People change systems.
We give them the tools.
Affinità derives from the Italian word for affinity, or the energy by which everything is held together. By our definition, people are the energy.
Organizations, teams, and cultures are systems activated by people. How people relate to each other and to their shared purpose within these systems either creates safety, equity, and belonging for everyone — or not. We believe individuals and organizations thrive when people feel safe, heard, and connected to each other and the work.
Inequitable systems blindfold people with bias, which means open-minded, conscious decision making becomes difficult, if not impossible. When people become self-aware, able to practice new ways of thinking and problem solving, everything can change. Safety, equity, and belonging are possible. People making positive progress within and as a result of the system is possible.
Our vision is to co-create safe, equitable systems where all people belong and thrive.
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With nearly a half century of combined experience in social work and leadership practice, the principles of equity and social justice are embedded in what we do. Colleagues, co-founders, and partners in marriage, to say we enjoy working together and supporting others in doing the same is an understatement. This is our life’s work.
As part of our own learning and unlearning about safe cultures and biased systems, we co-created AWAKEN, a framework for conscious decision-making. Active practice of AWAKEN is the first step toward individual, organizational, and systemic transformation.
We founded Affinità Consulting to bring human-centered values and practices to life in organizations, with a focus on child welfare and adjacent social systems. We help organizations and teams solve problems and work through bias, all with our sights set on creating lasting change — be that through developing and improving people, systems, and cultures, or a specific piece, part, or combo of all of the above.
Words we live by.
Our values drive everything we do and create. From creating the AWAKEN framework to starting this company in the first place (which took a lot of guts), these are the beliefs upon which we stand.
Empathy
Perspective taking with heart. Empathy asks that although we cannot put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we do the work to see the world from - and connect with - their perspective (not our own). And, then we act with their perspective in mind.
Humility
From other-ness to other-minded. When we “other” people — setting them apart as different from ourselves instead of centering them and focusing on what we might learn from them — we weaken both of our potential energy. Being other-minded means thinking of others more (than self), recognizing we do not (cannot) know everything, and staying open to new information and insights.
Collaboration
People are stronger together. Yes, always. When we work as a team, pooling our energy as a collective, we can do almost anything we put our minds to. We have more power than we think.
Vulnerability
Choosing courage over comfort. Hard conversations, for example, require courage. We believe hard conversations are integral to building trust, growing, and learning from each other and the communities where we live and work.
Authenticity
Real talk, real walk. We can share these values with others because we live them in our work. And by live, we mean practice. Nobody is perfect. Especially not us. Owning your imperfections is the definition of practicing authenticity.