Our Approach

At The Greater Us, culture change begins with relationship. Every engagement starts by building rapport and ensuring that every voice has space in the room. This foundation allows us to notice both the dynamics that are spoken and those that remain unspoken, and to invite them into the open in ways that feel safe, respectful, and constructive.

Relational

The work is grounded in the VISIONS model—a relational approach to organizational change that recognizes how power, identity, and systems shape the way people show up and work together. Through this lens, we help organizations and groups develop the relational capacity to navigate difference, repair when things go sideways, and build cultures where people can contribute fully as themselves.

Once trust is established, we introduce foundational practices that become the throughline of all our work. These include learning that respectful disagreement is not only acceptable but healthy; understanding how shame, blame, or attack (whether directed at the self or others) can shut down participation; and developing repair skills to move through missteps rather than avoid them. These tools give individuals and teams the confidence to engage more openly, knowing they have the capacity to listen, adapt, and problem-solve together.

Trauma-Informed

The Greater Us's approach is deeply trauma-informed. The core principles of trauma-informed systems—safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, empowerment—are fundamentally relational. Organizations that have incorporate these principles essentially have good shock absorbers: the ability to handle stress, conflict, and change without breaking down or pushing people out. When relationships are strong and systems are structured to support them, organizations become adaptive and able to sustain the people doing the work.

How We Work

From this starting point, we move into the services that support ongoing culture change. We generally begin with assessments (even brief ones) that help uncover the patterns, structures, and hidden dynamics shaping how people work together. These insights inform how we structure our trainings, where participants build shared language, strengthen communication, and practice authentic collaboration in real time. Our trainings are immersive and experiential, designed to leave participants with new skills as well as a renewed sense of possibility.

Culture change work doesn't end with a single workshop. To help shifts take root, The Greater Us offers coaching for individuals and small groups, creating space for leaders and staff to reflect more deeply, strengthen their ability to navigate power dynamics, and grow in alignment with their values. In addition, ongoing consultation provides sustained partnership with organizations ready to integrate new practices into their structures, policies, and everyday rhythms. Coaching and consultation ensure that what begins with learning evolves into lasting change that embeds deeply into the fabric of the organization.

What distinguishes The Greater Us is the way we hold together the practical and the relational. This work is about much more than smoother meetings and better policies. It's about creating workplaces where people feel safe to be themselves, where diverse voices are valued and fully invited in, and where relationships are strong enough to hold trust, respect, and accountability.

Our goal is to support organizations in building cultures in which talented people thrive and contribute not in spite of the culture, but because of it. When that happens, stronger relationships and healthier collaborations follow naturally.