Appreciative Inquiry: Appreciative Inquiry: Leadership in ContextLeadership in Context

Leading TransitionLeading Transition

United Nations UniversityUnited Nations University

International Leadership International Leadership InstituteInstitute

Maria Fernanda T. da CostaMaria Fernanda T. da Costa

Our day todayOur day today

Introduction of AI main concepts;Introduction of AI main concepts; Experience of AI intervew about Experience of AI intervew about

Leadership in Context;Leadership in Context; Group work crafting images of Group work crafting images of

future leadership in the world;future leadership in the world; Presentations;Presentations;

What is What is Appreciative Inquiry?Appreciative Inquiry?

A Positive A Positive Revolution in Revolution in ChangeChange

The Birth of Appreciative The Birth of Appreciative InquiryInquiry

“I think the seed of the question emerged on me when was junior in College. And it was a very powerful experience for a young man to visit the site of the first atomic bomb. And I felt some powerful feelings and it felt like an atomic bomb of awareness was going off inside of me...

The Birth of Appreciative The Birth of Appreciative InquiryInquiry

“And the awareness was shaking me away to the miracle of life of this planet, to the fragile and the whole miracle of life on this planet that’s in our hands more than we think...

The Birth of Appreciative The Birth of Appreciative InquiryInquiry

And so a question came to me at that time:

“What in the social sciences might be as positive in the process of human

relationships and as powerful as the atomic bomb is in the negative sense?”

That was the seed of Appreciative Inquiry

The Birth of Appreciative The Birth of Appreciative InquiryInquiry

“The world isn’t a problem to be solved but it’s a miracle to be embraced.

If we can cultivate this awareness everyday, and begin to raise awareness of what is it that gives life to human systems, we might be able to help that process of building more and better life.”

David Cooperrider

Begin with David Cooperrider & Begin with David Cooperrider & Suresh Srivastva in 1987...Suresh Srivastva in 1987...

And now is all over:And now is all over:

United StatesUnited States CanadaCanada South AmericaSouth America United KingdomUnited Kingdom EuropeEurope AustraliaAustralia New ZealandNew Zealand AfricaAfrica AsiaAsia

What Is Appreciative What Is Appreciative Inquiry Used For?Inquiry Used For?

DialogueDialogue with people with people Take ownershipTake ownership from from

past experiencepast experience InvolveInvolve whole whole

organisation or organisation or community in changecommunity in change

Build a visionBuild a vision for the for the future that everyone future that everyone can share and help put can share and help put into practiceinto practice

What Is Appreciative What Is Appreciative Inquiry Used For?Inquiry Used For?

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning School ImprovementSchool Improvement Action ResearchAction Research EvaluationEvaluation Mentoring & Performance ManagementMentoring & Performance Management Leadership TrainingLeadership Training Community DevelopmentCommunity Development Customer Service / Client SatisfactionCustomer Service / Client Satisfaction Culture Change & TransformationCulture Change & Transformation

Some examples...Some examples...

United Religions InitiativeUnited Religions Initiative Roadway Express, GTE, Hunter DouglasRoadway Express, GTE, Hunter Douglas Nutrimental Foods BrazilNutrimental Foods Brazil U. S. Environmental Protection AgencyU. S. Environmental Protection Agency Avon MexicoAvon Mexico The Children’s Hospital of PhiladelphiaThe Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Discover NepalDiscover Nepal The Whaiti School New ZealandThe Whaiti School New Zealand

Ap-pre’ci-ate (verb)Ap-pre’ci-ate (verb) Valuing...Valuing...

– the act of recognizing the best in people or the the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; world around us;

– affirming past and present strengths, successes, affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; and potentials;

– to perceive those things that give life (health, to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems vitality, excellence) to living systems

To increase in value, e.g. the economy has To increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in valueappreciated in value– Synonyms: Synonyms: valuing, prizing, esteeming and valuing, prizing, esteeming and

honouringhonouring

In-quire’ (kwir)In-quire’ (kwir) (verb) (verb)

the act of exploration and discovery the act of exploration and discovery

to ask questions; to be open to to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and seeing new potentials and possibilities possibilities

Synonyms: Synonyms: discovery, search, discovery, search, systematic exploration and studysystematic exploration and study

Deficit Theory of Change…And Deficit Theory of Change…And How Pervasive.How Pervasive.

Identify problemIdentify problem Conduct root Conduct root

cause analysiscause analysis Brainstorm Brainstorm

solutionssolutionsand analyzeand analyze

Develop action Develop action plans/interventionplans/intervention

Metaphor: Metaphor: OrganizationOrganizations are s are problems to problems to be solvedbe solved

Cultural Consequences Cultural Consequences of Deficit Discourseof Deficit Discourse

FragmentationFragmentation Few New Images of PossibilityFew New Images of Possibility ““The Experts Must Know”…Dependence and The Experts Must Know”…Dependence and

HierarchyHierarchy Spirals in Deficit Vocabularies Spirals in Deficit Vocabularies Breakdown Relations/Closed Door PlanningBreakdown Relations/Closed Door Planning

Note: For More see Ken Gergen Note: For More see Ken Gergen Realities and Realities and RelationshipsRelationships Harvard University Press. Harvard University Press.

Appreciative Inquiry is a Appreciative Inquiry is a Shift...Shift...

Organizations Are Organizations Are

Centers of Human Relatedness, Centers of Human Relatedness,

Alive With Infinite Capacity,Alive With Infinite Capacity,

Strength & PossibilityStrength & Possibility

What would What would youyou call it? call it?(all these things taken together)(all these things taken together)

AchievementsAchievements Strategic Strategic

opportunitiesopportunities Technical assetsTechnical assets InnovationsInnovations Elevated thoughtsElevated thoughts Best practicesBest practices Positive emotionsPositive emotions Financial assetsFinancial assets

Tacit WisdomTacit Wisdom Core competencyCore competency Visions of possibilityVisions of possibility Vital traditionsVital traditions Positive macrotrendsPositive macrotrends Social capitalSocial capital Strengths: Business Strengths: Business

ecosystem e.g. ecosystem e.g. strengths suppliers, strengths suppliers, partners, customerspartners, customers

The The Positive Positive

CoreCore

AI systematically and collaboratively creates a knowledge link AI systematically and collaboratively creates a knowledge link between the entire system and the life-generating core of between the entire system and the life-generating core of

past, present, past, present, andand future capacities…and this ignites change future capacities…and this ignites change

Discovery“What gives life?”

(The best of what is)Appreciating

Discovery“What gives life?”

(The best of what is)Appreciating

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for)Envisioning Results

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for)Envisioning Results

Design“What should be - the ideal?”

Co-constructing

Design“What should be - the ideal?”

Co-constructing

Destiny“How to empower, learn,and adjust/improvise?”

Sustaining

Destiny“How to empower, learn,and adjust/improvise?”

Sustaining

AffirmativeTopic Choice

The “4-D Cycle”The “4-D Cycle”

““No problem can be solved from the No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the created it. We must learn to see the world anew.”world anew.”

““There are only two ways to live your There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”everything is a miracle.”

– – Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein

Principles of Principles of Appreciative Appreciative InquiryInquiry

Constructionist PrincipleConstructionist Principle Simultaneity PrincipleSimultaneity Principle Poetic PrinciplePoetic Principle Anticipatory PrincipleAnticipatory Principle Positive PrinciplePositive Principle Wholeness PrincipleWholeness Principle

Constructionist Principle:Constructionist Principle: Words create WorldsWords create Worlds

The language we use shapes our The language we use shapes our realityreality

From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

Constructionist Principle:Constructionist Principle: Words create WorldsWords create Worlds

Words AreWords Are Tools:Tools:

To a To a hammer hammer

everything everything

is a nail!is a nail!

Simultaneity Principle:Simultaneity Principle: Inquiry creates change Inquiry creates change

The act of asking questions The act of asking questions influences the outcome in some wayinfluences the outcome in some way

From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

Simultaneity Principle:Simultaneity Principle: Inquiry creates change Inquiry creates change

Reality is Reality is created in created in the moment the moment and there and there are multiple are multiple realitiesrealities

From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

Poetic Principle: We can Poetic Principle: We can choose what we studychoose what we study

OrganizationsOrganizations, like works of , like works of art, are art, are endless endless sources of sources of study and study and learninglearning

Anticipatory Principle: Anticipatory Principle: Image Inspires ActionImage Inspires Action

What we focus on What we focus on becomes our realitybecomes our reality

From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

Anticipatory Principle: Anticipatory Principle: Image Inspires ActionImage Inspires Action

Human systems Human systems move in the move in the direction of their direction of their images of the images of the futurefuture Positive image Positive image leads to Positive leads to Positive actionaction

Positive Principle: Positive Positive Principle: Positive Questions Lead to Positive Questions Lead to Positive

ChangeChange

– Brings out the best in Brings out the best in peoplepeople

– Inspires positive actionInspires positive action– Creates possibilitiesCreates possibilities– More sustainableMore sustainable– ““magnectic work magnectic work

environments”environments”

XX

“ “low morale”low morale”

Genius is Genius is in in Creating the Creating the QuestionQuestion

““What would the universe look like if I were riding What would the universe look like if I were riding on the end of a light beam at the speed of light?”on the end of a light beam at the speed of light?”

((Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein))

Powerful Powerful placeboplacebo PygmalionPygmalion effect effect Positive Positive affect & affect &

learned helpfulnesslearned helpfulness Imbalanced Imbalanced inner inner

dialogue (2:1)dialogue (2:1) Positive imagery as a Positive imagery as a

dynamic forcedynamic force Affirmative Affirmative capabilitycapability

Six main areas of Six main areas of research:research:

Leadership tips from Leadership tips from David...David...

You know, a couple of years ago I You know, a couple of years ago I met Peter Drucker and asked him, met Peter Drucker and asked him, “What is your definition of good “What is your definition of good leadership?” He said, “It’s very leadership?” He said, “It’s very simple. The task of the leader is to simple. The task of the leader is to create an alignment of strength create an alignment of strength that make people’s weaknesses that make people’s weaknesses irrelevant.”irrelevant.”

Leadership tips from Leadership tips from David...David...

Three Facts Three Facts About All Human About All Human Beings:Beings:

– ExceptionalityExceptionality– EssentialityEssentiality– Equality of Equality of

Voice and Voice and VisionVision

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

A debt of gratitude is owed to the A debt of gratitude is owed to the CWRU Apreciative Inquiry website CWRU Apreciative Inquiry website and all it´s collaborators, specially:and all it´s collaborators, specially:– David CooperriderDavid Cooperrider– Cheri TorresCheri Torres– Sue JamesSue James

Maria Fernanda Teixeira da CostaMaria Fernanda Teixeira da CostaPhone: (55 11) 3178 3544Phone: (55 11) 3178 3544Mobile: (55 11) 9198 7329Mobile: (55 11) 9198 7329

mariafernanda@elosbrasil.org.brmariafernanda@elosbrasil.org.brhttp://www.elosbrasil.org.brhttp://www.elosbrasil.org.br

http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/