[Ailist] Positive Core of America: responsibility

[Roger Davies]

Hi Leif,

Thank you for an excellent post. Being British and living in the US now for
5 years I can see what you mean. For one thing to be European or American is
to be diverse. For me questions of nationality have become immaterial. I
have managed to find good in every country that I have been fortunate enough
to visit. Also that whilst people and cultures are richly diverse and a
great source of learning there is commonality across them.

I would however propose that if we can find enough commonality to be able to
define what it is to be European or to be American or Chinese then there is
at the heart of each a common, positive core. Common because it unifies a
group of people and positive because if it were negative that group would
not be around for very long. (Even a group of criminals would see their
criminal nature as a positive). However, it is only one aspect of belonging,
one thing that binds one particular group together. If we look at all the
connections and commonalities that we could group our 'self' into I'm sure
that we could probably parse our 'self' down into being an individual who is
distinct from every other individual on the planet but still shares
commonality with many. I guess we should not find that surprising.

It's also been my good fortune to travel quite extensively and work (albeit
briefly) in many countries. I would add that not only are there common,
nationally shared values but there are common human values that exist across
cultures and national boundaries. Most people in the world want to be able
to respectfully earn a living and positively contribute to 
their society and family. Sadly not everyone gets that opportunity.

I like your reframing of the questions very much. They suggest many
different thoughts. For instance, the US's influence may decline but it's
compassionate engagement in a new way may increase and be more beneficial.
The words Compassionate Engagement and Appreciative Curiosity for me put an
excellent focus on Ai for use in a business organization. Michael F Broom
has some good writings on the notion of 'power'.

To your later questions let's start that thread. I will post your questions
with my replies and see what follows.

Thanks again

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Leif Josefsson
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 2:21 AM
To: Madelyn Blair
Cc: AI Listserve
Subject: Re: [Ailist] Positive Core of America: responsibility

I have followed this thread with interest and, to be honest, in the
beginning also with irritation.  After a while, however, I finally find a
discussion on AI List that (in one way) takes a broader perspective and
actually connects to what is happening in the world/society of today. But I
wondered, why should I think of the positive core of just America?
For a while I was thinking about the possibility of launching a discussion
about "The positive core of Sweden"......  but I could not find this a
meaningful idea So I started to think about launching the thread "The
positive core of Europe" - at least that would create a broader perspective.
And I think about my experience from participation in the "European Network
around Appreciative Inquiry and strength based change" (also called
"Begeistring Organisations" | www.networkplace.eu | ) where we have talked a
lot about identity.  ("What is it about being European?  Is there a European
identity?  Yes, we think so - We are Europeans - and we are different...")

But then we often refer to ourselves as belonging to the "West" which
includes also Australia, New Zealand and, probably, Japan.    Last year I
found Kishore Mahbubani from Singapore who in his book "The rise of the
Eastern Hemispher" challenges the dominance of the west.  This speech caught
my interest last year.  Somewhat prophetic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GEcXVbsEX8


Looking for "The positive core of America" in an international discussion
group creates dilemmas:

   - It puts all of us in a position where we have to relate to US as
   a center of the world. Less than 5% of the world's population are
Americans
   (even if the US accounts for 50% of global military spending) And to put
the
   country I live in a perspective, Sweden is 3% of America's population.
3%
   of 5%......
   - It assumes that a nation must have a "positive core"  - risking
   inquirying into conformity rather than diversity
   - Looking for the "positive" it might overshadow important, and possibly
   painful, changes needed.  Tax rises, role changes, behavior change, self
   identity change, economic discipline etc
   - Risk of having Appreciative Inquiry perceived just as another American
   Consulting Fad.

Something that has troubled me following the AI-list during quite some time
is the narrowing in on words connected with the words "positive" and
"happiness".   There are lots of situation in life where these words rather
would be limiting.

When I think of "Appreciative Inquiry" words like curiosity, interest,
compassion and engagement feel much more lifegiving to me.

If you have come this far, please do not see this as "America bashing" (and
Robin I do not criticize you for starting the discussion).  Apparently the
subject has aroused a lot of energy.  And one cannot blame Americans for the
rest of us being quiet.  So I would like to challenge both Europeans AND
"non Westerns" to engage in this discussion which could be reframed to
something like

   - "How could we look with Compassionate Engagement and Appreciative
   Curiousity to what is happening in the world today?
   - How could we look with a positive lens even if there is an inevitable
   world shift leading to decreased (relative) influence of America (and
   Europe) on the world
   - How can we use the mindsets, values and tools of Appreciative Inquiry
   to open up our perspective and to start exploring the world using the
eyes,
   ears and minds of others.


And finally, my reflection on "the positive core":
There is no common core.  What I find most fascinating about the US is that
whatever you are looking for, you will find it.  It is the projection of
everyones wishes, fears, dreams. It has been a scapegoat or salvation in
minds of people around the world.  There is not one America. To me America
is a chaotic multiverse mixup where everybody happens to speak English. I
like it.

Thanks for listening This was my personal views. I am happy to belong to the
AI-List.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
If you are European or might come to Europe sometime, welcome to register on
www.networkplace.eu to the European Network around Appreciative Inquiry and
Strength Based Change.
http://www.networkplace.eu/web/page.aspx?pageid=14071

The next European network meeting is in Barcelona April 23-24 - more
information here:
http://www.networkplace.eu/web/page.aspx?pageid=14110&eventid=4559&page=1



On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 11:24 PM, Madelyn Blair <pelerei at mac.com> wrote:

> As I read through what Mary Alice wrote, I had to share with you a 
> story that I gave at a January AI event in Washington, DC.
>
> Living Appreciatively
>
> At the very first meeting of this group that Deb started, she asked if 
> I would do something on story. I decided to do something from my work 
> with Stories inside Words. I told of the project that I am working on 
> to gather stories from peacemakers and the opening set of stories from 
> three ambassadors who told stories inspired by words to the preamble 
> to the Charter of the UN. We played a bit with how words become more 
> alive when stories are told that came from their inspiration. Then I 
> asked the group to tell stories inspired by either the word enquiry or
appreciation.
>
> As I listened to the stories, I wondered where this one was going. 
> Could people be so used to the words appreciative inquiry that they 
> would not be able to find something new in themselves? Would all of 
> their stories be of how they used AI? Would the words remain the same 
> to me even after hearing all the stories? I just didn’t know what would
happen.
>
> Every other time I have used the Stories inside Words exercise, the 
> participants were excited about the words. They are usually words from 
> mission statements or vision statements. I usually begin with asking 
> them to tell stories inspired by words from mission statements of 
> famous corporations like Niki or Mary Kay or Lego. They have fun with 
> the words, and they see the words come alive in new ways. So, by the 
> time they began to tell stories from their own mission statement, they 
> are having fun, and they are practiced in finding the stories. But 
> with the AI group, we wouldn’t have time to do this extra step. I had 
> to rely on my belief that stories inside words would enliven in any event.
>
> I began to listen to the stories about appreciation or enquiry. The 
> stories were mixed together. As they told their stories, I began to 
> jot down points in their stories. One by one, the stories began to 
> reveal things about the speakers. Perhaps the story was about a family 
> member who had a habit of asking questions about everything. Perhaps 
> the story was about something earlier in their career when someone 
> gave them a real break that set them on the right track. Just as we 
> find in AI work, the response to questions or the telling of the story 
> ‘of the time when’ are revealing about a lot of things. But was there 
> some kernel of something new here? I recognized my own dreariness with 
> the words appreciative inquiry. I had been using that phrase for 
> almost 10 years. I had written about them. I had worked through them. I
had taught about them. Would there be something new for me?
>
> I didn’t see it at first. Perhaps because time was running out (I did 
> this in an amazingly short period of time.) and so my thinking cap 
> never got put on right and no new thoughts were coming to me. But the 
> group was happier and happier about what they were seeing in the 
> stories. They certainly got the point. They could see that stories
enlivened words. But what about me?
>
> The next day, I began to write up the notes from the session. I typed 
> each phrase, word, and note that I had made. Then as I got toward the 
> end of the list, I felt that tingle of excitement start deep inside. 
> Yes, there was something new there. Word after word just kept adding 
> to the excitement that was growing in me. And suddenly, there it was. 
> The stories about appreciation were about compassion – every story had 
> some aspect in it. The stories about enquiry were about the 
> interaction between two people who were engaged with each other in 
> some form of conversation. That was it – compassionate engagement.
>
> Compassionate engagement. I had it. This was new to me. Suddenly, AI 
> became something entirely revitalized. We engage compassionately with 
> others in compassionate engagement. I have never felt the same about AI
since then.
>
> Now, the new words allowed me to broaden my view of, my use of this 
> philosophy. I could design retreats, surveys, or interview protocols; 
> conduct conversations, briefings, or discussions; teach, coach, or 
> advise with my full attention on the others in the room (engagement) 
> and with good intentions toward the other (a compassionate heart).
>
> These two new words were now fresh and alive to me. They also became 
> measures of my intended actions and actual actions. Easy and simple. 
> Be there for the other person with a desire to be helpful and affirming.
>
> I recently conducted some interviews for a book I am writing. The 
> interviews were about how the persons perceived me. Here is one of the 
> statements I recorded: “You always bring a strong desire to understand 
> fully, to assure that the framework is clear, yet you give comfort to 
> others while you do it.”
>
> Compassionate engagement has become my guide post.
>
> M. Blair, January 2009
>
>
> Madelyn Blair, Ph.D.
> Pelerei, Inc.
> Turning Vision into Reality
> www.pelerei.com
> 301-371-7100
> 301-371-7957 (fax)
> 301-471-8721 (mobile)
> Skype ID: madelynblair
>
>
>
> On Mar 9, 2009, at 5:55 PM, Mary-Alice Arthur wrote:
>
>  Hello all!
>>
>> I've been following this thread with interest.  I'd like to add to 
>> the conversation about 'responsibility' the two words 'connectedness' 
>> and 'engagement', because I think they help to grow the capacity for 
>> response-ability.
>>
>> In November last year I was in Japan, one of a facilitator team at an 
>> international development conference.  We were working on the 10 UN 
>> themes and my facilitation partner and I were leading the group on 
>> 'Disconnection and Barriers to Engagement'.  Now all of the themes 
>> are stated in this negative way, which makes them very difficult to 
>> get excited about and even harder to feel like there is hope or an 
>> answer.  It didn't surprise me at all that the sign announcing our 
>> space fell off on the first day and would not allow itself to become 
>> reattached to the wall!
>>
>> Through the five days the group worked on this topic, we had very 
>> interesting conversations, and one stayed with me.  The group had 
>> been asked to take part in an Appreciative interview in twos and we 
>> had one group of three.  The two young women in the trio agreed they 
>> got connected with other people first, then they got engaged.  The 
>> young man said he got engaged first, then he got connected.  They 
>> drew a little circular diagram that connected the words 'connection' 
>> and 'engagement'.
>>
>> They then went further and defined 'connection' as something that 
>> happens to you -- a feeling.  You can become connected to something 
>> or someone without even being able to understand it.  'Engagement' 
>> however, they defined as an action; acting on the connection you 
>> feel.  I had never heard it defined so simply.
>>
>> The group went on the put ME/WE as the central part of our work (and 
>> if you can imagine ME on top of WE you will see that they are 
>> actually reflections of each other in word form).  We came to the 
>> conclusion that if ME and WE are beautiful reflections of each other 
>> and individual and community well-being are beautiful reflections of 
>> each other, then the world is a beautiful place.
>>
>> This seems very simple, but, in fact is a very radical idea, if you 
>> place it in Japan, where WE dominates and overpowers ME or the in the 
>> US, were ME overwhelms and overshadows WE.
>>
>> Years ago there was a cover story on FAST COMPANY about Yahoo called 
>> 'Love is the killer app'.  I believe it is so. If we loved enough 
>> there would be no power plays at work.  If we loved enough there 
>> would be no war.  If we loved enough there would be no hunger or 
>> global desolation through our actions.  Imagine a business where 
>> leaders loved what they were doing, where people loved each other 
>> into their best expression, where people loved working and clients 
>> loved doing business.  This would be the type of world where we would 
>> naturally take responsibility because it would be an outpouring of 
>> our love.
>>
>> Loving enough IS a radical act.  I am continually asking myself 
>> whether I am up to it.
>>
>> Blessings,
>>
>> Mary Alice
>>
>>
>>
>> Mary-Alice Arthur
>> SOAR
>> PO Box 10-868
>> Wellington
>> New Zealand
>> mobile:  +64-21-687-627
>> email:  mary-alice at getsoaring.com
>> web:  http://www.getsoaring.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David 
>> Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is 
>> the list administrator. For subscription information, go to:
>> http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David Eccles 
> School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the 
> list administrator. For subscription information, go to:
> http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist
>



--
Leif Josefsson
Förenklare / Facilitator
LeanderLeander AB
Communicate & Change
Ölandsgatan 48 - 116 63 Stockholm - tel +46 (0)70-773 00 54

www.leanderleander.com
_______________________________________________
The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David Eccles
School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the list
administrator. For subscription information, go to:
http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist