[Ailist] Customer care by an IT department

[Allen or Mary Jensen]

Nick,

Sorry this reply is so late.  Regarding helping out with questions vs.. the
struggle of it...  This calls to mind some adult learning theory about the
value of doing it themselves, but not to the point of stiffling learning by
passing the frustration point.

I remember putting a question to Diana Whitney "Is being positive is easy
for you?  It is dreadfully difficult for me!  Where do I start?" (the
question is paraphrased with much more civility than I actually asked it.)

I will always remember what she told me.  She said that when she started
work with David, she had experiences from her work, not Ai work.  She just
started in and began to build new experiences one by one until now she has a
whole library full.  I will always be grateful to Diana for her kindness
toward me during that workshop.

But the message is, if perhaps the group you are working with needs practice
formulating appreciative statements, conversations, etc.  there is no time
like the present to start to accumulate new experiences.

I can tell you it may be painful.  They may gasp, but it won't kill them.
I'm living proof.

Best regards

Mary J
Chicago

-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Heap <nickheap@tesco.net>
To: Appreciative Enquiry (E-mail) <ailist@business.utah.edu>
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2000 9:54 AM
Subject: [Ailist] Customer care by an IT department


>Dear All,
>
>I am working with an IT department in an engineering consultancy. I did
>some fairly conventional "diagnostic" interviews. At the feedback meeting
>the group expressed a wish to improve the service they offer their
>customers and to improve their systems for documentation.  I am working
>with two sub-groups on these two issues at their request. This has not been
>a full Appreciative Enquiry", I went on Anne Radford and Tricia Lustig's
>introduction to AI only two weeks ago! So this work is a bit of OD.
>
>However, I think they could use some appreciative questions to find out
>what is good about the service they offer to their customer's and how to
>make it better. The group is trying to develop some questions themselves
>but finding it hard going. Do you have, or know of, any effective questions
>I could offer them in this context? Or would it be best to encourage their
>struggle to find good enough questions that they will own?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Nick Heap
>
>01707 886553 and mailto:nickheap@tesco.net
>
>
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