Appreciative Inquiry Finding our Positive Core A strength based approach to just about anything Appreciative Inquiry Finding our Positive Core A strength based approach to just about anything Ann Brown, MA LearningAdvance LearningAdvance Connecting the knowledge in the organization: people, process & information

Appreciate Inquiry Finding and Building on our Positive Core –What is Ai: Power of the Question and the Power of the Image –An Ai experience –The Ai Process –Appreciative Quality Practices –Foundations of Ai

What Do You Appreciate?  Tell your “best buddy” about something you appreciate in your life.

New Challenges Require New Thinking First “ The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them ” – Albert Einstein

Definition of Insanity Doing the same things the same way and expecting a different result

The Power of the Question “It all starts with Inquiry…the questions we ask, the things we focus on, the topics that we choose determine what we find. What we find becomes the data and the story out of which we dialogue about and envision the future. And so, the seeds of change are implicit in the very first question we ask.” Cooperrider, 1995

The Power of the Question We get what we pay attention to, so the first question is fateful Measurements – another way of asking questions?

The Power of the Image Our image of the future drives our ACTION! Placebo Effect Construct an image of how something might happen, drives behavior which creates a change in that direction Sociology The study of problems creates an increase in number & severity of problems.. Sports Vivid visualization of one’s performance guides physical performance. Speed of learning when only correct images are reviewed. Internal Conversations Studies of pre and post operative patients. Difference in recovery between positive and negative imagery. Pygmalion Effect Change a teacher’s image of a student, and their behavior changes toward the student, improving student performance

The Three Ages

What did you see ?

Another Look

Creating the Dominant Image Assumption Conversation Dominant Image Exclusion Reinforced Assumption Challenge and examination

The Positive Core The Positive Core is all the capacities of the organization – past, present and future. Organizations are homes of infinite capacity and imagination “The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making the organization’s weaknesses irrelevant” Peter Drucker

Comparison to Problem Focus What to fix Underlying grammar = problem, symptoms, causes, solutions, action plan, intervention Breaks things into pieces & specialties, guaranteeing fragmented responses Takes a lot of positive emotion to make real change Assumes organizations are constellations of problems to be overcome What to grow New grammar of the true, good, better, possible “Problem focus” implies that there is an unknown ideal. AI breaks open the box of what the ideal is first Expands vision of preferred future. Creates new energy fast Assumes organizations are sources of infinite capacity and imagination Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiry

Transformative Change in Organizations The Power of the Question + The Power of the Image = AI in organizational change

What is Appreciative Inquiry? It is a philosophy, and mind set and an evolving process that asks: Who are we when we are at our very best?

A Brief Appreciative Inquiry Tell me about a peak experience with a quality initiative, big or small. What was happening, who was involved, what was your role? What gave the experience it’s core energy for you? What do you value about yourself and your participation ?

Appreciative Inquiry Appreciate –Recognize the quality, significance or magnitude of –To be fully aware of or sensitive to –To raise in value or price Inquiry –The process of gathering information for the purpose of learning and changing. –A close examination in a quest for truth.

The “5 D” Process  Continuing the inquiry with micro AIs into aspects of the change  Define the intent  Frame the question  Identify the core team  Plan the approach  Develop the interview protocol  Conduct interviews  Share stories  Highlight the themes  Provocative propositions of what could be  Vision, mission, purpose and values  Micro propositions  Build the social architecture  Create action plans  Continue the conversations  Repeat the AI processes  Take action on the plans and monitor progress Define: Choosing the Positive Discovery: Appreciating that which gives life Dream: Envisioning the Impact; shared images for a preferred future Delivery: Sustaining the Change. Design: Co- constructin g the future

AI Foundations –In every human system, something works. –What we focus on becomes our reality. –Reality is created in the moment and there are multiple realities. –The act of asking questions influences the group in some way. –People have more confidence & comfort to move to an unknown future when they carry forward parts of the past. –What we carry forward should be what is best about the past. –It is important to value differences –The language we use create our reality

Appreciative Practice Bringing an appreciative approach to what we do

Fishbone for Classroom Behaviour Environment Eliminate behaviour problems Instructional Methods MaterialsPeople

Fishbone for Good classroom Behaviour Marilyn Redmond, Roland Michener, Ottawa Environment Good Classroom Behaviour Instructional Methods MaterialsPeople No karate or Play fighting Be nice to Each other Keep your hands And feet to yourself Keep things sorted Don’t take other People’s things Do not touch Paper cutter Do not go near The fan Don’t touch Teacher’s things Work quietly Garbage in The can

Appreciative Practice How could an appreciative approach be applied to your function in the organization? What benefits might you expect to see?

Users of Appreciative Inquiry Dalai Lama and 20 World Religious Leaders City of Chicago City of Dallas South Carolina United Way - Denver Motorola AVON Paine Webber GTE Body Works Hunter Douglas Nutrimental Foods

Carol Sutton, Communications I think it makes several differences. One that delights me is the look of surprise on people's faces when asked to think of something "good", rather than a problem. I get a real kick out of that! Taking an AI approach to the initial exercise in my workshop ("Not by words alone!") enables participants to reframe their attitude toward workplace communication into a positive perspective. It takes us toward what we want, rather than pondering how to fix what we don't want. There also is personal benefit in that I feel the AI focus lifts my energy and revitalizes my facilitation of the session.

Thomas White, President GTE In the long run, what is likely to be more useful: Demoralizing a successful workforce by concentrating on their failures or helping them over their last few hurdles by building a bridge with their successes? When you get survey results that tell you that 94 percent of your customers are satisfied, what do you do? Do you conduct additional research to find out what makes those 94 out of 100 people so happy – or do you send your entire research department out to gather as many negative stories as you can from the miserable 6 percent? “

Things that make you go….hmmmm What is Quality? In simple terms is quality the… Absence of problems Presence of something else?

AI Resources Books Appreciative Inquiry:Change at the Speed of Imagination, Jane Magruder Watkins & Bernard J. Mohr, 2001, Josey- Bass/Pfeiffer The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, Diana Whitney and Amanda Bloom The Encyclopedia of Positive Questions, Whitney, Cooperrider et al. Links AI Commons ai.cwru.edu Writes of Passage Workshops In Vancouver and Fraser Valley – AI Introductory ½ day in January/February AI Virtual Group starting in April AI Intensive, Vancouver 2 day March 2005 AI Group - Langara - ongoing

Our Inquiry Must Be the Change We Want to See in the World There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -Albert Einstein

LearningAdvance LearningAdvance Connecting the knowledge in the organization: people, process & information Please get in touch if I can help you with your appreciative process. Let me know how you are applying your appreciative thinking and how it works out! If you have a question or need a quick review of your inquiry question or “plan of attack”, it to me and I would be happy to take a look. Ann Tel: