Magnifying the Strengths Revolution New Horizons in “AI” Theory and Practice *** How the Appreciative Inquiry Creates a Culture of Innovation & Human Energy, and Sustainable Value Creation [email protected]
Magnifying the Strengths Revolution New Horizons in “AI” Theory and Practice
***How the Appreciative Inquiry Creates
a Culture of Innovation & Human Energy, and Sustainable Value Creation
Business as an Agent of World Benefit--More Than 2,000 Interviews--100s of Published Profiles “Positive Institutions” --see www.worldinquiry.org
“Awe is What Moves Us Forward”
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My “Peter Drucker Moment”The source of my two threads today!
“Every social and global issue of our day is a business opportunity in disguise”
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“The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths…making a system’s weaknesses irrelevant”
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Strength-Based Management & LeadershipMoving From the Individual to the Organizational
and Societal Levels
A Positive Revolution in Research1. Strengths-Elevating 2. Strengths-Combining 3. Strengths-Extending Organizations
Theory “AI” and New Horizons: Positive Institutions and Sustainable Business Breakthroughs
Tom Brokow’s “Greatest Generation” to our Most Privileged Generation?
Image PlaceholderImage Placeholder
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A Story:The Most Exciting Project I Have Ever Worked On
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Sustainable Value —From Obligation to Design Mindset
Stake-holder Value¹
Shareholder Value
Unsustainable(Value Transfer)
Unsustainable(Value Transfer)
Unsustainable(Lose/Lose)
Sustainable Value
¹ absolute standards orrelative to competitors
Clean energy vehicles
Fossil fuel ICE
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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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UN Global CompactAI Summit Results—and Surprises
Innovations: Dow, Novartis, BP, Ericcson, Tata, Royal Dutch Shell, Cemex, Telephonica, etc.
Many Prototypes—eg. PRI Project: Goldman Sachs and Other Investment Firms, Representing $10 Trillion in Assets
Who Cares Wins— data-based eclipse of “the great tradeoff illusion”
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Results (cont.)
10 Stock Exchanges & Climate Change Initiative
43 Local Networks…China 100% Growth in Members by 2007 Summit Companies Calling for Management
Schools to Get in the Game Vision of the BAWB Global Forum (PRME)
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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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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 innovation)(strength-based innovation)
Deficit Management Appreciative InquiryAppreciative Inquiry
Machine Metaphor:Machine Metaphor:Organizations are Organizations are “problems to be “problems to be solved”solved”
New Metaphor:New Metaphor:Living SystemsLiving Systems““webs of infinite webs of infinite strengths”strengths”
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The AI 4-D Model of Strengths-Based The AI 4-D Model of Strengths-Based ChangeChange
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
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
AffirmativeAffirmativeTopicTopic
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Fairmount Minerals StoryBirth of the “Sustainable Design Factory”
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Multi-stakeholder Large Group Designing
External Stakeholders: Customers Suppliers NGO’s Neighbors/Communities Board of Directors
Imagine 300—Three days Stakeholders—designing new products, services.
Internal Stakeholders Operations Administration & Corporate
Services Customer Service Engineering Logistics Quality Sales Technical Support / R&D
Sustainable Designing & Innovation of Multiple Realities
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Images of the Sustainable Design AI Summit
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Highlights 40% Annual Growth in Earnings Past Two Years
2007 US Chamber of Commerce’s #1 Corporate Citizenship Award
A Culture of Community Partnership and Innovation
New Employee Owned Businesses, New Markets
Emerging as Top Rated Star in the Industry
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Sources of Business ValueLevels of Design Focus
Business& WorldContext
Brand/Culture
Market
Product
Process
RiskAnticipating regulations, going beyond legal requirements
Reducing energy, waste & process costs—future of totally renewable energy
Sustainable-value, green products
New stakeholder relationships, new markets
Brand story, promise, customer experiences
Designing industries, policy contexts, better world
Business and society value created
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Fairmount Started with Appreciative Inquiry in 1990 With a Focus on Empowerment 40% CAGR Past Four Years
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New High Engagement Turbocharger
A Question for You:
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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Collaborative Designing in Unexpected PlacesA 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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Wal-Mart’s Early StepsMany are Watching.
1. Be supplied by 100% renewable energy
2. Create zero waste
3. Sell products that sustain the environment
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Sustainable Value… Design Networks
Global Greenhouse Gas StrategyBuildings Design Construction & MaintenanceGlobal LogisticsAlternative FuelsOperations & Internal ProcurementPackagingTextilesElectronicsFood & AgricultureForest Products (Wood & Paper)Chemical Intensive ProductsJewelrySeafoodChina
EnergyEnergy
WasteWaste
ProductsProducts
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The Recent Magazine Summit on Sustainability One of 12 Sustainable
Value Creation Networks
64% of Magazines Put on Shelf Don’t’ Get Sold
2.6 Billion—are Shredded
Would Circle the Earth 13 Times
Amazing AI Summit
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PublisherPublisher
PrinterPrinter
National National DistributorDistributor
WholesalerWholesalerMerchandiserMerchandiser
Logistics Logistics ProviderProvider
FreightFreight
AdvertiserAdvertiser
RetailerRetailer ConsumerConsumer
RDA RDA ConsultantConsultant
Magazine Industry System MapMagazine Industry System Map
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3,63,61,2,3,4,61,2,3,4,6
1,2,4,5,61,2,4,5,61,2,3,51,2,3,5
1,21,2
1. Aligning Incentives
2. Metrics for Success
3. Print forecasting
4. POS Replenishment
5. Modular Planning
6. Stagger on-sale dates
7. Industry Network
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“Something that’s never happened in 50 years”
Results:
Consensus on 50% improvement in sustainability in 1st Year
12 major prototype initiatives from POS data to virtual magazine creating kiosks
An improvement of 50% is = Saving 443,572 trees = 4,640,816 gal. diesel fuel
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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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Magnifying the Strengths-Revolution: How To?
Strengths-elevating
Strengths-combining/amplifying
Strengths-extending organizations
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Three Ways to Understand Strengths based Design of Positive Institutions
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A New MindsetDiscovering the “And”
Its Not Top Down Its Not Bottom Up Its Not Inside-Out Its Not Outside-in
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Strengths-based LeadershipThrough “Strategic Configurations”
The Power of WholenessAppreciation
Inquiry
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Aiming Higher: If Anything Imaginable Were Possible?
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Activation of Inquiry into “What Gives Life?”“Appreciable World”
Advancing
Exte
nsio
n of
Rel
ated
ness
& U
nive
rsal
Cap
acity
Hi
gh
InitiatingLo w
Theory AI—Stages in Positive Change• Elevate-and-Extend• Broaden-And-Build• Establish-and-Eclipse
Elevation and
Extension of Inquiry
Pro-Fusion of Strengths“Broaden and
Build”
Activation of
EnergyEstablish and
Eclipse
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WHY is AI Whole SYSTEM APPROACH POWERFUL? Positive Organizational Scholarship
Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory
Jonathan Haight’s Research into “Elevation”
Wayne Baker’s work on the activation of positive energy networks
Boyatzis on Resonant Leadership
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Theory AI: Positive Change as Co-elevation of Strengths
Elevate-and-Extend Spirit of Inquiry & Ethos of Appreciation Resonating Patterns of Positive Emotions High Quality Connections
Broaden-And-Build Pro-fusion of Strengths Magnification (analysis, synthesis) Savoring (ritual, story, meaning)
Establish-and-Eclipse Generative Imagination and Energy Doing & Undergoing (“undoing”) Upward spiral