1. Learning to Frame Powerful Questions: The Art of Appreciative Inquiry Laura Peck Claros Group September 12, 2004

2. Claros Group Helping leaders and workgroups to get clear. get moving. stay focused.

3. Workshop Overview Curiosity as a stance Appreciative Inquiry Framing powerful questions Bringing conversations to scale

4. Curiosity as a Stance Listening as presence Suspending assumptions as humility Ladder of Inference: learning to troubleshoot your thinking Balancing advocacy & inquiry

5. Appreciative Inquiry Basic Premise: Organizations grow in the direction of what they repeatedly ask questions about and focus their attention on. Organizational learning process designed to identify and disseminate best practices. Broad-based collaborative discovery of what makes and organization effective, in economic, ecological, and human terms.

6. Appreciative Inquiry: Theory power of positive questions the simultaneity of inquiry and change the function of narrative and metaphor in human systems transformation the power of positive images

7. Appreciative Inquiry vs. Problem Solving Problem solving sees organization as problem 1. Identify problem 2. Analyze possible causes 3. Brainstorm solutions 4. Develop action plans Appreciative Inquiry Sees organization as miracle 1. Identify best of “what is” 2. Explore “what might be” 3. Dialogue to determine “what should be.” 4. Create“what will be”

8. Framing Powerful Questions Picking the right questions is the beginning of action on what matters … What is the question that is working you right now? What is the question that if you knew the answer, it would set you free?

9. Examples  What does it mean to choose depth over speed?  How do we develop organizations worthy of people’s commitment?  What are the challenges we face as we try to of collaborate across many boundaries?  How can we bring caring and professionalism to all our relationships?  How are we interdependent? What do we depend on each other for?  What assumptions about leadership and management have you begun to question?  How do we continue to learn together?

10. The Architecture of Questions Construction Scope Assumptions

11. DESIGNING A WORLD CAFE The set up The questions Hosting Etiquette

12. Focus on what matters. Contribute your thinking. Speak you mind and heart. Listen to understand. Link and Connect ideas. Listen together for insights and deeper questions. Play, Doodle, Draw – writing on the table is encouraged! Have fun!

13. Harvesting the Learning

14. Resources www.worldcafe.org Google: Appreciative Inquiry turning to one another, simple conversations to restore hope to the future, Margaret Wheatley Google: Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute

15. Claros Group Laura Peck 969 Kains Ave. Albany, CA 94706 510.524.3150 FAX: 510.524.9307 Lpeck@clarosconsulting.com www.clarosgroup.com