Analysis, training and consulting designed to build a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.
Groundwater is a Powerful Metaphor to Catalyze Change
The Groundwater approach supports systemic change by looking at inequity from a unique perspective. Let’s break down the metaphor...
If you have a lake in front of your house, and you see one fish is floating belly up dead, it makes sense to ask “what’s wrong with that fish?”
But if you come out to that same lake and half the fish are floating belly up, you should ask, instead, “what’s wrong with the lake?”
And if you come out of your house and you have 5 lakes around your house - and EVERY lake has half the fish floating belly up… You should start wondering… what’s happening with the Groundwater?
The Metaphor in Practice
Orienting Us in the Work
We reveal unseen root causes.
We identify patterns across systems.
We connect individual actions and systems.
Enabling More Effective Work
We develop a shared language and create spaces for holistic dialogue
We identify the correct diagnosis.
We co-create and execute effective treatment.
The groundwater metaphor opens the field of view to see connections between Individual Roles and Org Strategy and Culture, and between Org Strategy and Culture and Larger Systems Change. This works for a range of people, from those steeped in the work to those newly in leadership positions recently owning equity, culture, or strategy work.
Our clients include healthcare systems, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and global consultancies. Our work builds on a deep legacy while responding specifically to today’s environment.
Strategic Advisory & Coaching
Integrate a Groundwater Approach into strategy, operations, and culture with expert guidance that empowers decision-makers rather than making decisions for them.
Experiences
Interactive, accessible learning experiences that engage team members and empower leaders with deep understanding and shared language to drive organizational and societal impact.
Groundwater Network
Connect to a powerful community of leaders who are addressing the structural and cultural roots of inequity, and bring the full weight of their influence, and organizations to bear in creating a world where everyone can thrive.
Our clients approached us (and keep coming back) because our offerings have tangible systemic impact. Clients typically say our trainings have the highest net promoter scores of any partner.
90%+
of participants rate our programs “extremely” or “very useful”
2x
increase in commitment to act on equity goals after training
2M
returns realized by clients while closing equity gaps
We update our experiences and consultative approaches in response to the moment and in response to specific challenges, so that our clients can move forward with confidence.
“Groundwater Institute really got me to understand that what I had been doing for 20 years was not going to be effective— changing individual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors was a Band-Aid and not a solution. Instead, what I needed to focus on was systems change.
