SEVEN FOCUS
APPROACH
Seven Focus
SEVEN LAYERS
As you act on your equity-focused goals, you must consider the different layers at play that will influence your success. The Seven Focus team develops and delivers strategic actions specifically tailored to address the following layers of experience and understanding, so you succeed, long after our team is gone.
Access and opportunity
Perhaps the most crucial consideration. Who are the decision makers and what characterizes the sphere of control for organizations, leaders and individuals to propel change? Those trying to effect change must first acknowledge what access they have to change processes and then what opportunities lay ahead on the path toward change
Climate
An examination of the nearby environment and the historic, present and future influences on your environment can help and hinder progress toward any goals of impact.
Community
Across all demographics, human beings come from, need and build community. This layer is often as diverse as the people in them and building an interactive, informed community is necessary for undoing oppression.
Culture
Everyone has a culture. Many of us belong to and move in and out of a number of cultures. The reference points of our lives are driven by the customs, languages, beliefs and traditions of our culture. Identifying, understanding and leveraging aspects of cultures is key to progress.
Learning and Development
One’s capacity to learn and grow is directly proportional to their ability to create change. Advancing one’s understanding, fluency and skill building in this work will help to create sustainable change
Individual
People all have their own unique experience in and of the world. Out of a need to understand why the world changes, how to respond to the challenges within it - we seek opportunities to make relevant connections at a personal level to begin any transformation.
Systems
Most systems work just as they are intended. As individuals and groups within systems, addressing this layer can be the most challenging, and an understanding of how systems work is crucial in equity work.
Seven Focus
SEVEN METHODS
There are several ways to approach equity in partnership. Over decades throughout US communities, Seven Focus sharpened a cadre of methods to deploy in the work to move from intent to impact.
Coaching
ACoaching features tailored sessions with focused goals of an individual community member,
individual contributor, leader or executive.
Different from some coaching relationships, Seven Focus Executive Coaching may include follow
up challenges, reminders and consultative elements.
Consulting
Consultative sessions may include advisement, hypothesis testing, sharing of best practices or facilitation of crucial conversations.
Conversations that matter
Our approach to learning and development challenges the traditional approach of teacher / student philosophy. We bring knowledge to the space and we recognize the work is made better by the contributions of many. As such, we prioritize dialogue and leaning into the hard spaces.
Capacity building (train the trainer)
The internal capacity of an organization or community is dependent on members’ ability to sustain the work long term. Engaging with Seven Focus can include customizing learning for key individuals who can deliver and develop future opportunities.
Auditing
The benefits of an audit of any type include observational, testimonial and professional accounting of community or organizational conditions. An audit may involve any combination of the following: policies, procedures, online/social content, position descriptions/advertisements, internal and external customer and client impacts. Seven Focus audits include specific and detailed recommendations for next steps.
Strategic planning
The journey is long and needs to be informed by outputs that lead to impactful outcomes. The Seven Focus team partners to facilitate planning sessions, provide consulting on promising practices and recommend key outcomes grounded in identified wants and needs of the organization.
Inspired and informed keynote
While topics may vary, a keynote presentation will fuel learning, highlight opportunity and evokeaudiences to act.