Appreciative Inquiry - Define and Discover -

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Appreciative Inquiry- Define and Discover -

• (A Practical Workshop)

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Ground Rules

• All ideas are valid
• Everything is captured notes/ flip charts
• Listen to each other
• Observe time frames
• Seek common ground and action
• Differences and problems are acknowledged but
  not worked on

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The 4-D Cycle
Discover What gives life? (The best of what
is) Appreciating
Dream What might be? (What is the world calling
for) Envisioning Results
Deliver How to empower, learn, and
adjust/improvise? Sustaining
DEFINE Affirmative Topic Choice
Design What should be - the ideal? Co-construct
ing
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Full AI Process

• Select focus area or topic(s) of interest
• Conduct interviews designed to discover
  strengths, passions, unique attributes
• Identify patterns, themes and/or intriguing
  possibilities
• Create bold statements of ideal possibilities
  ("Provocative Propositions")
• Co-determine "what should be" (consensus re
  principles priorities)
• Take/sustain action

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Change Co-Creation

• The best way to predict the future is to create
  it.
• (Peter Drucker)

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DEFINETopic Choice

• A Fateful Act
• People, organisations and communities move in the
  direction of what we most frequently and
  systematically ask questions about!

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DEFINEDeficit Problems to Affirmative Topics

• Deficit Issues
• Family Dysfunction
• Staff Turnover

• Affirmative Topics
• Positive Family Resilience
• Attracting Keeping Great Staff

Early School Leavers Low Morale Funding
Uncertainty Behavioural Problems Turf conflict
between organisations
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Sample Affirmative Topic(s)

• Our Teachers as Catalysts of Student Achievement
• Echuca SC as a Top Performing School

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Our Affirmative Topic(s)

• Echuca SC could most benefit right now from an
  Appreciative Inquiry into ..
• Brainstorm
• Prioritise

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Genius is in Creating the 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)

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DISCOVERThe Art of the Question

• Whats the biggest problem here?
• Why do you mess up so often?
• Why do we still have those problems?
• Why does everything go wrong all the time?

• What possibilities exist that we have not thought
  about yet?
• Whats the smallest change that could make the
  biggest impact?
• What solutions would have us all win?
• What makes my questions inspiring, energizing,
  and mobilizing?

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DISCOVERAn Appreciative Inquiry Interview

• Form pairs with someone you least know
• Use the interview question (on next slide)
• One speaks, the other listens and takes notes for
  themes (10 minutes)
• Switch
• Other speaks, the first listens and takes notes
  for themes (10 minutes)
• Debrief as group (5 minutes)

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DISCOVERAn Appreciative Inquiry Interview

• Describe a time when you successfully joined with
  others to significantly improve your school. It
  should be a time when you felt most alive and
  most effective. Tell the story.

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DISCOVERAn Appreciative Inquiry Interview

• How do you feel right now?
• What did you appreciate about the experience?

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Appreciative Interviews

• Introduction
• Break the ice, explain purpose etc
• Initial questions
• Story of past or current experience
• Follow-on questions
• To draw out details of story
• Future questions
• Future vision

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The Interview Rhythm

• Explain Appreciative Inquiry
• Respect anonymity
• Start with specific stories
• Move to generalisations
• Listen for themes
• Keep track of time
• Have fun! Its a conversation.

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Managing the Negative

• Postpone
• Listen
• Maintain caring and affirmative spirit
• Redirect
• Can also use negative data. Images of what is
  wrong imply what is wished for!

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Dont Forget Your COAT!

• Curiosity
• Openness
• Appreciation
• Trust

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DISCOVER

• One goal is to seek the root cause of success

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Themes Principles to Preserve

• Assign team roles Discussion Coordinator
  Timekeeper Recorder Reporter
• Uncover themes from interviews
• Create Principles to Preserve for the future

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Discover the Past

• What have we learned about our common past?
• What principles are important to preserve for our
  future?

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In This Session

• Very brief introduction
• Define and Discover limited experience

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Solid Steps to Achieve our Goals
Plans
Projects
Possibility Statement
Principles to Preserve
Uncover Themes
Appreciative Interviews
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Questions to Ponder

• Would a full AI process be helpful for us at
  Echuca SC?
• If so, what can we build on from todays
  conversations?
• How can we bring all voices the whole system
  into the room?
• What are the next steps?
• Who could form a core group to move things
  forward?

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• When I dream alone, it is just a dream.
• When we dream together, it is the beginning of
  reality.
• When we work together, following our dream, it is
  the creation of heaven on earth.
• (Adapted Brazilian Proverb)

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• Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
• Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
• (Goethe)

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Acknowledgements

• A debt of gratitude is owed to the following
  people for generously sharing their time, wisdom
  and materials
• David Cooperrider
• Sue Annis Hammond
• Gina Hinrichs
• Mac Marcia Odell
• Marge Schiller
• Other members of the Positive Change Corps and
  Appreciative Inquiry Consulting

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• SUE JAMES
• PO Box 197
• Boronia, VIC, 3156
• Phone [phone]
• Mobile [phone]
• Email info_at_suejames.com.au
• Web www.suejames.com.au
• www.appreciativeinquiry.com.au
• www.aiconsulting.com.au