[Ailist] Suggestions Please

Wed Feb 27 18:45:40 MST 2008

Hank,

It's not clear from your note what your relationship is to the organization
and Judy, or what change you're promoting. It does sound like you have a
personal connection. I tend to fall back on "know your audience" when
discussing AI or any methodology. Unless you think she's really interested
in digging into all the background, maybe the best approach is to just tell
her you'd like to meet to discuss this strength-based change method that you
think could help the organization. AI is a process that lets organizations
discover their strengths, their positive core, and to build on those
strengths toward a future that the entire organization envisions together.
It's based on theory that says organizations move in the direction of their
dominant conversations, and that it fosters conversations about discovery,
dreams of the future, and turning those dreams into action.

Tell her what it is about AI that moves you personally rather than the inner
workings, until she's ready to hear about the inner workings.

When you meet with her, perhaps demonstrate in some way. Talk about high
point experiences related to something in the organization and then explain
that these positive feelings free up people's creativity in change.

People seldom get enthused by reading Wikipedia or the AI Commons. Show,
don't tell.

Good luck.

Mark
---
Mark Berns
Ready About, LLC
New Directions for Organizations
Phone: 203-247-6369  |  Fax: 240-363-4802

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Hank Kearns
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7:15 AM
To: AIList
Subject: [Ailist] Suggestions Please

AI experts,

Below is an email I plan on sending to our new president of the New Jersey
Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
(NJAHPERD). I'm suggesting that we use AI to enhance our organization. Could
you please read this and give me some suggestions on how to best introduce
the concept of AI in a short, efficient way?

Hank

> Judy,
>
> I"m wishing you the best for your year as president of NJAHPERD.  
> If I can help in any way, please let me know. I'll so as much as I can 
> to help.
>
> I like your emphasis on relationships. We create our own reality by 
> our words and our relationships, and when you are working with a 
> non-profit, not paying organization, what else is there? :)
>
>
>
> As a new president you probably have several ideas about change. We  
> have heard that word quite a bit recently, (yes, I'm voting for  
> Abama)  but it is crucial if we are to advance. I'm sure other  
> presidents have tried some type of approach to encourage change. I  
> would like to suggest looking at a model for change called  
> Appreciative Inquiry, for two reasons: 1) you already use many of  
> the concepts intuitively, 2) it works and it's rewarding while  
> doing it.
>
>  If nothing else, if you and other people on the board just look at  
> the concept, I think you will find it interesting to read about,  
> because it is contrary to most models of change.
>
> Read this brief introduction: <http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/ 
> intro/whatisai.cfm>
>
> Believe it or not, Wikipedia has a descent definition too: <http:// 
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appreciative_Inquiry>
>
> Appreciative Inquiry is grounded in the theory of social  
> constructionism. Groups or relationships make their own reality and  
> meaning through their dialogue and their images, and this reality  
> dictates the future of the organization.
> DISCOVER: The identification of organizational processes that work  
> well. Develop questions that asks, "What gives life to our  
> organization?" "What is the best or our organization?"
> DREAM: The envisioning of processes that would work well in the  
> future. "What might be!"
> DESIGN: Planning and prioritizing processes that would work well.  
> "What should be -- the ideal?"
> DESTINY (or DELIVER): The implementation (execution) of the  
> proposed design. "How to empower and adjust/improvise/sustaining?"
> If the board takes this process to the Destiny stage you will come  
> up with a Mission Statement and a Strategic Planing Document.
>
> If you and the board decided to us AI to create change, I would  
> recommend finding a consultant. Just reading a book and then using  
> the information is probably unwise.
>
> This is a crazy idea, but we might even want to make AI the  
> foundation of a workshop or even the next convention. Could you  
> image the power and energy that would be created when health and  
> physical educators are in one room talking about what they love  
> about their profession. Wouldn't it be powerful if we could take  
> that energy and convert it into a dream, then design, and a destiny  
> for our state?  Attitude and dreams are far more important at this  
> point than knowledge, and I would argue that you need the dream or  
> the inspiration to encourage the collection of knowledge.
>
> Let me give you a brief idea of the first stage of AI, Discover.  
> This is where one attempts to find what is working in a  
> organization. Even in the worst of organization there is something  
> that works. In the discovery stage members interview each other  
> using discovery questions. For example: "Tell me a story of a  
> situation, an interaction, a project, etc where you felt the most  
> joy, inspiration, and professional satisfaction." One of the main  
> concepts of AI is to build on the strengths of a group, not find  
> the problem and focus on the problem. The interviewer takes notes  
> of the speaker. Then the process is reversed, the interviewer tells  
> his story. The goal is to find out what works and then using the  
> other stages of AI, the group decides how to get more of what they  
> want. One of the theories of AI is that as soon as you ask question  
> or make an inquiry the group moves in that direction. The questions  
> set the stage for what we "discover," and what we discover  
> creates the stories that lead to conversations about how the  
> organization will construct its future.
>
> On the personal level AI begins with the same approach. As a group  
> member you observe and identify the positive strengths of the group  
> members, and when ever possible you appreciate or affirm those  
> strengths in a genuine and sincere manner. It cannot be fake or  
> used as a "technique." AI is based on the truth as we know it.  
> For example: "Judy you are vibrant, positive person. Your  
> leadership skills and instincts will make you an effective  
> president of our association."   You and I do this instinctively.  
> It is comforting to know that what we have done over the years out  
> of instinct is supported by other people. Hopefully as a group, the  
> Executive Board will become accustomed to seeing the good in each  
> other and cultivating it.
>
>

- -
www.greydogmac.com/
In all things, be willing to listen to people around you. None of us  
is really smart enough to go it alone.
-- John Clendenin

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