RQ - Race Intelligence
Coaching Program
A new and bold way to learn, lead, live and heal in a racialized world
Race Intelligence (RQ) is the capacity to understand our relationship with race, and reveal and recognize, conscious and unconscious mindsets, belief systems and behaviors that enable racialized oppression.
Designed by Michelle D. Davis, LPC, PCC, ORSC, CDTLF, the RQ - Race Intelligence™ Coaching Program equips individuals to access their RQ to develop specific and deliberate skills that transcend equity conversations beyond blame and shame to healing and hope.
Our interdependent relationships within a racialized system are explored to enhance, support and leverage our collective potential to foster growth, connection, restoration and healing to live out the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
The way through is in relationship.
REVEAL
Accessing new insights and the potential within, creates a catalyst for change in our relationship with race and each other.
RECOGNIZE
New ways of thinking and being with race can be integrated and accessed, creating the conditions for skilled and productive conversations.
RESTORE
Living and leading in meaningful and authentic relationship with our humanity and our differences.
The Four Phases of the
RQ - Race Intelligence™ Coaching Program
Phase 1: Discovery
Coachees experience 1:1 sessions with a certified coach to uncover their individual strengths, internal struggles, triggers, and related dynamics that may unconsciously uphold systemic racism.
RQ Coaches will work with coachees to develop the skills needed to stay in difficult conversations in ways that make it more possible to engage, listen, understand and act.
At the same time, coachees will reflect on their values, establish individual objectives that forward personal awareness, build leadership skills and identify a specific initiative to be activated in Phase 2.
Phase 1 Equips Coachees To:
- Identify and cultivate awareness of potential personal triggers and other conversation inhibitors.
- Engage in productive conversations related to race, racism, power, and oppression.
- Develop the Skill Sets of Courage (Dare to Lead™) in preparation for cohort discussions.
Phase 2: Relationship
For any relationship system to transform, new information, awareness and skills must enter it.
Coachees will have the opportunity to deepen their awareness and build skills to have the conversations people often avoid.
The expression of experiences of another and of differences and dissention in our conversations offer a different and developmental way of viewing ourselves.
Coaching cohorts will engage in experiential activities intended to reveal conscious and unconscious mindsets, attitudes, behaviors, and belief systems to ignite internal shifts within individuals, leaders, team members, and organizations.
Phase 3: Forwarding the Action
The way through is in relationship.
As coachees work to integrate new ways of being and doing to operate as an equity and inclusion focused leader and organization, RQ coaches will use a relationship systems lens to coach cohorts to take actions to forward their objectives.
During this Phase, individual coaching sessions are offered to support the integration of what the coachee learned during Phases 1 and 2, and help them establish a plan for moving into sustaining the action.
Team/Group coaching expands on Phase 2 and forwards the following:
Opportunity to deepen awareness and build skills. For any system to transform, new information and skills must enter, thus the expression of differences and dissension adds rich texture to the collective intelligence of the system. The coaching cohort will learn to listen for the forces for and against change internally and systemically as they hold conversations that advance an understanding of racialized oppression.
Coaching cohorts will engage in experiential activities intended to reveal, recognize, and reconcile conscious and unconscious mindsets, attitudes, behaviors, and belief systems to ignite cultural shifts in individuals, leaders, teams, organizations, and systems.
Coachees will discuss challenges they are experiencing with their Forwarding Action Change Initiative and receive coaching support from the coaches and the team/group. In this model, no one walks it alone.
Asynchronous (independent study) learning opportunities in the form of videos, books, articles, podcasts, documentaries, and webinars (live & recorded) will be provided to generate new thinking. Interacting with relevant new material – through a multitude of media will create, connect, and deepen the cohort’s collective understanding of systemic racism and the intersections between race, power, privilege, and oppression with all identities.
Phase 4: Sustaining the Action and Impact Evaluation
Coachees have support in sustaining their efforts even as roadblocks show up.
Several times a year, former coachees will come together virtually to share their real-life experiences and receive coaching by way of “process work”.
These expansion events are an excellent opportunity to strengthen both your RQ skills and network!
The RQ - Race Intelligence™ Coaching Program is designed to be fully customizable and maintain its integrity and intention.
RQ - Race Intelligence™ Coaching Program Theoretical Framework
The RQ - Race Intelligence™ Coaching Program is enhanced by accessing other forms of intelligence such as emotional intelligence (EQ), social intelligence (SI), relationship systems intelligence (RSI), spiritual intelligence (SP), and decency intelligence (DI).
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions.
Social Intelligence (SI) is the capacity to know oneself and to know others.
Relationship Systems Intelligence (RSI) is the ability to interpret an individual’s experience (and that of others) as an expression of the system. The experience is personal and belongs to the system, which is a group of interdependent entities with a common focus or goal. For example, in the context to address systemic racism, our common goal could be to tap into the collective wisdom of us all to determine a course of action to improve psychological safety.[1]
Spiritual Intelligence (SP) is the ability to act with wisdom and compassion, while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the circumstances. Spiritual intelligence is the way we assign meaning and feel connected to a power larger than ourselves.
Decency Intelligence (DI) is genuinely caring for others and wanting to do right by them by holding to the integrity of honesty and transparency and to hold not only yourself accountable, but also to hold others accountable.[2]
Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, and Dare to Lead are concepts infused throughout the coaching program. Understanding the importance of vulnerability, empathy, and perspective-taking are essential to both our vertical and horizontal development in race equity work.
[1] Uit de Weerd, F. and Fridjhon, M. (2021) Systems Inspired Leadership. How to Tap Collective Wisdom to Navigate Change, Enhance Agility, and Foster Collaboration. Published by CRR Global. https://crrglobal.com
[2] https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/dean-bill-boulding-decency-isn%E2%80%99t-soft
What others have said...
“I think primarily where I benefited was in relationship building
with the other folks who were involved in the program. …
Sometimes we don't always want the same outcomes. [But] in
this space everybody really did.”
“It challenges my fundamental approach to
DEI work, and not saying we were told not
to do the outward action items. It was that
we must do the [internal work] first to be
able to do the action items as well.”
“Understanding the scope of racism and
systemic racism has felt overwhelming and
insurmountable in a lot of ways. This
coaching helped to narrow down to [focus]
on change that can happen within
relationships and that change can be
impactful even when it’s little and slow.”
“This approach was more holistic than I expected it to be
[compared to] any other type of work I've done. I had expected
there to be an equity focus on the coaching and there was, but
the benefit felt a lot more personal and deeper than certainly
checking a box for the DEI work portion of my job.”
“I feel more confident in approaching the issues and talking about
them in a more open way without worrying so much about whether I'm
doing it right.”
Connect with us
Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Core
The Kempe Center University of Colorado-Anschutz
13123 E 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045
Email: rqcoaching@cuanschutz.edu
Phone: 303.864.5374
www.kempecenter.org