appreciative agile communitech
TRANSCRIPT
Appreciative Agile
Sue Johnston
Agile/Lean P2P
March 24, 2015
What lens are you using?
PLEASE NOTESLIDES ≠ PRESENTATION
• These slides are designed to be viewed in conjunction with a human being talking and interacting with you.
• They may not make much sense to you if you were not at the live session.
What’s the most excitingthing you’ve experienced in applying lean and agile practices in the workplace?
What lens are you using?
What’s the most difficultthing you’ve experienced in applying lean and agile practices in the workplace?
Where we’re heading
• What is Appreciative Inquiry?
• How does it work?
• How are organizations using it?
• How can it be useful to us?
Origins of Appreciative Inquiry
“It’s a time for re-thinking human organization and change. Deficit based modalities are increasingly falling short. And cynicism about the very idea of planned change is rampant.”
David Cooperrider
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
APPRECIATE: “ . . . to value or admire highly; to judge with heightened understanding; to recognize with gratitude.”
INQUIRE:“ . . . to search into, investigate; to seek information by questioning.”
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
•Philosophy
•Process
AI is the study of
what works well
What’s the most excitingthing you’ve experienced in applying lean and agile practices in the workplace?
What lens are you using?
What’s the most difficultthing you’ve experienced in applying lean and agile practices in the workplace?
Humans are problem solving machines
• Look for trouble
• Seek quick solution
• Critique things
• Advocate for our solution
The Deficit Mindset
Identify the problem
Analyze possible causes
Generate solutions
Implement solutions
Organizations become problems to be solved
Some AI assumptions
• In every society, organization or group, something works.
• People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known).
• The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way.
• What we focus on becomes our reality
• The language we use creates our reality. Words create worlds.
The appreciative philosophy + process
• Is purposely and consciously positive
• Builds on past success
• Is both “grassroots” and “top down”
• Stimulates vision and creativity
• Accelerates change
Inquiry Requires Questions
“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The most dangerous thing is asking the wrong questions.”
Peter Drucker
Appreciative Questions
• Look at what’s present, not what’s missing
• Are an invitation to tell stories
• Are inspired by past success
• Encourage exploration
• Foster a “learner” rather than “judger” mindset
• Encourage “both/and” thinking, rather than “either/or”
Appreciative Questions
• “What are some possibilities we haven’t considered?”
• “What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact?”
• “What solutions would have us both win?”
• “What is it about our [work, meetings etc.] that keeps us interested and energized?”
• “How might we . . .?”
Exercise 1
• Pick a problem, project, issue or question you’ve dealt with recently.
• Restate it in a way that uses positive language and looks for possibilities, rather than problems.
• Discuss how the situation might have changed or produced different results had you asked appreciative questions.
The Appreciative Mindset
Inquire into what works
Imagine how good it could
be
Agree how good it
should be
Commit to what will be
Organizations become possibilities waiting to happen
Define Discover Dream Design Destiny
The Five Ds
Sometimes called “Delivery”
DECIDE what the topic
should be
APPRECIATE the best of
what is
IMAGINEwhat could be
DESIGNwhat should be
CREATEwhat will be
Exercise 2
• Using the handout as a guide, conduct an appreciative interview.
• Invite the other person to share a success story.
• Take a “listener/learner” stance.
• Be genuinely curious.
• Allow for silence.
• Enjoy the interview.
Define Discover Dream Design Destiny
Implementing the Five Ds – AI “Summit”
Choose the overall focus for
inquiry
Conduct interviews,
share stories, identify
themes, values and positive
core of group
Create a vision for the future.
Write an aspirational
statement as if it were already
true.
DeliverHold dialogue on how to make
this happen
Why Appreciative Inquiry Works
• People enjoy talking about success and what works.
• Sharing their own positive stories gives confidence that they can deliver.
• It’s their own experience, not someone else’s “best practice.”
• Creates critical mass of folks working for positive change.
• A positive image of the future influences present behaviour that leads to the anticipated positive result.
Adapting AI for ourselves + our teams
• The heart of the process is the Appreciative Interview.
• Ask positive, possibility-focussed questions.
• Tell success stories.
• Become aware of words and language.
• Appreciative team building/retrospectives.
• Conduct appreciative workshops at launch.
• Visualize the future (ideal sprint, release, product, etc.).
Adapting AI for ourselves + our teams
Switch from a Deficit Lens
• Why did we deliver [Item X] late?
• Why won’t Bob participate?
• Our manager isn’t supportive.
• We can’t do that!
To an Appreciative Lens
• What can we do to improve our delivery times?
• What are Bob’s strengths and how can we help him contribute??
• How can we help our manager better understand our needs
• What if we could?
It’s all about your way of being
• What do you do best already, from an appreciative perspective?
• What would you like to do more of, at work or home?
• Find one Appreciative Inquiry project you’d like to experiment with.
• What beliefs you have about yourself will help you succeed?
