[Ailist] Appreciative Valuations of Staff

[Kenneth Gergen]

I like very much this emphasis on dialogue. However, one of the  
possibilities we explore in The Appreciative Organization is that of  
shifting these dialogues from the individual to the relationship. The  
attempt is to try to understand personal goals and progress as  
embedded within relationships, and within these valuative dialogues  
to inquire not so much into the individual's attributes or qualities,  
but into the character of the relationships on which the well-being  
of the organization (and its participants) ultimately depends.

I read a recent report that indicated that for the vast proportion of  
organizational participants, the greatest source of stress was their  
immediate supervisor or boss. This would suggest that such dialogues  
might well be directed to "how are we doing?" "What are we doing well  
together?" If anyone has explored such possibilities, I would love to  
hear more. Ken



On Apr 29, 2008, at 6:06 AM, Michael Holdstock wrote:

> I haven't followed the whole of this thread, but my ten öre's worth:
> I am finding it increasingly meaningful to break this staff  
> development and
> support process up into the following bits:
>
> the development dialogue - with agreed long and short term  
> professional and
> personal developmental goals
> (where do you want to get to?) (D1,2,3)
>
> measures of development effectiveness related to agreed goals
> (how do we check up on your progress towards your goal and help you  
> stay on
> track?) (D 3-4)
>
> the reward negotiation.
> (what financial and other compensations are we agreed on?)
>
> There is no water-tight compartmentalisation since all three relate  
> to one
> another. They can all be handled appreciatively/supportively and  
> retain
> their meaningfulness and bite.
>
> Dealing with them as separate but related issues, I have found,  
> makes the
> whole situation easier to handle. Maintaining a dialogue throughout  
> the year
> related to the first two means that an ongoing interest and  
> awareness of
> development becomes a natural part of the leadership function.
> To facilitate this continuum one organisation that I have  
> collaborated with
> instituted the idea of "job chats" - at least quarterly, as part of  
> the
> follow-up process to the more formal development dialogue.
>
>
> Mike
> Karlstad, Sweden
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