, Kirk’s session works at the mindset level. He shifts beliefs on ‘how’ we go about solving our most complex business problems. Kirk is a total professional and he has the disposition of a true artist that is refreshing within strong corporate cultures.
McKinsey & Company