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We have a deep and constantly evolving analysis of how race, class, gender, ability, education, and other social identities often show in group dynamics and decision-making. Our facilitation and training practices seek to bring awareness to and disrupt harmful and entrenched patterns that tend to still dominate institutional and community life.

Questions we might ask:
How does the current work environment support certain groups over others? What is the history of this community and how has it impacted people’s relationship to development efforts?

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Key to a group’s success is its ability to fully understand the situation it is facing. We believe in transparency throughout a planning process, from data sharing to design, process and implementation, and outcomes. It is especially important to be clear on what will happen with the products the group creates and share that understanding honestly.

Questions we might ask:
What information is being withheld from the group and why? What risks do we run if it is transparently shared? What risks do we run if we continue to offer opaque information? How do we make decisions? Will the input or direction the group decides be honored?

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Before any group starts designing or planning, it’s important to ask, Are the right people at the table? The group’s work will be shaped by those who are present. It is important to the long-term success of the group to make sure that the table is stacked correctly before proceeding into a group process. We believe groups must be deliberate in building their table to include representation from a wide variety of social identities; inclusive representation will not happen without intentionality and commitment.

Questions we might ask:
Does our organization use DEI language or have equity goals but have minimal representation of folks with diverse social identities? Do we have a shared analysis as to why we want to prioritize inclusion? Does our culture allow for divergent ideas and ways of being?

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Key to our practice is co-designing the process by which the group will work together. We invite conveners and a diverse representation of the participants and those who will ultimately be impacted by the decisions made by the group to answer key and probing questions to unearth the shared aims.

Questions we might ask:
What groups of folks bring a diversity of experience and ideas that will likely be present during our session that should participate in co-designing the process? Does our design team reflect the group we are designing for?

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Groups tend to move at the speed of trust, and trust is built through relationality. If a group’s trust is fractured, it is important to take the steps to repair through relationship building before jumping into missional work.

Questions we might ask:
What patterns continue to show up and disrupt our work that might indicate an area for repair? What has happened to or within this group historically that we need to be mindful of as we plan for the future?

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In order for groups to be set up for success, pre-work in the form of education might need to happen in order to level the playing field and create the space for authentic and meaningful participation. Leadership may have a deeper understanding of the financial implications of certain decisions, or community organizers might have more content expertise that needs to be clearly and effectively communicated to the group.

Questions we might ask:
What does this group need to know in order to make an informed and strategic decision? In what areas is it clear there is conflicting information?

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We are in rapid and fast-changing times; groups need to be able to iterate and learn. We encourage groups we work with to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We encourage them to try new things, and set timelines or markers for when decisions and new avenues will be revisited and re-maneuvered. We encourage groups to move from a stance of skepticism to one of curiosity when trying something new, and help them understand that plans are more successful when they are dynamic instead of static.

Question we might ask:
What will happen if we wait for the perfect decision? What is safe to try for now? How will we embed reflection and re-maneuvering into our project timeline?

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Groups who have worked together a long time tend to have entrenched patterns and ways of working together. Organizational culture often shapes (or misshapes) how folks can work together. It’s important to unearth the history of a group and the dynamics that tend to play out and to have a keen understanding of common group dynamics and how to disrupt ones that aren’t serving the group. Structural or systemic issues are often disguised as interpersonal discord, and through probing and openness we can become clear on what the real underlying issues are.

Questions we might ask:
What are the different social styles folks are bringing with them? What structural or cultural practices continue to show up? What are consistent issues that often get conflated as interpersonal conflict?

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We are guided by our philosophical understanding that the narratives and stories we hold about ourselves shape how we see the world and decide to move through it. We apply this lens to the communities and organizations we work with to help them uncover and unpack the stories they may be stuck in without realizing. We understand these narratives were likely developed to help the group survive and grow and will take time and focused effort to dislodge. We work with groups to help them be more intentional about the narratives they want to hold and to create a culture that supports a new self story that unlocks the ability for new action as a group.

Questions we might ask:
What key events have shaped the way this group sees itself? What are stories we have inherited or that we hold onto that keep us stuck?

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