AI Madison Keynote 10 2008

8/4/2019 AI Madison Keynote 10 2008

1/32

Building Our Most Desired Future:Appreciative Inquiry in the Workplace

University of WisconsinOctober 2008

Presentation by:

Jane Magruder WatkinsAppreciative Inquiry Unlimited


2/32

Please turn to someone sitting close to you and spend10 minutes doing the following:

One of you asks your partner the following question:Tell me a story about a wonderful experience you havehad in your work. Perhaps it was a time when you felt thatyou made an important contribution, or a time when youfelt particularly satisfied and pleased with your work. Whatwas happening? What part did you play in the story? Howdid it work out? What did you learn?

(As you listen to the story, make a list of the excitingthings that you hear things that you feel were importantto your partner as she/he shares with you.)

After 5 minutes, swap roles and the person beinginterviewed now becomes the interviewer. Repeat theprocess.


3/32

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY (AI)is both a Theory & a Process

It is a Philosophy to live by!

It is a Perspective that can be applied toany organization change process or

model.


4/32

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRYTHEORY


5/32

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY

(AI)IS ALL ABOUT WHOLENESS


6/32

WHOLENESSSeeing, experiencing, and understanding the

world as an integrated, connected systemcreated by the interactions of all its partsanimate and inanimate!


7/32

SYSTEMS WORLDVIEWIn the new Systems worldview, we move from:

the primacy of pieces to primacy of the whole, from absolute truth to coherent interpretations, from self to community, from problem solving to creating.

--Peter Senge, Otto Sharmer, et al


8/32

FOR EXAMPLE:

We want to play a game of football, asport known for being highly competitive.So we go to an agreed upon location; we

suit up in agreed upon gear; we locate anagreed upon ball; and we play a game byagreed upon rules and regulations. What a

competitive process? I dont think so! To

have a football game, cooperation andcompetition are part of a whole, essentialto the games success.


9/32

CONSTRUCTIONISTAn understanding and acceptance of thesocial constructionist stance towardreality and social knowledge; i.e., thatwhat we believe to be real in the world iscreated through our social discourse,through the conversations we have with

each other that lead to agreement abouthow we will see the world, how we willbehave, what we will accept as reality.


10/32

SIMULTANEATY

A realization that inquiry is change;that the first question we ask is fateful,

in that the organization will turn itsenergy in the direction of that firstquestion, whether positive or negative;and, as a result, the seeds of change areembedded in it.


11/32

POETIC

A valuing ofstory telling as a way ofgathering holistic information that

includes not only facts, but also thefeelings and affect that a personexperiences and the recognition that

stories (like all good poetry) can be toldabout any aspect of an organizationsexistence.


12/32

ANTICIPATORYAn understanding that behavior anddecisions about actions are based notonly on what we were born with orlearned from our environment, but alsoon what we anticipate, what we think or

imagine will happen in the future.


13/32

POSITIVEA belief that a positive approach toany issue is just as valid a basis for

learning and that it is just as contagiousas a negative approach, which makestaking the positive stance an antidote to

cynicism.


14/32

There are consequences for using deficit language: 30 year survey:

54,040 abstracts containing the keyword 'depression', 41,416 naming 'anxiety',

but only 415 mentioning 'joy'.Maybe what looks like a symptom of depression

negative thinking - is itself the disease."(Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism)

What

is right

What is wrong


15/32

Barbara Fredrickson:

The effects of experiencing a positive emotion(joy, interest, contentment, pride, love, etc.)

1. An increase in personal resources that becomereserves to be drawn on later.

2. Undo negative emotions.3. Fuels psychological resiliency

4. Thinking becomes more creative, integrative,flexible and open to informationWhat Good Are Positive Emotions?


16/32

BROADENS peoples momentary thought-actionrepertoires, and BUILDS enduring personal

resources from physical & intellectual tosocial & psychological.

By creating chains of events that carry positivemeaningfor others, positive emotionscan trigger upward spirals that

transform communities into

more cohesive, moraland harmonioussocial organizations.


17/32

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRYPRACTICE


18/32

PROCESSES FOR ORGANIZATION CHANGE

Paradigm 1:Deficit Based Research

Paradigm 2 (AI):Strength Based Research

Identification of ProblemsFelt Needs

Appreciatingthe Best of What Is

Analysis ofCauses

EnvisioningWhat Might Be

Analysis ofPossible Solutions

DialogingWhat Should Be

Plan of Action(Treatment)

InnovatingWhat Will Be

Organizations areProblems to be Solved

Organizations areMysteries to be Embraced


19/32

Deficit Issues

Sexual Harassment

Employee Turnover

Low MoraleTurfism/Silos

Customer Complaints

Lack of Training

Missed Commitments

Affirmative Topics

Positive Cross-GenderWorking Relationships

Longevity Highly Motivated High Performing Team

Customer Compliments

Highly Skilled

Commitments Met


20/32

DestinyCreate

What will be

DesignDetermine

What should be

DreamImagine

What might beAFFIRMATIVE

TOPIC CHOICE

DiscoveryAppreciate

Best of what is

4-D Cycle of AI


21/32

THE SUMMITAn AI Summit is a process for getting the whole

system, or a broad representation of all levelsof the system, into a planning session thatvalues the participation and contribution of all

the people. Summits can take many formsdepending upon the number of people involvedand the purpose of the gathering. It builds onthe belief that for an organization to be healthy

and productive it must seek out and build onthe best ideas and full participation of all thepeople who work for or interface with theorganization.


22/32

Other levels of AI Intervention:*leadership

*organization design*mergers

*strategic planning

*teambuilding *diversity/cross cultural*coaching

*(e) valuation*community building

*couples/family*personal reflection

*performance appraisal


23/32

By Changing the LanguageWe Can Change the Intent

By changing the language, we can change the intent!From: SWOT To: SOARStrengths StrengthsWeaknesses OpportunitiesOpportunities AspirationsThreats Results

Instead of the SWOT analysis, we can combine StrategicInquiry with Appreciative Intent to SOAR:

Strategic Inquiry - Strengths OpportunitiesAppreciative Intent -Aspirations and Results


24/32

THE EMERGING

PERSPECTIVE FORORGANIZATION CHANGE


25/32

A form of free dialogue may well be one of

the most effective ways of investigating thecrisis which faces society, and indeed thewhole of human nature and consciousnesstoday. Moreover, it may turn out that such aform of free exchange of ideas andinformation is of fundamental relevance fortransforming culture and freeing it of

destructive misinformation, so that creativitycan be liberated.

David BohmOn Dialogue


26/32

DIALOGUE BASED PROCESSES:

OPEN SPACE

WHOLE SYSTEMS WORLD CAF FUTURE SEARCHAPPRECIATIVE INQUIRY


27/32

AI: a process for our timesAI embraces the constructionist nature of reality

We create the world through our relationshipsand the conversations we have that describe

what is real.We create the world we imagine.

AI embraces diversity as a creative and

generative force.AI as a process is congruent with the non-linearnature of human systems.


28/32

The Lorenz Attractor:

An Image for Our TimesEdward Lorenz wanted to predict the weatherComputers made it possible to perform endless

mathematical computationsThree non-linear equations were entered in thecomputer.

The computations led to a 3 dimensional figure

that moved in a random manner with a fewoscillations of increasing amplitude around apoint; always staying within a field.


29/32

Translating the AttractorIn Science:The image shows us that identifying

the systems attractors and the basins of

attraction gives a picture of a dynamic system.

In Organizations: The image shows us thatidentifying the organizations positive core and

the boundaries of the enterprise gives us apicture of an agile and creative organization.


30/32

ButterfliesWhen we locate, through dialogue, theorganizations positive core and make clearthrough our conversations with each other

the focus and scope of our enterprise, oursystem will create forms and function that areendlessly re-creating, perfectly functional,and remarkably beautiful!


31/32


32/32

Ultimately, we

create the futurewe imagine.

AI Madison Keynote 10 2008

Documents