Align Consulting offers a compassionate and pragmatic approach for creating sustainable, results-driven change that supports the growth of individuals and whole organizations in anti-racism practice and action.

Making Equity Real® through Transformational Change.

Expectations for organizations to have demonstrated capacity in intercultural competency are high among customers, clients and prospective employees. Align Consulting’s comprehensive DEI program will actively address the pressure around highly charged topics and build capacity through an organizational change approach using applied learning and actionable strategy implemented to get results. This is what makes equity real – part of your company’s DNA, rather than only an aspiration.

DEI programs that rely exclusively on training fall short on the key objectives of growing intercultural competency, operationalizing equity and cultivating a welcoming and inclusive company culture.

Transformational change is more durable and far reaching. It will have a positive impact on your clients, customers, employees, and their communities. But aligning values, systems and outcomes requires a level of skill and capacity that can challenge even the most capable leaders.

Align Consulting offers a compassionate and pragmatic approach for creating sustainable, results-driven change that supports the growth of individuals and whole organizations in anti-racism practice and action.

Making Equity Real® is a multi-phased process that unfolds over a 1- 4 year period to operationalize equity through assessment, strategy and organizational change services tailored specifically to your needs.

Services for Organizations

Assessments

The assessment process starts with a baseline measurement of intercultural competency, utilizing the Intercultural Development Inventory®. This forms the basis of a co-designed strategy, including a responsive training program, and provides a baseline for developing greater competency over time.

When it comes to DEI strategy or solutions, there is no one size fits all approach, which is why the assessment step forms an integral part of the pathway to success.

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Executive Coaching

Individual coaching can be particularly important for leaders in any given agency or company. Achieving cultural adaptability and belonging for everyone begins at the top through courageous leadership and accountability.

Often, leaders do not feel they have time to participate in DEI programs and yet, their own intercultural competency and leadership of DEI efforts within the agency are the most important part of achieving DEI outcomes.

If leaders are not in a process of continual development of their own intercultural competency, they will inevitably stall DEI efforts within their agencies.

Individual coaching is optimal because it is tailored to leaders’ specific needs and challenges and provides them with confidential, ongoing support as DEI programs evolve.

In today’s world, developing individual DEI competencies is no longer optional for leaders. It’s a requirement in rapidly changing, diverse workplaces and communities.

In today’s world, developing individual DEI competencies is no longer optional for leaders. It’s a requirement in rapidly changing, diverse workplaces and communities.

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Inclusive Leadership Labs

Inclusive Leadership Labs are designed to deepen leaders’ understanding of their own racial conditioning, anti-racism practice and their role in creating inclusive teams. The labs are conducted as racial affinity groups to create a safe space for participants to process their learning and discuss challenges with candor in a facilitated small group of like-minded peers.

Inclusive Leadership Labs

Applied Learning Using an Affinity Group Model

The affinity group program typically starts with a focus on executive leadership because they assume the primary role in driving the communication and behavior change necessary for greater equity and inclusion. The labs also facilitate the identification of projects – large or small, where new learning can be applied to daily operations, service delivery, and products or programs.

Inclusive Leadership Labs

Group Sessions Offered in Two Formats

Through a structured curriculum, group discussions, development plans and project identification, the labs create an environment of applied learning in a supportive and confidential group setting. The ILL program is tailored to individual organizational needs and offered in bi-weekly sessions over four months or in a 3-day retreat. It also includes two, individual coaching sessions for each participant.

DEI is a strategic imperative executed through sustained organizational change.

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Organizational Change Facilitation

Creating and operationalizing a multi-faceted DEI organizational change process in complex situations requires tenacity and expert guidance at each stage. Transformational change is a dynamic, multi-year process that will include a combination of services to build capacity and define and implement strategy, including assessment, training, coaching and redesign.

Strategy Development

The assessment process will guide the way in developing responsive strategies that align with your inclusive values and goals.

A responsive strategy drives comprehensive action that makes DEI part of the company’s DNA and leads to new outcomes:

  • A diverse workforce and board of directors
  • Leaders and managers who become DEI change agents
  • Equity, inclusion and belonging across the workforce to reduce turnover and conflict
  • Redesigned processes that are responsive to diverse customers and communities
  • Communications and marketing that reflects inclusive values and diverse constituencies
  • Community relations that amplify inclusion efforts in the surrounding communities
  • New initiatives and campaigns that communicate inclusive values, an authentic understanding of diverse audiences and advocate for anti-racist policies.

Redesign Labs

These labs facilitate a redesign approach for inclusive problem-solving and the creation of processes, programs and products that are responsive to diverse customers and constituencies. Redesign is tackled in by a small team of experts and innovators using new frameworks for inclusion. The redesign is then implemented and refined over time to achieve the desired outcomes.

Advocacy

Align Consulting can help you create an advocacy strategy to tackle policy changes that extends your mission, removes common obstacles and creates more equity for everyone. We can also help you design distinctive, cross-sector strategies with partners who share your legislative goals and attract new supporters to your campaigns.

This group challenged me, causing me to reflect deeply on how racial identity affects me, my coworkers and the people we serve. It simultaneously created a safe space to speak honestly, to put ourselves in the shoes of others who are different than us, and to challenge ourselves to become more effective champions for equity and inclusion in our roles within the organization. I highly recommend this group experience as an opportunity for real personal and professional growth.

Martha, Inclusive Leadership Lab participant

As a leader, my goal is to continue learning and growing in this space. Participation in this cohort increased my capacity to identify blindspots and provided me tools to use moving forward.

Nancie, Inclusive Leadership Lab Participant