Intrigue Inspire Inform. Appreciative Inquiry Workshop May 15th, 2013 Workshop Guide

Transcription

1 Intrigue Inspire Inform Appreciative Inquiry Workshop May 15th, 2013 Workshop Guide We look at the world through a lens, which we call VUCA, which stands for Volatile, Unstable, Complex, and Ambiguous. So you can say, It s a very tough world, or you can say, It s a world that s changing fast, and we can help consumers navigate through it. The digital revolution, the shift in consumer spending, all this suggests that companies have to reinvent the way they do business. Quote from Keith Weed, Unilever Chief Marketing and Communication Officer during an interview with Forbes Magazine Facilitator: Maureen (Mo) McKenna 1

2 Appreciative Interviewing Tips Let the person tell their story Probe to learn more (watch for excitement) Be genuinely curious and caring Allow for silence Respect confidentiality Listen, listen, listen! Listen appreciatively Create a comfortable space in which the interviewee can tell his/her story. This is not a dialogue. Bracket your judgments, reactions, opinions or other issues that interrupt flow. Set your expert role aside. Be genuinely curious about the interviewee s experiences, thoughts, feelings. Allow the silence necessary for self-reflection on the questions. Resist filling the gap. Permit people to leave the question unanswered for the moment - come back to it. Probe to invite and expand the story Tell me more. What was going on that caused you to feel that way? What makes that important to you? How did that affect you? What was your contribution? What was the organization doing that helped you do this? What were other people doing that helped? What do you think was really making it work? How has it changed you? Handling negatives Sometimes people feel compelled to talk about issues. When we define something as a problem it also means that we have an image of how it ought to be or we d like it to be. Listen and ask them to describe their ideal. After a reasonable period of time, find a way to guide them back to the question. Note that the wishes question also helps people express this. Take notes that will help you share the highlights of the interview. Above all, be yourself and have fun! 2

3 DISCOVERY PART 1 - Paired Interviews It could be argued that all leadership is appreciative leadership. It s the capacity to see the best in the world around us, in our colleagues, and in the groups we are trying to lead. It s the capacity to see the most creative and improbable opportunities in the marketplace. It s the capacity to see with an appreciative eye the true and the good, the better and the possible. ~~ David Cooperrider In the complex world of higher education, we are all leaders. Appreciative leadership brings out the best in people. Q1. BEST EXPERIENCE STORY Throughout our lives we have all experienced times when we have worked with leaders who have helped us to feel engaged and inspired about our work. Reflect on your own work experience. Tell me a story about one of the high points - a time when a leader you worked with inspired you - when despite the challenges and pressures you might have faced, you felt effective, successful, and connected. Include as much detail as you can in your story, you may want to share where this took place... when it happened? Who was involved? What was intriguing about the way they inspired you? How did this experience inform your leadership style? 3

4 Q2. YOUR OWN LEADERSHIP STRENGTH If we now had a conversation with people that know you the very best and asked them to share the best leadership qualities they see in you, qualities or capabilities that you bring to your work what would they say? Q3: Imagine that it is April Laurier University has received international recognition for the extraordinary work it has done in developing a world-class strength-based leadership team. a) Imagine that you are walking around the university in What do you notice that is different from 2013? What has happened over the last two years to bring about this success? Once your partner has shared their image for 2015 ask them this question: b) You now have three wishes that, when granted, will bring to life your image of What are they? Whenever I read about a new humanitarian relief effort - some of which have earned the Nobel Peace Prize - it is always a story of the power of conversation. Somewhere in the description of how it all began is the phrase: Some friends and I started talking... ~~ Meg Wheatley 4

5 Making Meaning The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen. ~~ Roy Mood Assign a scribe, take notes in the scrap book as people share their stories. Step 1: Output: At your table, each person will share highlights of partners responses to Question 1. Once all the stories have been heard, pick one story to share with the large group. Step 2: Each person will share highlights of partners response to Question 2 describing their partners response to the strengths question. Output: Write down strengths - one post-it note per person. Print on Yellow Post-its Step 3: Each person will share highlights of partners response to Question 3a, describing their image of 2015 AND 3b their wishes. Output: Pick 3 to 5 wishes (from 3b) and create a statement for each. Print each on BLUE Post-its Appreciative Inquiry is not so much about new knowledge but new knowing. Indeed people frequently talk, as they move through the pedagogy of life-giving in the process, that something suddenly hits home: that interpretation matters that the manner in which they/we read the world filters to the level of our imaginations, our relationships, and ultimately to the direction and meaning of our action. We create the organizational worlds we live in. ~~David Cooperrider 5

6 Topic Discussion Guide (An example of a template to guide the Appreciative core model & SOAR process) Topic: (reframed into what you want to have more of or what you want to strengthen) Group Host: Participants: STRENGTHS - What is already working? What are our strengths? (CONTINUITY) SOAR FRAMEWORK OPPORTUNITIES - What will be gained and/or fixed as a result of working on this? ASPIRATIONS - Imagine that it is a year from now, what is the image of success? (NOVELTY) RESULTS - How will you know you have been successful? What will be positively impacted? What can you measure? (Qualitative & quantitative) Who else should be included in this conversation? Dependencies What resources and time investments will addressing this topic require? What other questions need to be answered in order to see this plan succeed? Action Plan (TRANSITION) First Step : Who When 6

7 Reflections "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." ~~Margaret Meade What did you learn that might strengthen your leadership skills / behaviours? What did you value about Appreciative Inquiry philosophy / methodology? How might you weave Appreciative Inquiry into your life? 7