Appreciative Inquiry: Finding What Already Works! Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) Conference 2014 Eugene, Oregon May 24, 2014

Who We Are Rebecca Heckman, MBA  R & C Consulting: Certified Appreciative Inquiry Training, Facilitating, Team Building Bolivar Fraga, MSW  Community Developer, Neighborhood Centers Inc.

Who is in the room?  Turn to a neighbor  Take one minute each to share a time when you successfully organized an event or experience  Can be ANYTHING

Intended Outcomes  To shift from problem-solving to possibility thinking  To learn the basics of the Appreciative Inquiry 5D Process  To understand the value of using AI within your neighborhood, community, or organization

What is Appreciative Inquiry? 5

Define Appreciate 6

What is AI? Appreciate : 7 2. to increase in value; e.g., the economy has appreciated in value. Synonyms: value, prize, esteem, and honor 1.to value; recognize the best in people or the world around us; affirm past and present strengths, successes and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems

Define Inquiry 8

What is AI? Inquire : 9 NOTE: “quest” (a search) has the same root as the word “question” 1.to explore and discover 2. to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. Synonyms: discover, search, systematically explore, and study

AI World View Organizations grow in the direction of what they repeatedly ask questions about and focus their attention on  When people inquire into deficits or gaps, the number and severity of the “problems” they identify actually increase  When people inquire into strengths (human ideals and achievements, peak experiences, and best practices) those tend to increase

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” - Margaret (Meg) Wheatley

5D Process for Change

Guflton Neighborhood – SW Houston

Appreciative Inquiry in Practice

Appreciative Inquiry: Beyond Solving Problems Paradigm I Problem Solving Paradigm 2 Possibility Thinking Identify Problems Appreciate: “Valuing the best of what is.” Analysis of causes Envision: “What might be?” Analysis of Solutions Dialogue: “What should be?” Treatment/InterventionInnovate/Create: “What will be?”

Paradigm 1 Problem Solving PROBLEM QUESTIONS 1.Why don’t we get cooperation? 2.How come some of us do most of the work and others don’t? 3.What’s wrong with our communication? 4.Why don’t we get more done? What do these questions make you think about? How do they make you feel?

The Power of Positive Questions PROBLEM QUESTIONSPOSITIVE QUESTIONS 1.Why don’t we get cooperation? 2.How come some of us do most of the work and others don’t? 3.What’s wrong with our communication? 4.Why don’t we get more done? 1.When we’re at our best and working together, what is going on? 2.What do the people in our organization really care about? 3.What’s it look like when we’re really communicating well? 4.What have we accomplished that we can feel good about and celebrate? What do these questions make you think about? How do they make you feel? What do these questions make you think about? How do they make you feel?

“The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making our weaknesses irrelevant.” – Peter Drucker, (Father of the modern organization)

The Power of Positive Questions  The more positive the questions used to guide a change process, the more long-lasting and effective that process will be  Positive Questions invite:  Innovation/Creativity  Positive actions  Energy  Joy and fun

5D Process for Change

DEFINE: Our Focus of Inquiry Building Vibrant Communities

DISCOVER: Inquire into exceptionally positive moments n What makes any experience come alive? Be as Creative as you can be! n What gives life to your organization?

DISCOVERY: Be Creative The inquiry can take many forms:  One-on-one interviews  Group interviews  Cross-organization interviews  Electronic interviews  Social media

25 One-on-One Interviews (20 minutes total)  In a minute, you will take turns being an interviewer/interviewee for 10 minutes, then switch roles for another 10 minutes  Notice the time allotted for each question  Now, pair up with someone(a pair is TWO)

26 Debrief (1 min.) What was that process like for you?

27 Sharing Stories (5 min.)  Quickly form groups of four  Each person shares highlights of partner’s stories (one minute each)  One person reports highlights to whole group

28 Sharing Stories

Next Steps: Dream, Design & Destiny Dream: Imagine the best of “what could be”  Ground Dreams in what already exists that works (your organization’s strengths)  What would our organization look like if it was at its best?  Dreams: Living in a world of endless possibilities 29

Next Step: Design Design: Create images of your preferred future – If it’s working great, what’s happening? – Nuts and bolts of day-to-day Communication Organization Resources 30

Design, cont…  Design evolves. It is innovative and creative  Your Design is written, measurable and ever- changing  This is the who, what, when, where and how  Design includes:  Taking individual responsibility  Accountability 31

Next Step: Destiny Destiny (Delivery)  Living it out, putting it in place  Tracking progress  Celebrating success  Revisit and revise  Continuous learning, adapting to changes 32

Check-In (10 minutes) In your small groups discuss how you’re going to apply this in your organization, neighborhood or community. Report out to large group. 33

34 Questions and Comments

35 Want to learn more about AI? AI commons: appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/ Rebecca Heckman: R & C Consulting: Certified AI Training, Facilitating, Team Building Bolivar Fraga: centers.org Neighborhood Centers Inc. AI Kit

Thank You Rebecca Heckman, MBA  R & C Consulting: Certified Appreciative Inquiry Training, Facilitating, Team Building Bolivar Fraga, MSW  Community Developer, Neighborhood Centers Inc.