Building on your strengths, wisdom and aspirations to construct a new social reality An introduction to Appreciative Inquiry Ravi Pradhan Karuna Management rp3899gmail.com 1

Inquiry into peak experience Select a partner, someone you normally don’t interact on a day to day basis. Senior pick more junior staff. Each person’s role is to learn about the other person (10 mins max time). So, you, as the interviewer, have to listen to understand the thinking, feeling/emotions, and logic of the other person. 2

Inquiry/research into peak experience In your professional life, what represents your peak experience, the most successful, the proudest achievement, or solution or innovation or problem resolved? No matter how small it may seem to you. When, where and how did you achieve it? What were the key factors and person/s who were critical to this achievement. What are your three top ideas to strengthen the vitality, the life force of NARC? 3

Stories have wings, and the message is carried far and wide. In groups of 4, introduce your partner and share the success story and how it was achieved. Share your impression of your partner and what strength s/he was demonstrated then? Total of 3 mins each. After listening to all stories, select the best one. Then the person shares with all. 4

Insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting a different result. Rita Mae Brown 5

Gender inequality in an organization How would you begin? Analyze extent of gender inequality and its problems and root causes? Or Identify exemplary cases of cross-gender relationships and root causes of success? 6

Maternal Mortality & Morbidity in Hospitals How would you begin your study? Do you analyze why the rate is so high and where the problems and weaknesses lie? OR Do you study best examples of exceptional service, team work and leadership? 7

Corporation with 64,000 employees Employee morale and commitment – Do you probe into low morale and its causes? Or – Do you study experiences of peak motivation and commitment? 8

Insanity Insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting a different result. Sufi Story about keys. 9

Root cause of failure or problem vs root cause of success and solutions As professionals, the conventional wisdom seems to focus brain power and money on what is not working, problems, what is missing, etc? However, in order to co-construct a different future and social reality, it is more effective to start with this approach: what is working and how can we use our strengths, expertise, and successes to amplify more/better successes or a different reality. 10

Identify problems or what is not working Root cause analysis Identify solutions Develop action plan Discover what gives life and strengths Envision what is possible Design what should be Create what will be 11 Problem solving Appreciative Inquiry

12 Appreciative Inquiry: The “4-D” Cycle Discovery “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Discovery “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Dream “What might be?” (What is the world calling for) Dream “What might be?” (What is the world calling for) Design “What should be--the ideal?” Organizational social architecture Design “What should be--the ideal?” Organizational social architecture Destiny “How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?” Destiny “How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?” Affirmative Topic Choice Current patterns, trends, Challenges, opportunities Forecast vs foresight

THE AIM OF APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY IS TO CO-CONSTRUCT A BETTER FUTURE OR A DIFFERENT S0CIAL REALITY Through a collaborative inquiry and dialogue. 13

The Principles of AI Human beings have enormous capacity to imagine and co-construct new social realities. Human systems are complex adaptive social systems. Interdependent relationships is fundamental to co-construction. Inquiry and change are simultaneous. Language/images creates social reality. Human systems move in the direction of what they study. Positive images & emotions lead to positive action Stories of peak moments are inspiring, transfer know-how and lessons. 14

Positive to Negative Ratio of conversations Successful companies studied in the US – 2.9:1 or higher ratio were successful. Below this ratio, less successful, lower profits, lower morale, etc. (Barbara Fredrickson) Successful relationships/marriage in the US - 3:1 ratio. For real thriving/flourishing marriages 5:1 (John Gottman) Also for modern Nepali couples in the West. 15

Why Appreciative Inquiry Works? Taps into the wisdom, know-how, hopes, aspirations and emotional energy of individuals, their relationships, and their institutions. Or it taps into: Prana Shakti Buddhi 16

Embodied Cognition & Know-how Data Information Knowledge Know-how Wisdom 17 What is the process to Move to next level?

every one wants to change the world but no one wants to change himself/herself. Leo Tolstoy 18

Embodied Know-how or cognition Embodied know how New theory models Test, analysis plan Do, action, pilot Review, Reflect 19

20 Applications Performance e-valuation and development Project e-valuation and transfer of know-how Team work, Leadership Customer relationship and satisfaction Alliances, joint ventures, mergers Strategic visioning, planning and implementation Multi-stakeholder collaboration Introducing new technology or IT solutions Gender equality, diversity Culture change, whole systems change

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Organizations are not like machines. Why.. without human beings it would not exist. However, science which studies physical or material world does not role of consciousness. Just only recently emotional skills are being taught. AI and human systems. 22

Affirmative Topic Pick 4-5 problems, difficulties, weaknesses You see in NARC. 4 persons for each topic. Turn problems into affirmative topic: what you wish to see happen or a new future? In pair, conduct an inquiry. 23

Inquiry process In pairs, total time 15 mins A asks B to get their best experiences and ideas. In pairs summarize key ideas and suggestions? 24

Reflections What struck you the most? Did it challenge your way of thinking? If so, how? Does it make sense to apply in NARC? Why or why not? 25