appreciative inquiry: the positive core of change sponsored by university of st. thomas od program...

Appreciative Inquiry: The Positive Core of Change

Sponsored by University of St. Thomas OD Program and MN OD Network

Presented by David L. Cooperrider

Case Western Reserve University

(http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu)

An Open Moment… We Are “In It.” Now.

Thank God our precious time is now – M.L. King

A Time to Re-think Human Relationships and Change, e.g.

“No Limits to Cooperation” Power of Wholeness

Realities and Relationships: The “Language of Life”

A Positive Revolution in Change

Appreciative Inquiry is a Shift…

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.”

“There are only 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

Appreciative Inquiry “4-D”

DiscoveryDiscovery““What gives life?”What gives life?”

(The best of what is)(The best of what is)

AppreciatingAppreciating

DiscoveryDiscovery““What gives life?”What gives life?”

(The best of what is)(The best of what is)

AppreciatingAppreciating

DreamDream““What might be?”What might be?”(What is the world(What is the world

calling for)calling for)Envisioning ResultsEnvisioning Results

DreamDream““What might be?”What might be?”(What is the world(What is the world

calling for)calling for)Envisioning ResultsEnvisioning Results

DesignDesign““What should be—What should be—

the ideal?”the ideal?”

Co-constructingCo-constructing

DesignDesign““What should be—What should be—

the ideal?”the ideal?”

Co-constructingCo-constructing

DestinyDestiny““How to empower, learn,How to empower, learn,

and improvise?”and improvise?”

SustainingSustaining

DestinyDestiny““How to empower, learn,How to empower, learn,

and improvise?”and improvise?”

SustainingSustaining

AffirmativeTopic Choice

Five Principles of “AI”

Constructionist Principle

Principle of Simultaneity

Open Book “Poetic Principle”

Anticipatory Principle

Positive Principle

(One More…Principle of Wholeness)

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

#1. Moments of Magnified Meaning Making

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

# 2. Exploring Moments of Leadership in Your Life:

A story of a “high point” experience…leading positive

change?

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

#3. Your Vision of a Better World & Your Images and Vision of…

Business as an Agent of World Benefit? How Ideally Organized?

Practices? Bring Out Best in Human Beings?

Starting AI Interview (dialogue in pairs)

A-->B (15 min)

B-->A (15 min)

Spirit of discovery

Take brief notes

At the end.. summary & thanks

Return @4:45

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

Pioneering ResearchAcross Many Fields

An Emerging Vocabulary of “Positive Change”

• Positive Health…Placebo, etc.

• Pygmalion: We are Made and Imagined In Each Others Eyes

• What Good are Positive Emotions? Inspiration, Hope, Joy

• Imbalanced “Inner Dialogue”

• Our Inner Media & Outer Media

• Affirmative Capacity

Many Many DisciplinesDisciplines

Positive Positive Images of Images of Future & Future & Positive Positive ChangeChange

Deficit Theory of Change … and Cultural Consequences of Deficit Discourse

Identify problem

Conduct root cause analysis

Brainstorm solutionsand analyze

Develop action plans

“The signal accomplishment of the industrial age was the notion of continuous improvement. It remains the secular religion of most managers… has reached the point of diminishing returns in incremental improvement programs.”

– Gary Hamel

Leading The Revolution

Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved

With person next to you…

Things most interesting-- or important-- in any of these areas?

(positive health; placebo; pygmalion; inner dialogue; outer media; positive emotions; affirmative capability)

Any examples from your life? Other research?

Deficit Theory of Change … and Cultural Consequences of Deficit Discourse

Identify problem

Conduct root cause analysis

Brainstorm solutionsand analyze

Develop action plans

Vocabularies of…

Professional Vocabularies of Deficit

Bureaucratic Disenchantment

Original Sin

Critical Theory

Deconstruction

Critical-Cynical Media Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved

Cultural Consequences of Deficit Discourse

Fragmentation

Few New Images of Possibility…Self-Fulfilling Frames/Questions

Exhaustion &Visionless Voice

“The Experts Must Know”…Dependence and Hierarchy

Spirals in Deficit Vocabularies

Breakdown in Relations/Closed Door Meetings/Decrease in Public Space/Cycle of …

Ap-pre’ci-ate, v.,

1. Valuing …– The act of recognizing the best in people and the world

around us;

– Affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials;

– To perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, and excellence) to living systems.

2. To increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. – Synonyms: valuing, prizing, esteeming,

and honoring.

In-quire’ (kwir), v.,

1. The act of exploration and discovery.

2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities.

– Synonyms: discovery, search, studyand systematic exploration.

What would you call it?(all these things taken together)

Achievements

Strategic opportunities

Cooperative Moments

Technical assets

Innovations

Elevated thoughts

Community assets

Positive emotions

Financial assets

Community wisdom

Core competencies

Visions of possibility

Vital traditions, values

Positive macrotrends

Social capital

Embedded knowledge

Business ecosystem +s eg. suppliers, partners, competitors, customer

The “Positive Core”

Complete Organizational Wealth—”Well-being”

An Incredible Energy

AI as an “Organizational Yoga”

Whole Organizational Connection to the “Positive Core”

Elevates: positive emotions of hope, inspiration, confidence, joy; raises intelligence; expands the language of life (internal dialogue); increases in appreciative interchange and mutually elevating relationships; higher creativity, better decision making, increased collective capacity.

“Undo” Negative Impacts: letting go, makes irrelevant, finishes the residual of negative past.

Protection in Future: Increases health-ability; resilience; accumulation of power; like an increase in immune system functioning.

The Idea of Positive ChangeThe Idea of Positive Change

Any form of organization change, re-design, or planning that begins with comprehensive analysis of an organization’s “positive core” and then links this knowledge to the heart of any strategic change agenda.

Because human systems move toward what they persistently ask questions about, positive change involves the deliberate discovery of everything that gives a system “life” when it is most effective in economic and human terms.

Link the positive core directly to any strategic agenda, and changes never thought possible are more rapidly mobilized while simultaneously building enthusiasm, corporate confidence, and human energy.

Appreciative Inquiry “4-D”

DiscoveryDiscovery““What gives life?”What gives life?”

(The best of what is)(The best of what is)

AppreciatingAppreciating

DiscoveryDiscovery““What gives life?”What gives life?”

(The best of what is)(The best of what is)

AppreciatingAppreciating

DreamDream““What might be?”What might be?”(What is the world(What is the world

calling for)calling for)Envisioning ResultsEnvisioning Results

DreamDream““What might be?”What might be?”(What is the world(What is the world

calling for)calling for)Envisioning ResultsEnvisioning Results

DesignDesign““What should be—What should be—

the ideal?”the ideal?”

Co-constructingCo-constructing

DesignDesign““What should be—What should be—

the ideal?”the ideal?”

Co-constructingCo-constructing

DestinyDestiny““How to empower, learn,How to empower, learn,

and improvise?”and improvise?”

SustainingSustaining

DestinyDestiny““How to empower, learn,How to empower, learn,

and improvise?”and improvise?”

SustainingSustaining

AffirmativeTopic Choice

An Exciting Story & Example of Ai In Action

Recently Featured in Fast Company

Roadway Express…Lets Look Closer.

We Are Born To Appreciate: Three Facts About All Human Beings

Exceptionality

Essentiality

Equality/Voice and Vision

Positive Topic Choice

Human systems move in the direction of what we deeply and persistently ask questions about

Transformational topics are possible in any situation, and will generate more positive change—every time.

The skill of framing and re-framing

Topic Creation: Examples

Community in “Full Voice”

Transformational Cooperation

Healthy Multi-racial Relationships

Revolutionary Customer Response

Magnetic Work Environment

Outstanding Arrival Experiences

Business as an Agent of World Benefit

Courageous Acts of Goodness

Empowering & Enlightened Leadership

Creating Topics for An AI That Has High Transformational Potential

Some groups create a 3 topics for inquiry for the community . Other groups create AI topic for your center itself.

Good Topics are:

Desired

The words are energizing…you would like to learn, discover, and do interviews around the topic

Have high potential to generate positive change…bold.

Opposites are OK….sometimes are the best topics.

Website For These Slides and for Sharing AI Tools

http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu

(“Appreciative Inquiry Commons”, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University)

Please submit/share your new tools, stories, studies!

Appreciative Inquiry: Mini Forum

The Art of the Question

The Ai Summit Method

#1. Moments of Magnified Meaning Making

# 2. Exploring Moments of Leadership in Your Life:

A “high point” story of change…

#3. Your Vision of a Better World & Your Images and Vision of…

Business as an Agent of World Benefit? How Ideally Organized? Practices? Bring Out Best in Human Beings?

We Live in the Worlds Our Questions Create

Be patient … and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

The Art of the Question

What’s the biggest problem here?

Why did I have to be born in such a troubled family?

Why do you blow it so often?

Why do we still have those problems?

What possibilities exist that we have not yet considered?

What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact?

What solutions would haveus both win?

What makes HR questions inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing?

Genius is Creatingthe Question

“What would the universe look like if I were riding on the end of a light beam at the speed of light?”

– Albert Einstein

The Encyclopedia ofPositive QuestionsThe Encyclopedia ofPositive Questions

A Craft That Can Change Everything

Consider the Shifts…

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

What New Questions?

From a Study Customer Dissatisfaction and Complaints

Preface:

In the physical world, all matter is held together by the pull between opposite electric charges. Successful e-companies are highly nimble, flexible communities. People connect in new and innovative ways. Suppliers and customers are pulled together and become seamless edge-to-edge organizations. Communities of interest form and are pulled together by shared values. Knowledge networks form as catalysts for innovation and creativity.

Magnetic Connections

Magnetic Connections (continued)

Think of a time when you felt “magnetically” connected to your client, your colleagues, and your community … connected in a way that the force was so strong that it could not be broken. What was that experience? What did it feel like?

As you look into the future, describe how you see us connected to our customers and our colleagues — in ways that are so strong that we are seen as inseparable business partners.

From an Analysis of Grievance Reduction to….

Engagement and Positive EnergyEngagement and Positive Energy

Preface

Organizations work best when they are vibrant, alive and fun. You know, when the "joint is jumping!" You can sense that the spirit of the organization is vital and healthy and that people feel pride in their work. Everyone builds on each other's successes, a positive can do attitude is infectious and the glow of success is shared. What's more, this positive energy is appreciated and celebrated so it deepens and lasts.

Engagement and Positive Energy

Questions:

A.Tell me about a time when you experienced positive energy that was infectious. What was the situation? What created the positive energy? How did it feel to be a part of it? What did you learn?

B. If positive energy were the flame of the organization, how would you spark it? How would you fuel it to keep it burning bright?

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

What Would You Study?

From Analysis of Baggage Delays

To …

Exceptional Arrival Experience

Preface:

Our goal is to provide an exceptional travel experience both in the air and on the ground.The handling of a flight’s arrival and baggage reconciliation is of equal importance to any other aspect of a passenger’s journey. The arrival experience is the time to leave a wonderful lasting impression. It also provides the opportunity to recover from any service shortfall the customer may have encountered. Focusing on Exceptional Arrival Experience demonstrates commitment to both our customers and to one another.

Exceptional Arrival Experience (continued)

Describe your most memorable arrival experience, as a customer or, as airline personnel. What made it memorable for you? How did you feel?

Tell me a story about your most powerful service recovery. Describe the situation.

– What was it about you that made it happen?

– Who else was involved and why were they significant?

– What tools did you use or what did you do that others might be able to do when in a similar situation?

Exceptional Arrival Experience (continued)

If you had a magic wand, how would you use it to enhance our overall arrivals experience for our customers? What ideas do you have to ensure exceptional arrival experiences for all our customers? And to make the process easier for us, as well!

The Surprise of Friendship!

One could say a key task in life is to discover and define our life purpose, and then accomplish it to the best of our ability.     

Can you share a story of a moment, or the period of time, where clarity about life purpose emerged for you. For example, a moment where your calling happened, where there was an important awakening or teaching, where there was a special experience or event, or where you received some guiding vision?

Now, beyond this story … what do you sense you are supposed to do before your life, this life, is over?

Education

Knowledge empowers people and people power Hunter Douglas. We each contribute to Hunter Douglas’ position of market leadership through personal knowledge of: our jobs and equipment; other functions in the Company; our customers; our competition; and the industry.

To maintain our position as market leaders, we must continue to invest in each employee’s training and education through:– Challenging work assignments

– Individual coaching

– Job cross-training

– Tuition assistance

– On- and off-site classes and

– Family scholarships for our children

Education (continued)

If knowledge empowers people, and people power Hunter Douglas, what kind of learning opportunities would turbo charge Hunter Douglas?

Tell me about the best training you have ever experienced, and what made the best?– How did this influence your development as a

professional?

– How did it influence the training you passed on to others?

Education (continued)

Reflecting on your past and where you are today,what types of training have proven the mostbeneficial to you?

Robert Fulghum wrote a book entitled “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” If this was kindergarten, what would you like to learn for the future?

Discovering Optimal Margins

With revenues, tonnage, and sales at record levels one of the most important opportunities we face is to engage everyone in increasing positive margins now and to do so will call on discovery of new strengths, build on old strengths, and carry us to higher levels financially.

– As you look at Roadway from the perspective of our capabilities, and as you think about the business context and opportunities, how do you define "optimal margin“ for us? Define it: what is the positive margin you want and believe we have the capability to create? Right now? In the moderate time frame? Longer term?

Discovering Optimal Margins(continued)

As you reflect on your leadership here at Roadway — times where you have mobilized or helped develop others — there have been high points and low points, successful moments, etc. Please describe one situation, or change initiative that you are proud about — an achievement in which you feel you had impact in realizing better margins. What happened? What were the challenges" What was it about you or your leadership style? Lessons learned?

If anything imaginable was possible, if there were no constraints whatever, what would the nature of an ideal Roadway organization look like if we were to rapidly move into stage of delivering optimal margins? Describe, as if you had a magic wand, what we would be doing new, better, or different? Envision it happening? What do you see happening that isnew, different, better ?

We Live in the Worlds Our Questions Create

Be patient … and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

GroupsCrafting the Question

Choose one of your Topics the Ai question (s): 3 PARTS

I. Positive Preface—it is a topic intro.

A. A question to evoke a story from persons history

B. A question to evoke/help give voice to their best images of future

– return...

An experience from your life…a moment of “Wonder”

Turn to person next to you…invite them to share a moment, a story, an experience of wonder!

Applications Appreciative InquiryApplications Appreciative Inquiry

AI Organization Summit Method Strategic Change/Planning Full Engagement of People: Schools Communities.

Networks, Movements, Organizations Magnetic Connections, Retaining the Best Strength of Diversity Labor-management partnerships Transformation of measurements Operational Excellence “Optimal Margins” Mergers, Synergy and Customer Partnering Knowledge exchange: the “PCN”

The AI Organization Summit Method

Increasing positive capacity through large group methods

4 Common Approaches to Change

Top Down Strategies

Bottom Up Strategies

Representative Cross-Section Strategies

Pilot Strategies

Back Room

Typical Results

Less Informed and Ultimatley Less Effective Change Efforts

A Few Try to Convince Many That Change is Needed

Partial Responsibility Mindset

Change Occurs Sequentially

Change is Perceived as a Disruption of “Real Work”

Typical Results (cont)

Pace of Change is Too Slow

Substantial Change in Part or Modest Change in an Entire Organization

Breakdown at Implementation

Dream & DesignThe AI “Organization Summit”:

“Whole System” in the Room Task is Clear...

Future Focus & Continuity Search

Self-Management and Dialogue Narrative Rich & Inter-generational Silence (“traffic control”) From Common Ground to Inspired Action 3-Day event/100 to 1000 Participants

Uncommon Action/Follow Through

Discovery•Opportunity & Call

•Positive Core•History

Discovery•Opportunity & Call

•Positive Core•History

Dream•Purpose

•New Story

Dream•Purpose

•New Story

Design•Provocative Propositions

Ideal Organizations & World

Design•Provocative Propositions

Ideal Organizations & World

Destiny•People &Actions

•Learning & •Improvisation

Destiny•People &Actions

•Learning & •Improvisation

AI “4-D” Cycle

Topic :Vision of Business

As Agent of World Benefit

Nutrimental Foods

• Why is this so easy?

• The experience of wholeness…an amazing power….why? How?

The Power of AI Stories

• Stories stick like glue…

• Make information easier to remember…”Whole brain”

• Builds identities and fosters relationships

• Medium for conveying values, visions

• Moves the internal dialogue of the system

• Human Hope…

A 2 Hour Intro of AI

9:00-9:15 Opening excitement: time to re-think organization and change….objectives

9:15-9:50 Mini-Ai….pairs…4 quesitons

9:50-10:00 Quick debrief…adjectives

10:00-10:15 Beyond PS to AI (slide)

10:15-10:30 The “4-D cycle examples, emphasize topics; show a tangible interview guide

10:30-10:45 Envisioning potentials at xyz

10:45-11:00 Enough interest to develop full proposal….?

Destiny: Creating a Positive Change Network

GTE :How to Invite 67,000 people to create a new culture?

Storytelling and hope

Ai at the front line

The “zealots are coming”

Labor & management: an impasse

The positive change network…ongoing!!

The PCN: What is it?

Special invitation & call to people to be change leaders…

Ai program on positive change

Many applications

Self-organizing...

Connected in knowledge sharing

We Are Born to Appreciate!We Are Born to Appreciate!

Exceptionality

Essentiality

Equality/Voice

Website For These Slides and for Sharing AI Tools

http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu

(“Appreciative Inquiry Commons”, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University)

Please submit/share your new tools, stories, studies!