[Ailist] PARTYTIME

[Nick Heap]

Dear Mike and all

I was asked to be a "special guest" at a social gathering of a friend's neighbours and led a very mini appreciative inquiry thing on "happiness". It went very well. 

I asked people to find three or four people they didn't know well or would like to get to know better. I said the idea is to have conversations using the questions below as prompts. You are sharing stories not gathering objective data. Have everybody take equal turns to speak. Listen with enthusiasm and enjoy it. 

Tell your group about a time in your life when you were very happy. Why was that? What was it like?
Tell your group about two or three times when you made someone else happy. What was that like? What did you and the other person gain from this?
If you had a wish to make the world a happier place, what would you use it for? 
What is one thing you will do in the next week to make you and/or someone else happy? 

I asked people to make a mental note of their level of happiness before the session (out of ten). They did this again afterwards and it had gone up!

This took about 45 minutes at the beginning of the evening. The positive atmosphere and conversations continued all evening and everybody said how much they had enjoyed it. Just having these conversations seemed very significant, as they were positive and uplifting. The people live in a very cosmopolitan part of London, so there were people from many different cultures, faiths and ethnic groups present and it went down well with all. Many said that sharing their stories build their community and that it could only do good, even create a more peaceful world, if we did more of it.

I suggested that if they enjoyed it, they tell two or three friends about it. In this way, they will generate a ripple of happiness. I really enjoyed doing the evening, it just seemed simple and natural. If you or your friends have a go, please let me and us know how it goes.

Best wishes,

Nick

Web: www.nickheap.co.uk



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




If you enjoy it, remember to 
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu]On Behalf Of Mike Sands
Sent: 05 June 2009 19:11
To: AI Listserve
Subject: [Ailist] PARTYTIME


This is serious - like - I mean it is a serious request.

Has anyone used all or part of the AI cycle as a party activity.  What did 
you do - how well did it work?

A friend of mine said he was having a barbecue with about 20 people coming - 
and he wants to find a way to help them have a great time by having the sort 
of deeper conversations that he and I often have.

We all know that using kind, caring, skillful questioning a guide can help a 
partner have a fabulous time through remembering, relating and creating. 
Relating - how ambiguous - I love it when that happens:

    Relating -- as in basking in the warmth of each others interest, 
curiosity, willingness to "just listen", admiration.
    Relating - as in talking, telling and explaining

When a guide can induce feelings of relating by relating - the match is lit.

So has anybody used this as a way to help a bunch of people have fun in a 
purely social/party setting?

This could be the killer-app.

Mike

PS please take the idea of party very loosely - any gathering will do.


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