Connecting for Children’s Justice Conference Nov 24-25, 2014

“Winnie the Pooh Comes to MDT”

What is the energy level of your team meetings? Does Eeyore show up with a dreary "oh

bother" attitude? Is Tigger there with sometimes irritating bouncy-ness? If you want to

sharpen the focus of the team without being a “silly old bear,” ask the right questions.

In this session, we will learn proven techniques that can be used to renew the

motivation and commitment of the team. Learn how questions influence the meeting

and how to use the concepts of Appreciative Inquiry to engage the team in discussions

that generate ideas, build relationships and respect diversity.

Objectives:

Develop a “strengths-building” approach to case review

Identify types of questions that can be utilized to move the team forward

Discover approaches that build team collaboration and cooperation

An Overview of Appreciative Inquiry

Solving problems by looking at what's going right Imagine that your Multidisciplinary Team is struggling to meet accreditation standards, and you're desperate to bring the team together…for the sake of the kids. Maybe attendance is poor, or discussions are dominated by one or two people. Do people leave discouraged? You’re using every strategy you know as a Facilitator, but you strongly suspect that some of the approaches you're using just aren't working.

One method is to focus on the things that aren't working, and what needs to be done to fix them. This is the conventional approach to problem-solving. In many cases it's the right one to use. However in other situations, it only amplifies the problem.

Another approach is to shift the focus to the things that are working, and build on them. In some situations this can be very powerful because, by focusing on positives, you can build on unique strengths which bring real success.

This is the premise behind "Appreciative Inquiry", a method of problem solving that was pioneered by David Cooperrider of Case Western Reserve University in the mid-1980s.

To understand the basis of Appreciative Inquiry it is useful to look at the meaning of the two words in context:

Appreciation means to recognize and value the contributions or attributes of things and people around us.

Inquiry means to explore and discover, in the spirit of seeking to better understand, and being open to new possibilities.

When combined, this means that by recognizing and appreciating what is good and valuable in the present situation, and the people involved, we can discover and learn ways to effect positive change for the future.

Points of discussion:

o Let’s go on an adventure through the hundred acre wood, using a favorite childhood

book “Winnie the Pooh.” Our destination: to think differently. Perhaps we’ll change

our course of action or connect to new and old ideas along the path in interesting ways.

o What is the job of the MDT Coordinator? You wear many hats!

Any shift in thinking begins with you.

o Words create worlds

People, society, teams move in the direction of what we inquire about

o What are the personalities of Winnie the Pooh characters?

Remind you of any team members?

o How does Appreciative Inquiry help our MDT?

Tradition problem-solving:

AI approach:

o The art of the question

Change starts to happen with the first question we ask (examples?)

What questions build a bridge or turn on a light?

Does this sound familiar? (hint hint: Forensic Interview principles)

o The goal and purpose of MDTs:

Collaboration, explore options, seek solutions

Communication is the fabric that holds our teams together

o How do assumptions and confirmation bias impact case review?

o The questions we ask set the stage for what we find

They “turn the light on,” but we often spotlight the info that is close at hand.

Would shifting the light (asking different questions) broaden our view and result

in better decisions and higher assurance of safety for children and families?

o The potential impact of Appreciative Inquiry on MDT:

more communication, more energy, more commitment, getting all the voices in the

system in the room, engaging the positive core of all people and systems, creating a

culture open to learning. Sound impossible? Lets talk about it!

Contact information for further questions or assistance at any time:

Maggi Hutchason,M.Ed., Executive Director Dearing House Child Advocacy Center 311 South 13th Street, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74647 (580)762-5266 office

Email: dearinghouse@sbcglobal.net our website:www.dearinghouse.com Resources:

A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry by David L. Cooperrider and Diana Witney

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry by Diana Witney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom

Appreciative Inquiry for Collaborative Solutions by Robyn Stratton-Berkessel

A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breathrough Ideas by Warren Berger

Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

NOTES: Three Two One

Three things you learned today:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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Two things you want to learn more about:

___________________________________________________________

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One thing you’re going to start doing tomorrow based on what you learned:

___________________________________________________________

Eeyore and Tigger at MDT

What’s the energy level of your MDT?

Answers the following questions (for your eyes only) with 1 = never and 5 = often (trust your initial reaction).

1. The culture (energy level) of your MDT meetings is typically positive and energetic.

1 2 3 4 5

2. Everyone contributes to the discussions

1 2 3 4 5

3. One or a few people dominate the conversation to the point of excluding others

1 2 3 4 5

4. All disciplines are in attendance the majority of the time.

1 2 3 4 5

5. We have enough time to adequately review our cases and share general information

(training opportunities, agency updates, etc)

1 2 3 4 5

6. More interaction and conversation occurs after the meeting in the parking lot than

during the meeting

1 2 3 4 5

What I like best about our MDT meetings is ________________________________.

What I want to see more of at our MDT meetings is ___________________________.