Appreciative Inquiry Lesson I
Last night at Ad Council, I shared some basics of a process called "Appreciative Inquiry" I was introduced to at the recent Conference Clergy Retreat.
It is quite positive, and motivating! I'm excited about the possibilities for Christ Church if we begin to use some of this philosophy for our dreaming and visioning and even day to day process of being the church.
I'll share a few things from time to time with you about the whole concept.
For all kinds of information, go to www.appreciative-inquiry.org
"The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but seeing with new eyes."
Marcel Proust
(The following is taken from "What is Appreciative Inquiry?" by Joe Hall & Sue Hammond)
TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Define the problem
Fix what's broken
Focus on decay
What problems are you having?
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY:
Search for solutions that already exist
Amplify what is working
Focus on life giving forces
What is working well around here?
The Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry are:
1. In every society, organization or group, something works
2. What we focus on becomes our reality.
3. Reality is created in the moment and there are multiple realities.
4. The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way.
5. People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown)
when they carry forward parts of the past (the known).
6. If we carry parts of the past forward, they should be what is best about the past.
7. It is important to value differences.
8. The language we use creates our reality.
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I'd love to talk to anyone that has interest in learning more! The bottom line in this is that we look at what is working, what our strengths are......And we amplify them; rather than focus on our weakness or problems and get stuck in them!
It's very scriptural I think! To look at the best in each other, in the church as a community. To focus on the positive, the gracefilled parts of our lives. Energy comes from positive thought and positive affirmation. Spirit is drained all the way to empty from negative thought and feedback. Just ask me how it feels to be loosing members that seemed to be strong parts of this congregation.
Onward and Upward as some famous should have been theologian once said!
Carolyn
It is quite positive, and motivating! I'm excited about the possibilities for Christ Church if we begin to use some of this philosophy for our dreaming and visioning and even day to day process of being the church.
I'll share a few things from time to time with you about the whole concept.
For all kinds of information, go to www.appreciative-inquiry.org
"The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but seeing with new eyes."
Marcel Proust
(The following is taken from "What is Appreciative Inquiry?" by Joe Hall & Sue Hammond)
TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Define the problem
Fix what's broken
Focus on decay
What problems are you having?
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY:
Search for solutions that already exist
Amplify what is working
Focus on life giving forces
What is working well around here?
The Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry are:
1. In every society, organization or group, something works
2. What we focus on becomes our reality.
3. Reality is created in the moment and there are multiple realities.
4. The act of asking questions of an organization or group influences the group in some way.
5. People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future (the unknown)
when they carry forward parts of the past (the known).
6. If we carry parts of the past forward, they should be what is best about the past.
7. It is important to value differences.
8. The language we use creates our reality.
------------------------
I'd love to talk to anyone that has interest in learning more! The bottom line in this is that we look at what is working, what our strengths are......And we amplify them; rather than focus on our weakness or problems and get stuck in them!
It's very scriptural I think! To look at the best in each other, in the church as a community. To focus on the positive, the gracefilled parts of our lives. Energy comes from positive thought and positive affirmation. Spirit is drained all the way to empty from negative thought and feedback. Just ask me how it feels to be loosing members that seemed to be strong parts of this congregation.
Onward and Upward as some famous should have been theologian once said!
Carolyn
1 Comments:
Susan TX!
I agree with your questions of the AI philosophy. Being a beginner myself, I can only respond out of a guess! This would never replace models for dealing with "deep stuff" in therapy. But I can see it, and already I'm trying to use it, in maintaining healthy relationships (that have probably already been through therapy!)
Thanks for you comments. Let's talk some more. I'm considering a training week in February in Boulder. Interested?
Carolyn
By Rev Waters, at 9:16 AM
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