brief ai overview

8/3/2019 Brief AI Overview

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Appreciative Inquiry

A Revolution in Change

* View Notes for speaking note suggestions

Contact Debbie Morris at [email protected]


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New Challenges Require NewThinking First

The world we have made as a result ofthe level of thinking we have done thusfar creates problems we cannot solve atthe same level of thinking at which we

created them Albert Einstein


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Darwins Unfortunate Legacy

The world is hostile, requiring a constantstruggle for survival

Error leads to death

Life is an accident, one of many randomevents

Must dominate, control

Things exist outside me in a fixed,independent state

The great machine


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Advocacy

A western educational & business tradition that stresses:

- critical thinking - critiquing

- adversarial thinking - confrontation

- testing one viewpoint against the other to find the strongest

We focus almost exclusively on advocacy

- presenting our views and arguing strongly for them

- debating forcefully to influence others

Most managers are trained to be advocates


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Maybe Darwin Was Wrong

Life is about invention, not survival

Were here to create, not defend

Everything is in a constant process ofdiscovery & creating

Life organizes and seeks systems so thatmore may flourish

Life is a great playground we make up as wego


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Inquiry

A complementary skill to advocacy that:

seeks to uncover information about why a particular view

is held

asks questions about underlying assumptions, beliefs,reasoning

explores:

- why do you believe this ?

- what logic leads to this conclusion ?

- what facts and data do you have ?

- what examples or past experience exists ?

Supported by attitude of wanting to understand, explore,

learn, expand

Not a technique to cross examine people or find fault


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Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciate

Recognize the quality, significance or magnitudeof

To be fully aware of or sensitive to

To raise in value or price

Inquiry

The process of gathering information for thepurpose of learning and changing.

A close examination in a quest for truth.


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How It Works Generally First, understand the positive core of a living system. What

makes it most effective and vital, in economic, ecologicaland human terms?

We move in the direction of our deepest and most frequently askedquestions.

Positive guiding images of the future trigger action in thepresent.

Images are found in our dialogue with each other.

Ratio of positive to negative statements is a success factor for change.

Individuals & groups can then weave the best of what is into formal

and informal practices. This new approach to change, based on the power of the

positive question, has emerged from revolutions in manyfields


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Evidence

When organizations or groups capture positive imageryinternally and make it visible, it starts to drive change inan individualistic, self-directed way. It creates a sense offocus.

Our image of the

future drives our

ACTION!

Placebo EffectHelp someone construct an

image of how something might

happen, and it drives behavior

which creates a change

in that direction

Pygmalion EffectChange a teachers image of a

student, and their behavior changes

toward the student, improving

student performance

SociologyThe study of problems creates an

increase in number & severity of

problems. But opposite also occurs.

SportsVivid visualization of ones performance

guides physical performance. Speed of

learning when only correct images are

reviewed.

Internal ConversationsStudies of pre and post operative

patients. Difference in recovery

between positive and negative

imagery.


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The Idea of Positive Changej Definition: Any form of organization change, re-design, or

planning that begins with comprehensive analysis of anorganizations positive core and then links thisknowledge to the heart of any strategic change agenda.

j Because human systems move toward what theypersistently ask questions about, positive change involvesthe deliberate discovery of everything that gives a system

life when it is most effective in economic and humanterms.

j Link the positive core directly to any strategic agenda, and

changes never thought possible are more rapidly mobilizedwhile simultaneously building enthusiasm, corporateconfidence, and human energy.


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Comparison to Problem Focus

What to fix

Underlying grammar =problem, symptoms, causes,

solutions, action plan,intervention

Breaks things into pieces &specialties, guaranteeingfragmented responses

Slow! Takes a lot of positiveemotion to make real change.

Assumes organizations areconstellations of problems tobe overcome

What to grow

New grammar of the true,good, better, possible

Problem focus implies thatthere is an ideal. AI breaksopen the box of what theideal is first.

Expands vision of preferred

future. Creates new energyfast.

Assumes organizations aresources of infinite capacityand imagination

Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiry


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Study of Turnover Magnetic Connectivity

In the physical world, all matter is held together by the pull betweenopposite electric charges. Successful e-companies are highlynimble, flexible communities. People connect in new andinnovative ways. Suppliers and customers are pulled together andbecome seamless edge-to-edge organizations. Communities of

interest form and are pulled together by shared values andinterests. Knowledge networks form as catalysts for innovation andcreativity. People, process, and technology experts are attractedand deliver high value solutions to their client needs.

A. Think of a time when you felt magnetically connected to yourclient, your colleagues, and your community. . . connected in a way

that the force was so strong that it could not be broken. What wasthat experience? What did it feel like?

B. As you look into the future, describe how you see us connectedto our customers and our colleagues - in ways that are so strongthat we are seen as inseparable business partners.


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Analysis of Grievance Reduction EnthusiasticEngagement & Positive Energy

Organizations work best when they are vibrant, alive and fun. Youknow, when the "joint is jumping!" You can sense that the spirit ofthe organization is vital and healthy and that people feel pride intheir work. Everyone builds on each other's successes, a positivecan do attitude is infectious and the glow of success is shared.What's more, this positive energy is appreciated and celebrated soit deepens and lasts.

1. Tell me about a time when you experienced positive energythat was infectious. What was the situation? What created thepositive energy? How did it feel to be a part of it? What did you

learn?2. If positive energy were the flame of the organization, howwould you spark it? How would you fuel it to keep it burningbright?


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The AI Change Process

Definition:Decide What to Learn About

Discovery:Opportunity Context

Positive Core

Dream:Envisioning what mightbe; shared images for a

preferred future

Design:Finding innovative ways to

create that future;Breakthrough propositions

Delivery:Sustaining the

Change

Topic(What you Want

More of)


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4 Generic Questions to Start

Best experience. A time when

What do you value about yourself, work,organization.

What do you think is the core life-givingfactor or value of your organization thatwhich if it did not exist would make yourorganization totally different than it currently

is? If you had three wishes for this organization,

what would it be?


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Typical ProjectStart-up

Choose the topic: combine themes from genericinterviews with research questions.

Agree on desired outcomes & CSF;

Agree on how to get there Develop draft interview protocol

Practice interviews; develop interview guidelines

Plan for collecting & analyzing the data

Plan for how the process will drive change.


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Application Areas

Leadership & ManagementDevelopment

Work Process Redesign

Team Development Organization Culture

Change

Employee Development

HR Practices: Staffing,

Orientation, PerformanceManagement

Communications

Collaborative alliances &joint ventures

Community & customerrelations

Diversity initiatives

Strategic Planning

Focus Groups

Benchmarking

Surveys

Evaluation to Valuation


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Why It Works (1)

Doesnt focus on changing people Relief that themessage isnt about what theyve done wrong orhave to stop doing.

Invites people to engage in building the kinds oforganizations and communities that they want to livein.

Helps everyone see the need for change, explorenew possibilities, and contribute to solutions.

Through alignment of formal and informal structureswith purpose and principles, it translates sharedvision into reality and belief into practice.


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Why it works (2)

Assumptions conversation dominant images individual acts at both conscious and unconsciouslevels organizational infrastructure.

Organizations manifest human imagination. Learningsthat surface through AI shift collective image.

Process responds to three truths about humannature: Exceptionality: Were all exceptions. We respond best when

this is noticed & conditions for exceptional performance areenhanced.

Essentiality: We each need to be seen as essential to thegroup. If we lift up meaningful contributions, it creates acompelling guiding image for others

Equality: Creates a way for the organization to be in full

voice about the true, good, better, possible.


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Why Now?

The size, scope & transnational nature of the moderncorporation have given it a unique and growing rolein daily life.

Were witnessing the birth of the global community &a greater sense of universal responsibility.

Positive things do not come by nature. For positivethings to occur, we have to make an effort.

There is a tremendous urge to experience wholeness.The experience of wholeness brings out the best inpeople and systems.


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Summary

1. A high-participation, full-voice process targeted atorganizational innovation

2. A learning process to identify and disseminate bestpractices

3. A way of managing and working that fosterspositive communication and can result in theformation of deep and meaningful relationships

4. Can be used to radically redesign the governance

structures and processes of an organization.5. Mobilizes strategic change by focusing on the core

strengths of an organization, then using thosestrengths to reshape the future.


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References Used What is Appreciative Inquiry by Joe Hall & Sue Hammond, www.thinbook.com

Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination, by Jane MagruderWatkins and Berhard J. Mohr.

Appreciative Inquiry: A Constructive Approach to Organization Development andSocial Change, 2001 Cape Cod Institute Workshop by David Cooperrider and

Marge Schiller Appreciative Inquiry: Igniting Transformative Action, by Bernard Mohr. From

The Systems Thinker, Volume 12, #1, 2001, atwww.pegasuscommunications.com.

Other Resources:

AI Listserve at [email protected]

AI Commons website athttp://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/ AI Consulting Organization is just getting started: a global network of AI practitioners

atwww.aiconsulting.org.


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What Now?

Your reaction

How might AI complement what youre

already doing at entry? What might be a good next step?


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Additional Background


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5 Principles

1. Constructionist: We live in worlds our questionscreate. Knowledge and org destiny are interwoven.We see the world we describe.

2. Simultaneity: Change begins at the moment you askthe first question.

3. Open Book: We can read almost anything into anyorganization.

4. Anticipatory: Deep change occurs first in our imagesof the future

5. Positive: The more positive the question, thegreater and longer-lasting the change.


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Assumptions Underneath

1. In every human system, something works.

2. What we focus on, and the language we use, becomes ourreality.

3. Reality is created in the moment and there are multiple

realities. It is important to value differences.

4. The act of asking questions influences the group in someway.

5. People have more confidence & comfort to move to anunknown future when they carry forward parts of the

past.6. What we carry forward should be what is best about the

past.


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Appreciative Leadership

New definition of leadership includes:

the ability to see the best,

lift it up, create an alignment of strengths,

see opportunities in the environment morerapidly than others.


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Thomas White, President GTE After you reengineer the organization, how do you reengineer the psychology

that makes it work?

AI can get you much better results than seeking out and solving problems.Thats an interesting concept for me because telephone companies areamong the best problem-solvers in the world. We trouble-shoot everything.We concentrate enormous resources on correcting problems that have relatively

minor impact on our overall service performance. We dont tolerateimperfection. This has led to some excellent results. But when used continuallyand over a long period of time, this approach can lead to a negative culture. Ifyou combine a negative culture with all the challenges we face today, it could beeasy to convince ourselves that we have too many problems to overcome toslip into a paralyzing sense of hopelessness. If we dissect what we do rightand apply the lessons to what we do wrong, we can solve our problems and re-

energize the organization at the same time. When you get survey results that tell you that94 percent of your customers are

satisfied, what do you do? Do you conduct additional research to find out whatmakes those 94 out of 100 people so happy or do you send your entireresearch department out to gather as many negative stories as you can fromthe miserable 6 percent?

In the long run, what is likely to be more useful: Demoralizing a successfulworkforce by concentrating on their failures or helping them over their last fewhurdles by building a bridge with their successes?


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Dealing with the Negative

It is how experiences are reflected upon,talked about, defined, and the reality we co-create that ultimately makes it positive or

negative. [We] must never be intimidated by experts;

experts deal only in facts, but importantdecisions are matters of philosophy and

valuing, not fact. AI is a way of reclaiming our imaginative

competence.

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