our approach
Every engagement at Harriet Speaks is custom-designed and tailored to fit the needs of the client, as well as reflect our values and experience in lifting up what works. Seldom do we find that off-the-shelf resources serve our purposes; these resources focus on the essential work on race, diversity, and inclusion (trainings and the like) while neglecting the transformational elements that are necessary to modify behavior.
Race, diversity, and inclusion are best addressed through a multidisciplinary and multi-layered approach. While no two trainings are the same, we begin our process using this approach:
Assessment: In this initial phase, prospective clients identify their challenges and opportunities; simultaneously, we interview key staffers to help identify root causes and create innovative solutions. This process occurs over several sessions. In some instances, we begin with a pre-assessment of organizational culture as a predicate for engagement.
Preliminary Recommendations: In this phase, we present an engagement (typically over a period of three to four months, sometimes longer) that we believe will lead to transformational change. That engagement will include trainings, coaching, and leadership development .
Co-Creation: Prospective clients then evaluate the preliminary recommendations and meet with Harriet Speaks to share their thoughts on how to improve the proposal.
Engagement: Finally, we have an engagement to discuss specific deliverables and objectives. During the period of the engagement, we work with the client to modify our plans as necessary, sharing feedback along the way.
Central to our transformational work is storytelling. We often take stories for granted, yet we need stories because they connect us to each other and to our historical memories. It is in understanding and telling our stories that we begin to develop the ability to understand other people’s emotional truths. Narratives shine a light on the battle scars that each of us brings to work every day.
