[Ailist] Request for Interview collection/collation technology

[Jane Magruder Watkins]

Dear Tony and Colleagues: 

 

Sometimes I think I sound like a broken record, but here's my take on this
anyway! There are many ways to "aggregate," "analyze," make sense of data.
The magic of AI is that it is the people themselves who decide how to do
that. The less that “consultants” intervene, the more the outcome of the
process will belong to the people. 

 

I’ve had clients who were wedded to the notion that they needed some
process, methodology or even some electronic process for the “analysis of
data.” One even decided to try this (to which we said, “Sure, go ahead and
give it a try.”) only to realize that they had short circuited the most
important part of the process and that the larger group was no more
interested in what the planning team had learned that they were in what we
consultants thought. They even got side-tracked into a “topic” that was
important but was not at all what ultimately “fired-up” the larger
organization. It was a great learning for all of us. They had over 900
interviews and they ultimately went back to the “Theming” dialogic process
involving people from throughout the organization to uncover the real
positive core of their organization. 

 

So, now, when clients ask us for ways to “collate data” or to do meaning
making, we always encourage them to use the “meaning making” that takes
place when participants share stories and identify topics and themes.
Another phenomena that I’ve observed is that no matter how many groups are
doing the “meaning making,” there are never more than about half a dozen
“themes” or “topics” that emerge around which the organization then creates
their image of the ideal.

 

Just some food for thought. And, as always, I believe that there is no
“orthodoxy” to how we use AI in human systems, so if a client needs some
things from the dichotomous, mechanistic methodologies, I say, “Sure, give
it a try.” Ultimately, people often find ways to blend those “comfort”
processes with the spirit of AI. There are many ways to skin a cat, as my
Grandmother always said!

 

Looking forward to talking with you. Hugs, Jane

 

 

Jane Magruder Watkins & Ralph Kelly

Appreciative Inquiry Unlimited

An Organization Development Center for Teaching, Consulting and Mentoring

 

Office & Home

233A Woodmere Drive

Williamsburg, VA 23185

(757) 259-9942

 

MarshHaven Retreat Center

P.O. Box 541

1702 Wheat Patch Road

Belhaven, NC 27810

(252) 964-3072 

 

www.appreciativeinquiryunlimited.com

 

Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination by Jane Magruder
Watkins & Bernard Mohr can be ordered from Amazon.com or JosseyBassWiley

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Tony Silbert
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:06 PM
To: Ailist; Aicowner
Subject: [Ailist] Request for Interview collection/collation technology

 

Hi folks ­ We are preparing for a 400 person summit in August and plan on

conducting approximately 1,000 interviews prior to the summit.  I would like

to know what technologies and tools have worked well for you when collecting

and collating this many interviews.  I¹m sure there are some great software,

databases, and web-based tools out there.  I will collate the responses I

receive and send it back out to everyone.  Thanks so much, Tony

 

Tony Silbert, MSOD

Principal, Innovation Partners International

http://www.innovationpartners.com

 

(401) 782-6131 Office

(401) 782-6181 Fax

(401) 787-2655 Cell

tsilbert at innovationpartners.com