A Lookbook of Appreciation for Our Clients and Anticipation for a Just and Flourishing Future
As Integrated Work marks its 25th anniversary this April, we celebrate how our past continues to shape our future as a human-first business that aims to serve as a force for good in partnership with clients. Through the years, our woman-owned and women-led business has grown to provide consulting services for building high-performing teams, providing retreat planning and facilitation, assisting with purpose-driven strategic planning, and empowering the next generation of diverse leaders to succeed.
During this time we’ve also deepened our appreciation for the value of seeking different viewpoints and diverse ways of thinking and understanding as we co-create solutions with mission-driven leaders and organizations. We embrace opportunities to bring together different stakeholder groups — and their varied vantage points and diverse ways of thinking — for direction-setting and bridge-building.
To celebrate the clients who have inspired and challenged us over the last 25 years, the Integrated Work team created a “lookbook” of highlights of our journey, appreciations of some of our favorite, inspiring client moments, some lessons learned together, and a preview of what we see on the horizon.
Here are the four areas of focus that speak to client accomplishments we’ve seen over time, along with some of our team’s appreciations:
Setting Clear Direction
Clear vision provides a sense of purpose and direction for your organization and enables informed and aligned decisions. It provides a roadmap for achieving your goals, and allows for better communication and collaboration among team members. We help clients with organizational assessments to determine the gaps between where they are and where they want to be as they set their vision. We also work with them on VIABLE™ Strategic Planning to find their north star, identify potential obstacles, and develop strategies to overcome them. Similarly, our approach to succession planning assures that leaders and teams are working off the same page as they build their future.
“It is a testament to leadership when a team of that size is empowered to collaborate and co-create their future and can do so with so much passion and commitment.”
Building Great Teams
Great teams foster a positive work culture and boost employee morale. By assembling a diverse team and fostering human-first collaboration, you can leverage a variety of skills, experiences, and perspectives. Teams that bring together individuals with complementary skill sets are capable of more creative problem-solving and innovation. We love bringing fun and joy to retreat design and collaborations.
“This team and board opened themselves to divergent views, building a plan that supports all stakeholders.”
Bringing a Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Lens
Promoting JEDI can help to foster a more positive and productive work environment, where employees feel valued and supported. We find that bringing a JEDI lens helps build trust and credibility within teams and nurtures growth to make meaningful collective change. We believe that living and leading while centering JEDI contributes to long-term success and sustainability.
“The team was clear-eyed about the fact that culture, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core to their behavioral health mission, not just an add-on or distraction.”
Cultivating Partnerships
Partnerships help us to grow our knowledge and resources, leading to more effective problem-solving, and increased efficiency and productivity. Partnerships can provide access to new markets, customers, and opportunities. We deeply appreciate the partnership we experience with our clients as we have grown and learned from one another over the years. Together, we have tackled large, complex projects, amplified our impact, and enjoyed many shared successes. It has been a joy.
“This team is memorable for me because of the WAY they work together. … They also had a strong desire to examine their culture and how they do the ‘work’ they are all committed to, together.”
Looking to the Future
Building on our shared learnings and partnerships, we look forward to the next 25 years and beyond with renewed purpose and momentum. In the last year, we became a Certified B Corporation and joined a global community of companies using business as a force for good. The B Corp Certification process reinforces the core values of Integrated Work and encourages us to build on our efforts for positive social and environmental impact.
This year also will bring publication of the KOAN method, a leadership book by Integrated Work’s CEO, Jennifer Simpson. The book is both a call to action and a beacon of hope for leaders who face challenges and conflict. In the KOAN method, leaders will find strategies and lessons to help shift from division to connection and enable innovation and breakthroughs.