the discovery and design of positive institutions via appreciative inquiry david cooperrider...

The Discovery and Design

of Positive Institutions

Via Appreciative Inquiry david cooperrider

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*For Those Interested in more resources & learning opportunities with David Cooperrider please go to:

1. Appreciative Inquiry Certificate Program (next session Dec. 8-11 th Longboat Key Florida)

http://weatherhead.case.edu/executive-education/certificates/appreciative-inquiry/

2. Leadership Deep Dive:

http://weatherhead.case.edu/executive-education/programs/subjects/other/deepdive/

3. Masters in Positive Organization Development--MPOD

http://weatherhead.case.edu/academics/masters/positive-organizational-development/faculty.cfm

4. Masters in Applied Positive Psychology http://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/graduate/mapp/

5. Online Appreciative Inquiry Training http://www.ovationnet.com/

6. Next (2009) World Appreciative Inquiry Conference– in Nepal: www.2009worldaiconference.org

7. Taos Institute www.taosinstitute.net/

8. For hundreds of free tools, articles, power point slides see the “Appreciative Inquiry Commons”

http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/ or email for in-house speaking requests: AICommons@case.edu

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What An Exciting Time to Be Alive in This Field Points of Departure

Early Pillars of Positive Psychology

Question of Positive Institutions• Huge Research and Applied Potential• Powerful Business Case—Tenfold Increase• Appreciative Inquiry at Scale of the Whole

Our Research Into:Business as an Agent of World Benefit• The Positive Psychology of Sustainability:

Eco-Renewal & Human Flourishing

Image PlaceholderImage Placeholder

""Bankruptcy of the Soul of Our Bankruptcy of the Soul of Our Institutions" Institutions"

Bankruptcy in the Soul of Bankruptcy in the Soul of BusinessBusiness

the unthinkable?the unthinkable?

unsinkable corporations;unsinkable corporations;madoff ethics and loss of madoff ethics and loss of

legitimacy;legitimacy;social and global environmental social and global environmental

collisionscollisions

The (way forward) unimaginable?The (way forward) unimaginable?

Business as an Agent of World Benefit

--More Than 2,000 Interviews--173 of Published Profiles --see www.worldinquiry.org

“Awe is What Moves Us Forward”

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Sustainability Revolution in BusinessFertile Ground for the Study of Positive Institutions

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SustaSustainablinableeValue Value

+ + Stake--Stake--holder holder ValueValue

+ Shareholder + Shareholder ValueValue

++----

UnsustainaUnsustainableble(Value (Value TransferTransfer))

UnsustainaUnsustainableble(Value (Value Transfer)Transfer)

UnsustainaUnsustainableble(Lose/Lose)(Lose/Lose)

SustainaSustainable ble ValueValue

fossil fuel ICEfossil fuel ICE

Value is sustainable only when it is Value is sustainable only when it is positive for shareholders and positive for shareholders and stakeholdersstakeholders

Chris Lazslo (2008) Chris Lazslo (2008) Sustainable ValueSustainable Value..

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How Do We Link Positive Psychology & Business?Positive Psychology With Corporate Strategy and Sustainable Value?

Peterson and Seligman’s Classic Work: Peterson and Seligman’s Classic Work: VIAVIA VIA VIA 20042004

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A Working Definition—Positive Institutions3 Circles of the Strengths Revolution

Organizations, communities and societal “institutions” enabling:

(1)the elevation and engagement of life-giving strengths, (2) the connected and combined magnification of collective strengths, and ultimately, (3) the refraction of our higher human strengths (e.g. VIA) outward into our world.

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BUSINESS ASAN AGENT OFWORLD BENEFITMANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE LEADING POSITIVE CHANGE

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AI at the UN World Summit With Business and Industry CEOs and Civil Society Leaders

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It’s a bright green economyIt’s a bright green economyEradicated extreme poverty (equity)Eradicated extreme poverty (equity)Powered through renewable energyPowered through renewable energyGlobally inclusive, dignified workGlobally inclusive, dignified workEliminated perverse incentivesEliminated perverse incentivesMarkets “high information” and “aligned Markets “high information” and “aligned incentives”incentives”Rewards sustainable Rewards sustainable valuevalue and prosperity… and prosperity…Positive institutions: vigor; purpose; Positive institutions: vigor; purpose; performance performance

Global Global ForumForumVisionVision

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SSustainability is the ustainability is the businessbusiness opportunity of the 21opportunity of the 21stst century.century.

People. Planet. ProsperityPeople. Planet. Prosperity..

Task of Historic MagnitudeTask of Historic Magnitude““Positive Institutions”Positive Institutions”

Chapter 1: How? Chapter 1: How?

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Appreciative Inquiry Involves 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

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Deficit Theory of Change

Identify problem Conduct root cause

analysis Brainstorm

and analyze possibilities

Action plans

most schools, companies, families and organizations function on an unwritten rule…

“Let’s fix what’s wrong and let the strengths take care of themselves”

--Gallop Poll

Metaphor: Metaphor: Organizations are Organizations are

problems to be solvedproblems to be solved

How many of those meetings were convened to “solve the problem of…” ?

Think about your last 6 meetings:

Can you guess Can you guess the “best seller” the “best seller” management management book-- of all book-- of all time?time?

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Appreciate “Best of what is” Imagine “What might be” Design “What should be” Create “What will be”

Identify problem Conduct root cause analysis Brainstorm solutions & analyze Develop treatment - action

plans

(Deficit-based change)(Deficit-based change) (Strength-based change)(Strength-based change)

Problem Solving Appreciative InquiryAppreciative Inquiry

Problem Metaphor:Problem Metaphor:Organizations are Organizations are “problems to be solved”“problems to be solved”Machines; Dilbert-like Machines; Dilbert-like places of dysfunction.places of dysfunction.

Mystery Metaphor:Mystery Metaphor:Organizations are alive, Organizations are alive, “appreciative systems”“appreciative systems” are universes of are universes of strengths via strengths via relationshiprelationship

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Peter Drucker and Our Conversation on “Ai”see Cooperrider (2003) Appreciative Inquiry Commons

“The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths…making a system’s weaknesses irrelevant”.

--Peter Drucker

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Could it Be…

Organization Change is All About Strengths?

• Why would strength connected to strength…create change?

Its often been said that strengths perform, but how about the idea that…. strengths do more than perform, they transform?

What would it mean to create an entire change theory around strengths? Transformational positivity?

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Pro-fusion—stages & the idea of transformational positivityWhat Happens When Strength Connects to Strength? Hope with Hope?

1. Elevate-and-Extend The Elevation of Inquiry into the appreciable world + The Extension of Relatedness Awe, Gratitude and Generosity

2. Broaden-And-Build Broadening of Minds Merging and Magnification of Resources Confidence and Positive Synchronization

3. Establish-and-Eclipse From Generosity to Generativity Vital Engagement: Courage, Significance,

and Creativity Upward spiral of doing & undergoing

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The AI Summit The AI Summit

““Whole SystemWhole System” in the Room” in the Room Internal & External Internal & External StakeholdersStakeholders

StrategicStrategic Task-Driven Task-Driven Focus is ClearFocus is Clear Future Focus Future Focus && Continuity SearchContinuity Search

From Dialogue to From Dialogue to Collaborative DesignCollaborative Design 4-D’s 4-D’s Appreciative IntelligenceAppreciative Intelligence

Common Ground Vision to Real PrototypesCommon Ground Vision to Real Prototypes 3 Day Event: 3 Day Event: 300 to 2000 300 to 2000 ParticipantsParticipants

Uncommon Action Uncommon Action ResultsResults

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Nutrimental FoodsThe Results One Year Later

Rodrigo Loures, CEO 300 % Increase in Profitability

75 % Decrease in Absenteeism Appointment to President Lula’s Economic

and Social Council World Business Academy Award

Rise to Best 100 Companies in the Nation Sustainability Leader

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Why Does Experience of Wholeness…

Bring out the best in human beings?

Propel innovation?

New life?

Eclipse negative patterns?

So easy?

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AI Summits: Three Ways to Understand Positive Profusion—What Do You Observe?

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Did you notice the young sailor’s energy?

An estimated $300 billion is lost in the US economy due to disengaged employees?

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Business Impactand Research Results

BUSINESS RESULTS:

Navy: $2 Billion* “Winning the Battle for People”

Trucking Company: Stock Follows Increasing Engagement Scores $14 to $41

*Testimony House Armed Services Committee 2004

WHY SO EASY?

Vigor, Passion, System Engagement, Dedication

Pipeline of Customer-focused Innovation/Speed

38 % Higher Productivity (Glavas 2009)

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William James’ Call in 1902

The kind of change that happens…

“when things are hot and alive within us, and where everything has to re-crystallize about it” (William James, 1902, p. 162).

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James’ interest: The Fertile and Explosive Positivity that Changes Lives

Emotional occasions, especially violent ones, are extremely potent in precipitating mental rearrangements. The sudden and explosive ways in which jealousy, guilt, fear, remorse, or anger can seize upon one are known to everybody. Hope, happiness, security, resolve, emotions characteristic of conversion, however, can be equally explosive. And emotions that come in this explosive way seldom leave things as they found them (James, 1902, p. 163-164 ).

What to call “it”?

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Activation of Inquiry into “What Gives Life?”“Appreciable World”

Advancing

Exte

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f R

ela

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ness

& U

niv

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al C

apaci

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Hig

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InitiatingLo w

Positive Profusion—Three Observable Phases1. Elevate-and-Extend2. Broaden-And-Build3. Establish-and-Eclipse

Positive Profusion—Three Observable Phases1. Elevate-and-Extend2. Broaden-And-Build3. Establish-and-Eclipse

Elevation and

Extension of Inquiry

Pro-Fusion of Strengths“Broaden and

Build”

Activation of

EnergyEstablish and

Eclipse

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Fairmount Minerals StoryBirth of the “Sustainable Design Factory”

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Appreciative Inquiry Sustainability Summit

External Stakeholders: Customers Suppliers NGO’s Neighbors/Communities Board of Directors

Imagine 300—Three days Stakeholders—designing green products, services.

Internal Stakeholders Operations Administration & Corporate

Services Customer Service Engineering Logistics Quality Sales Technical Support / R&D

Bringing the Whole System of Strengths Into the Room

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Images of the Sustainable Design AI Summit

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The AI 4-D Cycle for The AI 4-D Cycle for Applied Positive ChangeApplied Positive Change

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?”EnvisioningEnvisioning

Results/ImpactResults/Impact

DreamDream““What might be?”What might be?”EnvisioningEnvisioning

Results/ImpactResults/Impact

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, How to empower,

learn, and improvise?”learn, and improvise?”SustainingSustaining

DestinyDestiny““How to empower, How to empower,

learn, and improvise?”learn, and improvise?”SustainingSustaining

AffirmativeAffirmativeTopicTopic

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Highlights

40% Annual Growth in Earnings Past Two Years

2007 US Chamber of Commerce’s #1 Corporate Citizenship Award

Community Partnership and Innovation

Emerging as Top Rated Star in the Industry

The Positive Psychology of Eco-Renewal

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Fairmount Started with Appreciative Inquiry in 1990 With a Focus on Empowerment 40% CAGR Past Four Years

Faimount Sales & EBITDA History (For Recurring Operations)

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100

150

200

250

300

350

198

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984

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986

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988

198

91

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($'s

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EBITDA Sales

.2.299

.61

Perceived Perceived

Corporate Corporate CitizenshipCitizenship of the companyof the company

High-Quality High-Quality ConnectionsConnections

EngagementEngagement

Creative Creative InvolvementInvolvement

.58.58

.37.37

.49.49

Glavas (2009) Case Western Glavas (2009) Case Western Reserve Univ. Reserve Univ. Ante.S.Glavas.1@nd.edu

““Hot off the Press” Hot off the Press” Research on Positive Research on Positive InstitutionsInstitutions

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A Question for You About the S-Revolution:

Which organization will help save more lives in the next five years than any other— children, women, and men—who are picking cotton in toxic and chemically treated fields all over the world—fields that are so toxic that when you touch the cotton it feels like an electric jolt around your fingers?

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It employs 1.9 million people Its serves 138 million people per week.

It has approximately $350 billion in sales It’s attracting the most brilliant and radical

environmental minds e.g. Amory Lovins It’s raising many eyebrows

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Sustainability goals at

To be supplied 100% by renewable energy

Stores 25% more efficient in 7 years

Fleet 25% more efficient in 3 years

To create To create zero wastezero waste

25% reduction in 25% reduction in solid waste in 3 solid waste in 3 yrsyrs

Improve Improve packaging of packaging of every product every product soldsold

To sell To sell products that products that sustain our sustain our resources resources and the and the environmentenvironment 20% supply base 20% supply base aligned in 3 yearsaligned in 3 yearsSource: released in speech by Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott October 24, 2005Source: released in speech by Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott October 24, 2005

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Sustainable Value… Design NetworksSustainable Value… Design Networks

Global Greenhouse Gas Strategy

Buildings Design Construction & Maintenance

Global Logistics

Alternative Fuels

Operations & Internal Procurement

Packaging

Textiles

Electronics

Food & Agriculture

Forest Products (Wood & Paper)

Chemical Intensive Products

Jewelry

Seafood

China

EnergyEnergy

WasteWaste

ProductsProducts

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Stories Have Wings

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Implications of Packaging Eco- Innovation & People Turned On

Prevented millions of pounds of trash from reaching landfills

Across the supply chain, the initiative will save 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere

Equal to taking 213,000 trucks off the road annually, and saving 323,800 tons of coal and 66.7 million gallons of diesel fuel from being burned.

“The packaging is renewable in 90 days instead of 9 million years”

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Implications of Packaging Sustainable Value Innovation

Broadening this initiative to 255 items in Toys:

This employee driven initiative saved 3,425 tons of corrugated materials

1,358 barrels of oil annually 5,190 trees

Millions of dollars in transportation costs

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3 Circles of The Strengths Revolution

PIPI

BoeingBoeingFairmountFairmountHPHPInterfaceInterfaceDealer Dealer TireTireToyotaToyotaGMCRGMCRUNUNNavyNavyWal-MartWal-MartUnited United WayWayGreen Green City on City on Blue Lake, Blue Lake, etc.etc.

""Bankruptcy of the Soul of Our Bankruptcy of the Soul of Our Institutions" Institutions"

Two World’sTwo World’s

““It was the best of times, it was the It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…it was the spring epoch of incredulity…it was the spring of hope.”of hope.” --Charles --Charles DickensDickens

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What Matters Most in Ai?Our Inquiry Must Be the Change …We Want to See in the World!