Cultural Assessments
We know that when leaders consider their employees’ beliefs, attitudes, needs, and expectations for equity and inclusion, they are more likely to be effective in creating organizational change. We help leaders understand their organization’s culture in efforts to develop locally meaningful strategies that foster equity and inclusion.
Willing Observers uses anthropological, sociological, and psychological theory, perspectives, and methods. We assess behaviors, practices, and attitudes as shaped by multiple cross-cutting influences, including shared and divergent histories, ancestries, social connections, technologies, systems, institutions, and environments.
We center cultural inquiry in diversity, equity, and inclusion to examine cultural ways of being across personal, relational, organizational, and societal dimensions, as these are subject to the influence of time and space. Through our analysis, we reveal patterns in human behavior that create opportunities for designing inclusive cultures.
Our Willing Observers model is fully-participatory: it engages the workforce and relevant community in creative ways to meet budgetary constraints. We also leave you with tools that will help you apply and measure change.
OUR METHODS
Archival Studies
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Communication Analysis
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Diary Studies
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Direct Observations
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Focus Groups
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Internal Data Review
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One-on-One Interviews
Surveys
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Pattern and Thematic Assessment
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Vision Building Sessions
Archival Studies • Communication Analysis • Diary Studies • Direct Observations • Focus Groups • Internal Data Review • One-on-One Interviews Surveys • Pattern and Thematic Assessment • Vision Building Sessions
The W.O. World Building Program
Organizations can become inclusive when leaders better understand their culture: values, worldviews, processes, structures, and normative behavioral and communication patterns. For this reason, the Willing Observers Consulting Process is holistic and iterative, meaning that we use findings from the data to adjust our cultural assessment—helping us elucidate patterns that are unique to your organization. We draw on our diversity, equity and inclusion expertise to prepare a World Building Program on which you can build your inclusive culture strategies.