mission & values
Our mission: to build the capacity of organizations to work in more collaborative and equitable ways.
why "integrative inquiry?"
The field of consulting is crowded, and it can be hard to tell what kind of service, quality, or process you can expect. What do you even look for: an HR consultant? DEI consultant? Organizational Development consultant? The list is endless.
What makes Int Inq unique is that we approach our clients and new projects from a foundation of integrative inquiry.
Our work is integrative in that it borrows from a variety of techniques and theories and that it believes true effective programs and curriculum are co-constructed with all stakeholders involved. That means you shape the work. The key to our process is that it is equitable and collaborative in nature. Our aim is to foster a process where individuals in any role to lead from the top, middle, or bottom of a management structure.
It is also based in inquiry, in the hopeful space of continual progress. Knowing that no organization, project, or team is ever "complete" or "perfect," our approach maintains a fierce commitment to continued learning and growth. This isn't a "one and done" model, with one-off trainings and mandatory checklists that employees must go through.
We focus on capacity building and agency, so that organizations can take on these principles and continue to transform and evolve the way they work together long after we part ways.
integrative + inquiry
Borrowing from a variety of techniques & co-constructing with all stakeholders
Continual progress of learning & growth
How Our Work Intersects With Racial Equity
Integrative Inquiry is a firm committed to equity across all dimensions of identity, including race. Within our own firm we continue to challenge, question, and push ourselves to actionable antiracist practices and to inspire our clients to create their own. Our team represents a wide spectrum of perspective and experience, and we use this to inform all aspects of our work.
That said, the foundation of our work is to develop organizational cultures where individuals have the interpersonal communication skills to help foster psychological safety. We believe that organizations cannot address systemic racism, or any other form of oppression truly and fully unless they have an environment where difficult conversations can be addressed with transparency, honesty, and integrity.
We do not explicitly teach on racial justice or history and prefer to refer interested clients to one of the many incredible firms that specialize in these conversations. Instead we aim to offer a complementary service that helps to create space for deeper and more impactful work.
our guiding principles
empowerment comes from within
Empowerment is not something you can bestow. People empower themselves when given the tools & opportunity. Strong leaders seek to provide space for others to take on leadership and agency to reflect, challenge, and impact decisions around us.
knowledge is co-created
Everyone brings valuable skills, experience, and perspective to any discussion. To learn and grow as an organization, it is essential that all members of a team are tapped for insight, perspectives, and concerns.
growth is perpetual
The process of improvement is always ongoing. We must always challenge ourselves to do better, to rethink old strategies and cultivate new approaches. The work is never done.
Our Commitments
01
Commitment to community.
We are explicit in our work to use our talents to benefit the communities we work in. Our community initiatives are designed to teach others how to facilitate dialogues, advocate for change, and amplify their voices.
02
Commitment to capacity building.
We don't want you to need us forever. Our goal is not to come in and do a one-off low-impact training. We want to make sure you have the skills and confidence to keep this work moving forward long after we leave.
03
Commitment to relevance.
This work is only meaningful if you can see clear application and steps to take on this work in your organization. We tailor our work to your needs, taking into account the other initiatives you are undertaking, as well as your specific strengths and challenges.
DEI is not something to simply check off a list.
True organizational culture change engages employees at all levels, to move past one-off trainings, compliance, or tokenized diversity efforts.