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Friend Jack,
You are raising some wonderful at-the-heart-of-it issues!
I have read your note several times to ponder upon its significance.
Could we define terms - the first list:
* Grief - feelings of sorrow and loss that accompany significant life events that involve change to the order of things in our lives.
* Despair - a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness that we feel when we have exhausted our resources or energy and do not know what to do next.
* Anger - a replacement emotion that we feel when blocked. A loss of personal control that further blocks our ability to press forward to a resolution of a situation or issue.
* Fear - an emotion we feel when confronted with the unknown. Often felt when we imagine things that may or may not be so. Reinforces our sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.
* Uncertainty - not knowing what will happen next or what we can do about it.
* Ambiguity - situations undefined, without form we know how to deal with. Can lead to all of the above.
* Doubt - an insidious and pernicious feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. Often felt when evidence is presented to us that something we thought was appears not to be.
And how about from the other end of the spectrum - the second list:
* Letting Go - a willingness to not allow a situation, issue, or relationship to paralyze us.
* Forgiveness - holding no ill feeling or grudge against any one or anything for an event, issue, or situation that may or may not have validity, reality, or merit in terms of justice, fairness,
equity, honesty, ethics, or any other standard that is either stated, implied, or assumed. A process of becoming whole by not allowing anything to high center us or de-rail us on the road to
fulfilling our potential as human beings.
* Hope - a sense that things will be better. Sometimes with no reinforcing evidence that would support the feeling. Often puzzling to other people who do not feel it.
* Core Values - stuff that we feel is true. Often not examined and questioned rationally very often. Used to guide action and thought choices on a day-to-day basis.
* Dedication - something you put a lot of energy into - often without a clear sense that there will be a quid-pro-quo return in the transactions. Focused on the long term perspective of building
something bigger than oneself.
* Service - focused on fulfilling the needs of others.
* Selflessness - given to think of others before ones self. Willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Helpful in executing the role of spouse, significant other, parent, child, friend,
relative, colleague, etc.
* Humility - being willing to not be in control in order to have control. Opposite of arrogant, conceited, prideful. Open to influence and learning without abandoning core values. Willing to
reflect upon and reconsider core values, processes, etc.
I find that many people I work with in organizations have a sense of feeling trapped, powerless, and without control over their situation (the first list). This is often at all levels and in all
roles and functions in the organization. And yet folks seem to press on.
I also see AI as a structure that can help us to identify what keeps folks pressing on and building upon that, and adding more stuff to reinforce that which is working (both successes and core
values, attitudes, and perspectives).
As we help folks to discover what is working and what can reinforce and augment what is working - we help them move to the second list and have that list be the bigger part of what they experience
and what they emphsize. To me this is not just recognizing that the glass is half full (positive perspective or thinking) but rather it is figuring out how to fill the other half of the glass and
let it become an artesian well that is self generating.
This leads to a sense of powerfulness and control - or at least influence - that is liberating and renewing.
I believe that this applies to us as individuals and to us as members of organizations. In 1985 my wife and son died and I was left to be a single parent of four children. And the road since then
has been quite interesting. My personal experience is that when I am in the first list - progress is slow and my heart is heavy. When I am in the second list - progress is steady and I have a
sense of joy that is renewing - and I am a better influence on others. I have had several epiphanies that occured along the journey that have helped me to stay in the second list. I find that I
need these epiphanies from time to time to keep my perspective balanced and centered. So for me the AI process is an ongoing journey and a set of core values and processes that help the journey be
productive. (By the way, I believe that when we work with folks on these issues that it is more helpful for us to help them learn AI as a process rather than an off site meeting or two.)(I also
believe that you do have to walk through the humility of humiliation and accept the powerlessness in order to be able to move into a position of being powerful again. This is part of what the
"epiphany" events contribute to me.)
Thank you Jack for pushing me to reflect on these things!
Pete.
======================
Jack Brittain wrote:
> Several comments have hinted at this, but not directly hit it for me.
> Many past discussions have struggled with the difference between AI and
> positive thinking. The appreciative mode is not the power of positive
> thinking, it is finding those forces that sustain people in
> organizations and lead to desired outcomes.
>
> Those that are carrying grief, despair, and anger, but still giving of
> themselves, are powerful examples of sustaining forces because they are
> persisting despite emotional pain. They certainly need to give up the
> pain for their personal well being, but those things that sustain them
> -- indeed that they personally embody -- are worthy of inquiry, things
> like core values, dedication to service, selflessness. I am wondering if
> the power of AI is not that it ignores the pain, but that it validates
> it and identifies the strengths that people have to move beyond the
> pain, strengths that also allow them to let go. I have found that a
> sense of power and control can do wonders to cure anger and despair. And
> for me, this is a core part of the AI experience, helping those in
> organizations identify the strengths they possess to become the people,
> team, community and organization of their dreams.
>
> Just maybe the fallacy of "dealing with grief" is that implicit in the
> method is accepting powerlessness. Certainly relevant to dealing with
> individual issues like death of loved ones, but I am dubious of the
> validity of this model for organizational applications.
> --
> =================== Jack <Brittain@Business.Utah.edu>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the list administrator. For subscription information, go to:
> http://lists.business.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/ailist
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Friend Jack,
You are raising some wonderful at-the-heart-of-it issues!
I have read your note several times to ponder upon its significance.
Could we define terms - the first list:
And how about from the other end of the spectrum - the second list:
I also see AI as a structure that can help us to identify what keeps folks pressing on and building upon that, and adding more stuff to reinforce that which is working (both successes and core values, attitudes, and perspectives).
As we help folks to discover what is working and what can reinforce and augment what is working - we help them move to the second list and have that list be the bigger part of what they experience and what they emphsize. To me this is not just recognizing that the glass is half full (positive perspective or thinking) but rather it is figuring out how to fill the other half of the glass and let it become an artesian well that is self generating.
This leads to a sense of powerfulness and control - or at least influence - that is liberating and renewing.
I believe that this applies to us as individuals and to us as members of organizations. In 1985 my wife and son died and I was left to be a single parent of four children. And the road since then has been quite interesting. My personal experience is that when I am in the first list - progress is slow and my heart is heavy. When I am in the second list - progress is steady and I have a sense of joy that is renewing - and I am a better influence on others. I have had several epiphanies that occured along the journey that have helped me to stay in the second list. I find that I need these epiphanies from time to time to keep my perspective balanced and centered. So for me the AI process is an ongoing journey and a set of core values and processes that help the journey be productive. (By the way, I believe that when we work with folks on these issues that it is more helpful for us to help them learn AI as a process rather than an off site meeting or two.)(I also believe that you do have to walk through the humility of humiliation and accept the powerlessness in order to be able to move into a position of being powerful again. This is part of what the "epiphany" events contribute to me.)
Thank you Jack for pushing me to reflect on these things!
Pete.
======================
Jack Brittain wrote:
Several comments have hinted at this, but not directly hit it for me.--------------DC30AE0D6AB4596164AF97FE-- --------------F4FD9099E81E3B2A51101A64 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="sorensop.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Peter Jay Sorenson Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="sorensop.vcf" begin:vcard n:Sorenson;Peter Jay tel;work:817.540.5499 x-mozilla-html:FALSE org:GINKGO Enterprises adr:;;P.O. Box 610245;Dallas;TX;75261-0245;USA version:2.1 email;internet:sorensop@onramp.net title:Organization Design Consultant note;quoted-printable:Leading Change - Create and implement change in order to achieve desired transformation outcomes.=0D=0ADesigning Organizations - Formulate strategy and align systems and processes to get targeted results quickly.=0D=0ADesigning and Facilitating Meetings - Use groups (2 to 1000 people) to create and implement designs, changes, and plans.=0D=0ACoach Change Leaders - Work with leaders to re-define their roles and change their behaviors. fn:Peter Jay Sorenson end:vcard --------------F4FD9099E81E3B2A51101A64--
Many past discussions have struggled with the difference between AI and
positive thinking. The appreciative mode is not the power of positive
thinking, it is finding those forces that sustain people in
organizations and lead to desired outcomes.Those that are carrying grief, despair, and anger, but still giving of
themselves, are powerful examples of sustaining forces because they are
persisting despite emotional pain. They certainly need to give up the
pain for their personal well being, but those things that sustain them
-- indeed that they personally embody -- are worthy of inquiry, things
like core values, dedication to service, selflessness. I am wondering if
the power of AI is not that it ignores the pain, but that it validates
it and identifies the strengths that people have to move beyond the
pain, strengths that also allow them to let go. I have found that a
sense of power and control can do wonders to cure anger and despair. And
for me, this is a core part of the AI experience, helping those in
organizations identify the strengths they possess to become the people,
team, community and organization of their dreams.Just maybe the fallacy of "dealing with grief" is that implicit in the
method is accepting powerlessness. Certainly relevant to dealing with
individual issues like death of loved ones, but I am dubious of the
validity of this model for organizational applications.
--
=================== Jack <Brittain@Business.Utah.edu>_______________________________________________
The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the list administrator. For subscription information, go to:
http://lists.business.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/ailist