Inter-generational Boot
Camp for Visionaries
September 27-30, 2007 Dallas, Texas
Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry
In every society, organization, or group, something works.
What we focus on becomes our reality.
Reality is created in the moment, and there are multiple realities.
The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way.
People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known).
If we carry parts of the past forward, they should be what is best about the past.
It is important to value differences.
The language we use creates our reality.
Appreciative Inquiry uses carefully designed questions that draw out and build upon the best in people. These are some questions created by Imagine Dallas:
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and what brought you to Dallas.
2. When you think about the city as a whole, are there places or people or images that represent the city to you?
3. When was a time you felt most connected to Dallas or its people? A time that you felt the most alive, filled with hope? What was happening? Who was with you? Why did it mean so much?
4. What do you value most about yourself as a citizen of Dallas? What do you value most about your work? What do you value most about Dallas?
5. Imagine it is 2010 and Dallas is being featured by Time magazine as the City of the Decade. What have we done to deserve this recognition? What is featured about your own contribution?
6. What do you think would be an effective way to involve people across the city in talking and working together on Dallas’ future? Who would you want to invite into a Dallas conversation?
7. What have we not touched on that you would like to say?
REFERENCES
Cooperrider, D. L. (1990) “Positive Image, Positive Action: The Affirmative Basis of Organizing. In S. Srvastva & D. L. Cooperrider (Eds.), Appreciative management and leadership: The power of positive thought and action in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hammond, S. (no date) The thin book of appreciative inquiry. Plano, TX: CSS Publishing Co.
Hammond, S., Royal, C. (Eds.). (1998.) Lessons from the field: Applying appreciative inquiry. Plano, TX: Thin Book Publishing Co.
Recommended Resources:
Imagine Chicago: http://www.imaginechicago.org/
Odell, Malcolm. Numerous articles on using AI in international communities.
The Appreciative Inquiry Commons: http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/
Imagine movement: http://www.imaginechicago.org/cgi-bin/worldwiki.cgi?ImagineProjectsWorldwide
Nearly four dozen cities and communities around the world are listed here, including Nepal, Singapore, Detroit, Iraq, many villages in Africa, Europe, and South America.
An AI discussion list is hosted at http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist
Recommended Reading:
Cooperrider, D.L., Whitney, D., Stavros, J.M. (2003) Appreciative Inquiry Handbook – The First in a Series of AI Workbooks for Leaders of Change. Bedford Heights, OH: Lakeshore Publications, Inc.
Ludema, J.D., Whitney, D., Mohr, B.J, Griffin, T.J. (2003) The Appreciative Inquiry Summit – A Practitioner’s Guide for Leading Large-Group Change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Watkins, J.M., and Mohr, B.J. (2001) Appreciative Inquiry – Change at the Speed of Imagination. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Whitney, D., Trosten-Bloom, A., Cherney, J., and Fry, R. (2004) Appreciative Team Building – Positive Questions to Bring out the Best of Your Team. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.
Whitney, D., Cooperrider, D.L., Trosten-Bloom, A., Kaplin, B.S. (2005) Encyclopedia of Positive Questions – Volume One. Garfield Heights, OH: Lakeshore Communications.