[Ailist] Appreciative Valuations of Staff

Mon Apr 28 17:25:47 MDT 2008

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your inquiry and for assisting me in becoming clearer on this
topic.

I think the issue for me is that “evaluation” has a meaning that is fairly
widespread in most personnel circles ... and to say that meaning is
negatively framed would be an understatement. The research suggests that
many, many people (the majority, in fact) – both managers and their direct
reports – perceive evaluations as negative, unwanted experiences at best and
destructive ones at worst.

As I understand it (and I’m not even remotely an expert here), the
principles of social constructionism would suggest that the meaning the
target audience places on these terms is of critical concern. So ... I’ve
talked about valuing people for their intrinsic value to organizations as I
believe that organizations will be able to better leverage the talents,
skills and experience of their people if they do.

I have Preskill and Catsambas’s book. It is a refreshing perspective on
“reframing evaluation.” However, it doesn’t specifically deal with working
to enhance the professional growth of individuals working in organizations –
an area of profound passion for me – so I began to look at how to use
appreciative processes (and not just AI) to value people rather than
evaluate performance.

For me, this work isn’t about presenting an appreciatively based model as
better ... or worse for that matter ... than any other methodology for
addressing personnel issues. I see it simply as another perspective – one
that will likely develop its adherents and its critics. Obviously, I will
have a preference and a bias, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

I hope this helps to alleviate some of the confusion, Anne ... or at least
add to the debate.  J

Regards,

Bill Scott

WJS Consulting

Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Engaging human potential

From: Anne Radford [mailto:annelondon at aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 9:33 AM
To: Kenneth Gergen
Cc: Bill Scott; ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: Re: [Ailist] Appreciative Valuations of Staff

I''ve been watching this thread around evaluation and find myself bemused.
What by? Well, the prevaiing view seems to be that evaluation is divisive,
non-inclusive and isn't in sync with the principles of AI/ soc construction
etc.

And yet in the February 2005 AI Practitoner issue, Bridging Two Disciplines:
Applying

Appreciative Inquiry to Evaluation Practice, the guest editors set out the
view that there are many different forms of evaluation which serve different
purposes and that these forms share many of the same principles and
aspirations as AI:

"While OD practitioners have been experimenting with new approaches and
processes for

facilitating organizational change, many evaluators have been searching for
more effective

tools and strategies for facilitating learning from evaluation. Over the
last 25 years, the

evaluation profession has grown in its scope and boundaries. As described by
Russ-Eft and

Preskill (2001), “Evaluation has grown from being monolithic in its
definition and methods,

to being highly pluralistic. It now embraces multiple methods, measures,
criteria, perspectives, audiences and interests.” (p.46). Some of these
evaluation approaches include participatory evaluation (Cousins & Earl,
1992), utilization-focused evaluation (Patton, 1997), empowerment evaluation
(Fetterman, 2000), democratic evaluation (Greene, 2000; House & Howe, 1999)
and fourth generation evaluation (Guba & Lincoln, 1989), the last of which
is

explicitly based on the assumptions of social constructionism."

So, I'm curious as to what is going on in setting up this polarisation
between 'evaluation' and 'valuation'. It seems a little like the chart we
used to use pitching problem solving against AI but with the implication
that AI was the right answer.

I can understand people having a personal preference to use one term rather
than another. However, what I'm getting from this thread is 'evaluation' is
equivalent to being divisive etc etc and 'valuation' is the good guy. Is
that the message I was supposed to get?

And in case it matters, I don't use either word, I just do an Inquiry into
whatever topic needs exploring.

The opening article of the AIP issue is downloadable free at HYPERLINK
"http://www.aipractitioner.com/Pagefiles/guested.htm"http://www.aipractition
er.com/Pagefiles/guested.htm where there are the references to go with the
quote above.

Confused in London,

Anne

Anne Radford

Please make a note of my new email address

HYPERLINK "mailto:anne at aradford.co.uk"anne at aradford.co.uk instead of
HYPERLINK "mailto:annelondon at aol.com"annelondon at aol.com  

---------------

On 28 Apr 2008, at 16:32, Kenneth Gergen wrote:

Dear Bill, Please add me to your list. In the meantime, you and others who
are interested in this issue might

find interesting the 2nd edition of the Appreciative Organization, just
published by Taos Institute Publications.

We have a chapter in this book entitled, From Evaluation to Valuation, and
it offers a variety of ways to move from

the traditional and divisive practice of personal evaluation to valuing
processes in organizations.

I look forward to your work. All good wishes, Ken

On Apr 28, 2008, at 10:42 AM, Bill Scott wrote:

Hello once again,

It seems appreciative valuation of staff is on the minds of many judging by

the response to my post this weekend.

To all those who wrote asking for a copy of the paper when it is finished, I

got your message and I've made a list, When the paper is completed, I'll

check it twice and get a copy to you.

Thanks for your interest and encouragement.

Regards,

Bill

-----Original Message-----

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.utah.edu

[HYPERLINK
"mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu"mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.b
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Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 9:17 AM

To: HYPERLINK
"mailto:ailist at lists.business.utah.edu"ailist at lists.business.utah.edu

Subject: [Ailist] Appreciative Valuations of Staff

Hello all,

This is a topic that has great interest for me. I think a move away from

evaluating performance and to valuing people is critical for organizations

that seek to be successful today and in the future.

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