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"The hope is that this will create a foundation of trust that we can build on with other DEI exercises, and this was a beautiful way to start that." –Victoria Burwell, President, Intentional Futures
Intentional Futures as an agency and collection of individuals is on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey. The intent of this journey is to evaluate the current state of our policies, practices, client work and culture with a DEI lens, but also to celebrate the unique cultures, backgrounds and expertise of iFsters. As we continue on this journey of self discovery and critical thinking, we invite you to join us and welcome all that you will contribute to make this a transformative and fulfilling process.
During the first phase of iF’s DEI work, we spent five hours together over two sessions with the following goals:
This “Tree of Life” activity was designed to help members of the organization reflect on their life and how it has come to shape them as individuals. Prior to meeting, all iFsters were provided with questions for the activity. iFsters were asked to envision themselves as trees: the roots are the past which shaped you, the trunk is what makes you who you are, and the branches are your connection to your community and the world. All participants had up to seven minutes for their presentation. Observers were not allowed to ask any questions and they listened silently until it was their turn to present. The result was a powerful experience in discovery and connection– one that is difficult to come by in a virtual workplace.
Not only did iFsters learn about their coworkers in an entirely new light, they began to understand that bringing your whole self to work is not an easy or normalized task for many: “It allowed us to collectively acknowledge that everyone is dealing with their own things in the background, and I think the exercise allowed us to do it in a healthy way that didn’t force us to compare. Our experiences shape how we see the world, which is important to keep in mind when you have tension with a colleague.” -Tynan Gable, Strategist
As the company moves forward in this journey, our understanding of ourselves as trees, and the experiences that have shaped and driven us will serve as a foundation from which we can collectively begin to explore the concepts of DEI: “The hope is that this will create a foundation of trust that we can build on with other DEI exercises, and this was a beautiful way to start that.” -Victoria Burwell, President
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Jackie St. Louis, iF’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Tree of Life’s creator reflects on the intention behind the activity:
“Racial Equity is both a process and a destination. Though seemingly straightforward, attaining a state of true equity has proven elusive. The United States of America is among the most racially and culturally diverse countries in the world and this is increasingly reflected in the places that we work. The events that led up to the summer of 2020 brought to the fore, the ongoing challenges we face as a nation in relating to each other. Cultural clashes do not always end in death but are almost always violent. The reasons for which we have these negative interactions have their root in longstanding beliefs about human beings-what makes them alike and different. To say that our problem is one of distrust would not be too far off the mark.
To be a part of the solution, many organizations embarked on their respective journeys toward being more equitable and antiracist, with perhaps many having done so exclusively focused on the destination rather than the journey to get there. There is a reason why the scourge of sins past still cast a shadow over this country in the form of discrimination, racism, and gender-based oppression. Despite all our advances and progress, we collectively hold on to the manufactured belief that we are fundamentally different based on: race, gender, age, ability, culture, ethnicity, identity, and socio-economic status. Yes, we are different, but not in ways that would account for or justify our mistreatment of each other.
The “Tree of Life” activity was designed for the specific purpose of bringing together people collectively moving toward the destination, to ground ourselves in the shared humanity of each other and for developing a greater understanding of our own internal processes and motivations. We hope that after having done this activity, participants would have realized their endless capacity to extend grace toward each other in humility and be resolute in doing the same for themselves.”
"Oftentimes when talking about race-related issues, we immediately feel consumed by emotions. We feel rage and disgust from the undercurrent of the history of oppression and slavery, and our thoughts go to the questions and confusion." –iFster
Intentional Futures as an agency and collection of individuals is on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey. The intent of this journey is to evaluate the current state of our policies, practices, client work and culture with a DEI lens, but also to celebrate the unique cultures, backgrounds and expertise of iFsters. As we continue on this journey of self discovery and critical thinking, we invite you to join us and welcome all that you will contribute to make this a transformative and fulfilling process.
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We’d like to first note that iF’s DEI work now falls under the title of “Cultural Integration and Awareness.” Jackie, iF's Cultural Integration and Awareness Director explains the decision for the change as follows: “'DEI' tends to feel focused on destination or outcome so much that we neglect the journey and process that it takes to get there. We want to recognize that our practice at iF is intended to be a process, thus the name change.”
Cultural awareness is the ability to perceive the differences that exist between cultures. It facilitates the understanding of how one’s culture differs from others and the ways in which they interact.
Cultural integration is the process through which one leverages their awareness in practical ways to engage with, integrate, and validate a culture different from their own. This could include the responsible adoption of another culture or its integration into the dominant culture without erasure or appropriation.
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After an introductory session where iFsters were allowed the space to share about themselves and learn about each other, a three-hour training session titled “A Brief History of Race in America” was facilitated by Jackie St. Louis, Director of Cultural Integration and Awareness. The goals of this session were:
This training centers the history of Indigenous Americans and people of African descent because of the uniqueness of their experiences in North America, and the significance of their story as it relates to the creation of white dominant culture. These two groups more than any other bore the brunt of the brutality at the foundation of North American history, including the slave trade and Indigenous American genocide. The stories of these two groups of people in the United States are indispensable in understanding the country’s origin, and race and culture as they exist today. The suffering and experiences of other marginalized groups were acknowledged and briefly touched upon but not explored in-depth due to time constraints. Participants were encouraged to continue their learning journey by pursuing further knowledge on this subject matter.
iFsters were challenged to confront not only the past of the United States but also racism’s new frontier and how it manifests in white privilege, hyper-activism, white guilt and and white fragility.
At three points in the three hour period, participants were asked to evaluate and share on the basis of:
This sharing activity was designed to engage the many expressed feelings of sadness but also expressed their desire to further the discussion and effect positive change.
This session “The History of Race in North America” aims to help participants from the organization develop a lens through which they can evaluate equity and apply it to their lives and work, and create a common starting point from which to do so.
The immediate next step was establishing small groups of iFsters to continue the discussion that began during the training. These groups will be led by volunteers who will support this process by facilitating and taking notes that can be shared out to the entire company. We thank all iFsters for their participation and are look forward to sharing what we learn from the small group gatherings.
List of resources shared by iFsters to educate, act and donate, particularly specific to the Native communities of the Seattle area:
"The 'Who am I?' activity was super interesting because it concretized how complex and unique each of our identities are, and at the same time showed how we all have things in common." –iFster
Arriving at phase three of our DEI journey, iFsters have already spent time reflecting on and sharing vulnerably with one another, delving into the racial history of the United States, and spending time processing in small groups. With this foundation of knowledge of themselves, the world and their peers, iFsters were tasked with sharing who they are outside the narrow construct of race.
Titled aptly: “Who am I?” this activity challenged participants to present themselves in two minutes or less in the following categories:
Much like the previous session, iFsters were asked post-activity to share with the group in a “Head, heart, hands” format– how they were thinking, feeling and desiring to act after the experience. Many iFsters noted that broadcasting the multi-faceted parts of their identities was challenging, as many did not have the answers as others did, or they felt they did not fit neatly into boxes. The experience also made apparent the differences and similarities between peers, and fostered a sense of kinship amongst those with similar identities and experiences.
Apart from the DEI work iF embarked upon, a goal for the agency is to build out psychological safety, and it’s clear that our cultural awareness and integration work has been a natural part of making progress towards this goal.
Moving forward, this activity laid the groundwork for the next session “Undoing the Fallacy of Otherness” which focuses on reconciliation and coming together.
"I appreciated that our DEI journey was tied so explicitly to our work as consultants in this session!" –iFster
Emerging from sessions intended to help iFsters develop the capacity to engage in transparent and vulnerable communication, build trust with each other, and create appreciation for the diversity of culture at iF, “Undoing of the Assumption of Otherness” sought to have attendees think more deeply about the transformative power of coming together and working as a collective.
Goals for this training were:
Prior to jumping into the material, iFsters were asked to share how they have been impacted by the journey to this point, including how they were implementing the learning and concepts. It was noted that as a result of the sessions, individuals were able to break from analysis and the paralysis of feeling “bad” about the situation and move toward action.
iFsters were first asked to consider when they first became aware of culture, and when they first began thinking critically about it. More so than the other sessions, this training emphasized Intentional Futures’ positionality, and how the history of consulting as an industry shapes the culture of the practice today. From there, the culture of iF was discussed, inclding how that culture clashes with those we interact with. In a global sense, some of iF’s clients are across oceans, thus leading to obvious differences in communication styles, meeting preferences and general best practices in work. Closer to home, some clients of iF favor pedigree and subject matter expertise over other strengths which is not typically how iF operates.
"These sessions have been the most intentional, vulnerable, honest, and impactful DEI sessions that I've been a part of (which are several). The rigor and honesty that we took to look at the organization and ourselves was unique and refreshing – most organizations don't look in the mirror as directly as we did." –iFster
After a series of four trainings that built upon one another, iFsters were ready to critically evaluate the organization from a standpoint of DEI.
iFsters, using the tools previously learned, conducted an assessment of the state of the company. The evaluation focused on the following areas:
iFsters were then asked to assess the state of racial equity in the following focus areas:
After rating iF on a binary scale of either 0 (not currently applicable) or 1 (currently in practice at the organization), an overall score was presented. Based on the score, it is evident that the organization is in the preparation stage of change. More specifically, iFsters value this work, desire to sustain the momentum and are actively taking steps to move toward being an equitable and antiracist organization.
With a numerical value assigned to iF’s DEI standing, iFsters are now awaiting assignment to cohort groups based upon their interests. Moving forward, these cohorts will make progress towards the assessment points that are weaker within the organization.
"The implicit bias training was a powerful reminder that we all have biases. I appreciated how the training shed light on those biases, how systematically entrenched they are, and how we can dismantle them." -iFster
Following the previous activity, the "Organizational Self-assessment" iFsters convened for a training on implicit bias. The training built on previous stages, including the self-assessment, during which attendees were provided a brief history of the organization. Subsequently, using the framework developed in the earlier stages, iFsters evaluated the organization's current state in comparison to its DEI goals.
The trainer, Jackie St. Louis, provided a framework for understanding implicit bias, one which accounted for its roots in evolution. The group was helped in understanding how this evolutionary necessity is maladapted to the current world in which we live. As a large group, iFsters discussed when they first became aware of prejudice and bias in their own lives. Further learnings included that implicit bias:
Following the discussion about the negative implications implicit bias can have for individuals, groups and organizations, the trainer presented strategies for accounting for personal biases and how to address them.
Finally, small groups discussed the ways that implicit bias can show up in the workplace, and what policies can be put in place to overcome them.
Looking ahead, iFsters now are equipped with the language and tactics to approach and address implicit bias when they encounter it in their work and amongst their peers.
Following the earlier stages of the process in which iFsters learned more about themselves, each other, the organization and larger community, iFsters were assigned to cohorts to evaluate the organization and develop strategies to be recommended for implementation.
Respectively, the cohorts were assigned the following focus areas:
Following four months of meetings the cohorts developed recommendations that were then presented to the DEI taskforce by the cohort leads. These recommendation were reviewed, organized and presented to leadership in the form of a report with recommendations.
Moving forward in the never-ending journey of learning and implementation, iFsters, clients, and their stakeholders will continue to benefit from improvements to internal and external processes and policies.
“The DEI work we've been doing is important because iF is a purpose-driven organization for which diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental principles that underlie not only how we show up everyday with each other but also how we drive innovation for ourselves and our clients.” -DEI taskforce lead
To learn more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Intentional Futures, send a message to jackie@intentionalfutures.com
