Appreciation and inspiration
Friday 16 September, 2011
"We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are."
— Talmud
In every moment, we have a choice. Right now, you can choose to smile as you read this, to take a well-deserved break, have a cup of coffee and sit down and enjoy reading. You can choose to see the year ahead as the opportunity to achieve something wonderful, to take more time off, to have more fun, or you could choose to worry about what could go wrong and focus on the difficulties ahead – your choice.
I have always been an advocate for Appreciative Inquiry –(AI) having first head about this around 10 years ago when I set up my business. I would love to share with you some simple and powerful ways to use language to stimulate resourceful thinking using Appreciative Inquiry (AI).
The big idea is this: your choice of thinking will affect your choice of language and vice versa.
AI is based on the assertion that "problems" are often the result of our own perspectives and perceptions of phenomena, e.g., if we look at a certain priority as a "problem," then we tend to constrain our ability to effectively address the priority and in turn, constrain our development in our lives and work. The focus here is on language as AI is a Social Constructionist approach – which argues that the language and metaphors we use don’t just describe our world, they create our world.
“Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discover of what gives a system ‘life’ when it is most effective and capable in economic, ecological, and human terms.
AI involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to heighten positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting an “unconditional positive question’ often involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people.” David Cooperrider
I remember doing some research on an organisation as short while ago and I was interviewing sales managers, one of these was called Fred. I remember that conversation very well. We began talking and Fred described in detail the many difficulties he was facing – the economic constraints, budget cuts, the problems with other supporting departments …you get the drift. Times were certainly difficult and the problems were certainly problematic. The more he talked the more he seemed to go into a downward negative spiral – and I could see changes in his facial expressions, his body language and his energy.
This completely changed when I asked him “what was the best day you had last year?” He described a fantastic day, when he was on top form, he had planned a great day, he felt inspired that day and he knew that he had ready made a difference. On this day he received 2 phone calls thanking him for a presentation he did and he loved being appreciated, he had put a great deal of work into that presentation and the comments were from 2 of his senior managers. He remembered feeling like as if this thinking “set of a spark” within him and this made him feel energised and positive.
What was lovely to see was as he recalled the story and remembered the details - he was able to access all of these emotions again – quite a different set of facial expressions, body language and energy!
AI is all about appreciation. There is a huge body of research (see resources below) that shows the difference AI can make to organisations and individuals.
In many ways, AI is the opposite of traditional problem solving …
Of course problem solving itself is a great tool – but sometimes this can lead to going around in circles. AI is a way of creating new and fresh thinking and at the same time accessing a resourceful state, as in the case of Fred in my story above.
So, how do use AI at work?
It is surprisingly easy. There are a number of AI “tools” and interview guides for implementing AI within your organisation– many of these are based around “Provocative propositions” which are statements which are intended to bridge the gap between the best of “what is” with “what might be”. This is provocative in the sense that it challenges what is taken for granted and stretches the limits of thinking. This process helps to suggest real possibilities which represent the desired possibilities.
AI can enable teams and organisations to:
1. Create a shared vision of a desired future
2. Implement that vision in ways that successfully translate intention into reality and beliefs into practices.
As I mentioned, the focus here is on language. The process begins by selecting some collectively desired themes, for example collaborative working or innovation in the case of your organisation, or authenticity or inspiration in the case of our own leadership etc. These themes are developed using the following 3 questions as a guide:
If we take inspirational leadership as an example:
1. What is inspirational leadership here and when and where has inspirational leadership been at its best in this organisation?
2. What makes inspirational leadership possible here?
3. What are the possibilities that enhance or maximize the potential for inspirational leadership?
Exercise for you:
Interview one of your colleagues, ask them the following questions :
Think of a peak experience or ‘high point’ in your work or experience of your organisation, maybe a time when you felt you were inspiring or you were very inspired.
• In that experience, think about the things you valued most about...
o Yourself
o The nature of your work
o Your organisation itself
• Think about the core factors that give ‘life’ to your organisation; the really positive values it can build upon
• What three wishes which would you like to have which would heighten the vitality and health of your organisation
Finally, through discussion with your colleague – discuss how you can have more of this. What would need to be happening for these wishes to come true? Where does it already exist? Where could you start?
AI brings a very positive and inspirational focus to your discussions because it can change the way people think, steering them towards what is possible, what is brilliant and how this might happen.
A wise choice for the rest of 2011, perhaps?
Miriam
Miriam McCallum MSc, ANLP NLPUtr