How We Show Up

Loftis Partners uses a pedagogy grounded in organization development, human resources, and emergent strategy. Organization development is a science-based process for systems change within an organization. The field of organization development is “guided by strong values such as humanistic, organization-wide, inquiry-based and collaborative, developmental-focused, systems-oriented, and research- and evidence-informed” (OD Network, 2021). A focus on organization development enables Loftis Partners to work with organizations at multiple levels at once while promoting people-positive management practices.

We also bring decades of experience in human resources. Human resources is the process of employing people to meet business needs. This definition is quite simple, considering how much literature and opinions exist about this topic. The field of human resources has a long history of dominant culture and inequity that separate humanity from the workplace. Loftis Partners brings a different human resources approach.

We believe that humans are powerful and bring dynamic membership to the workplace. This matters because too often dominant culture in workplaces limit participation and leadership to a few people. And this same dominant culture views people as assets to be managed rather than people with agency and dignity.

Loftis Partners also facilitates and collaborates with an eye on emergent strategy. Emergent strategy is a path of practice toward relationship and change. Based on the work of black queer feminists and ecological design, emergent strategy recognizes that our world is constantly changing and moving toward a deep liberatory future. How we facilitate change will bring us closer to each other.

The key elements of emergent strategy are non-linear/iterative, fractal, adaptive, resilience & transformative justice, creating more possibilities, and interdependence & decentralization (Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, 2018). Loftis Partners uses these elements in our design and facilitation practices, which leads into our racial equity framework. We believe that our world has been dominated by a select number of people and systems that hoard power and wealth in ways that oppress people and groups that do not conform to a single definition of belonging.

Loftis Partners sees oppression of people and groups shaped primarily by racism, which is a social construct driven by human labor (The Racial Equity Institute, 2013). We recognize that racism is deeply embedded in our practices as individuals, groups, organizations, systems, and communities. We also see how different identities and the intersection of these identities are marginalized by a dominant culture that hoards power and wealth. This grounding in racial equity leads us to bring a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens to every client interaction. Some of these actions include:

·       Organizing in teams that reflect lived and learning experiences of marginalized groups, especially those identified by our clients

·       Facilitating meetings and engaging stakeholders in ways that brings every voice into the space with value and dignity

·       Challenging norms of dominant culture through non-binary interventions and approaches to change

·       Centering the voices of the marginalized, and especially employees, as they are doing the work that leads to change

·       Slowing down the work to prioritize conversations and collaboration that build trust and sustainable buy-in for the future

·       Building a collective community that promotes interdependence within the spaces we facilitate and the teams we organize

We also contribute to racial equity practices and organizations through volunteer service and financial sponsorship. These include Equality NC and NC Child.