Poems by Anne Radford

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Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was a lifeline when I first came across it in the early 1990s, and it continues to be a gift as circumstances change and new interpretations follow. It’s appeal was the new way of working. My consulting practice became more joyful and beneficial than the deficit-based practices common at the time. AI went from being a consulting practice to a way of life, one that stayed with me as I left work behind and moved to a different age and stage. Its as though nothing changed, but everything changed. Life now is about living life slowly. Where each breath and step is an important micro-moment.

Appreciative Inquiry: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Thank you, AI, for finding me, This gift that keeps on giving.

Along my path from cynic to enthusiast, Where doubts became narratives, Dissonance harmonies.

Tender steps towards being a practitioner; A new world opened up. The surprise of mystery. An openness beyond predictability. New constructs Disrupting years of traditional thinking.

Risking the walk Alongside mystery As a regular companion.

Sometimes a stroll. A scary leap With a comforting quotation to lean on.

In this new phase, Without plans or agendas, The knowns and unknowns Bring new meanings Into the essence of what gives life.

Each moment emerges: A gentle improvisation, A newness, A connection to a larger consciousness. A different knowing Where timeless concepts Of Interbeing,

Interrelatedness And interconnectedness Become the new guides.

Each moment A carefulness, kindness and worldliness.

AI is still present With rich surprises, Continuing the mystery.

Walking the Way 2023, p. 28

Indra’s Net: Ancient Image of Oneness, Wholeness and Diversity

David Cooperrider brought the metaphor of Indra’s Net to those of us working on the AI Consulting Charter in the early 2000s. He offered it as a vision for AI Consulting, as a creative matrix of generous opportunity and rich relationship. It is a metaphor that stayed with me and connected even more powerfully when I started studying the interbeing and interconnection work of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Interbeing, Interconnection and Indra’s Net

Living slowly, Step by step, Breath by breath.

The subtle and silky joy of being in Indra’s Net. The knot of interbeing. The web of interconnection. Being aware of the spaces.

A different consciousness, A wider dimension Of humility and influence.

An infinite net. No beginning. No end. Nothing exists by itself. Everything reflects everything else.

The story of such a special gift Becoming an image. Transcending. Linking All our cultures, Where every moment is a beautiful moment.

Walking the Way, 2023 p. 32

This image of Indra’s Net was used in Walking the Way. Anne Radford (1944–2025) lived in London. Walking the Way and Walking the Way: A Coda give glimpses into her thoughts and musings on living life slowly.

Cook, F. (1989) The Jewel Net of Indra. In J. B. Callicott & R. T. Ames (Eds.), Nature in Asian Traditions Of Thought: Essays in environmental philosophy, pp. 213–229. SUNY Press.

Poems by Joan McArthur Blair

Blue Water Bridge

Look down into the blue, blue water, Stand close The eddies powerful as they curve in delight Rounding the struts and racing off Strive to see where the water has been And where it is going The curiosity relentless, The imagination unfurling A moment Just yours

Wonder

I believe in wonder Simple, jaw-dropping wonder: The rainbow after the rain The hang glider floating The ocean still and blue A human smiling So much wonder – just there. I call out to you See the wonder Let it feed you Let it slake your thirst Let it salve your sad soul. Believe in wonder.

Poems by Ada Jo Mann

Words Create Worlds

Words create worlds. What you focus on grows as mysteries unfurl to enhance what you know.

Shine the light on what works, Watch the problems recede. Find what underneath lurks and you’re sure to succeed.

Then celebrate strengths with all who have played and have gone to great lengths for a future that’s brave.

Follow the Sun

With AI as your guide you’ll Discover the light, For everyone knows what you focus on grows. Leave the weight of the past behind us at last, Try just for fun to follow the sun. Shine your sight on what works, Lay aside all the quirks, Find strengths galore for your Positive Core. Pick several key themes to enact as your Dream, Find peak moments to tap as you Design your roadmap. Now Delivery is key with results all can see: By keeping it real Destiny will prevail.

Positive Image, Positive Action

Behind every complaint there is the positive opposite yearning to be seen.

If you choose to you can turn any problem into an Opportunity.

People and flowers turn their heads toward the light.

If you strive for change, first create a bold image of the Future you most desire.

Then set your compass in the direction of your dream. Positive image, positive action.

Villanelle for Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry saves the day, just as a sunflower follows the light by shining on positive forces at play.

Focus on strengths and don’t let them say nay, often you’ll find them right in plain sight– Appreciative Inquiry saves the day.

Some folks hold back with their feet in the clay, others envision a future that’s bright by shining on positive forces at play.

Gather your stakeholders, please don’t delay, Though there might be some who put up a fight. Appreciative Inquiry saves the day.

You may find your problems will soon fade away as if they have vanished during the night by shining on positive forces at play.

Celebrate your successes in multiple ways, Insure this new found roadmap will stay. Appreciative Inquiry saves the day by shining on positive forces at play.

Thanks to Jane

With love from Ada Jo, August 12, 2019

Thanks to Jane, Almost 30 years ago I flew to Cleveland to meet a man named David.

Thanks to Jane, We created a different paradigm for international development building on existing strengths and celebrating local successes.

Thanks to Jane, We travelled the world for seven years spreading Appreciative Inquiry from Africa to Asia, Latin America and beyond.

Thanks to Jane, My life and the lives of thousands around the world is blessed with the will to first Find the best and go from there

When the sun shines I will feel Jane’s smile, When the moon rises Look for her among the stars.

Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch is currently a student in the Masters-track OD program at Case Western Reserve University. He has contributed a blog related to the results of his research for his final “mastery project” of the program. He is grateful for the mentorship and guidance he received from Ron Fry, who was the faculty advisor for his project.

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Using AI Tools and Methods to Successfully Transition a Company to a Divisional Organization Structure

Much has been written about the “Five (5) Ws” – the who, what, where, when, and why – in regards to companies transitioning to a divisional org structure. The how is significantly under-addressed, however. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) tools and methods were leveraged to create one potential “playbook” for how to lead a company through this process.

What did I do?

Whereas many corporate org structure transitions follow more abrupt executive mandates, I was recently fortunate to be able to help lead my company’s structural transition through a ~6 month, multi-phase, co-creation endeavor.

A full and detailed description of the overall approach would warrant a full article, but for the abbreviated purpose of this blog post, here were some key interventional tools that were used to very positive effect:

• A formal org-wide announcement of the evolutionary need, reasons, and benefits for transitioning to a divisional structure at this time, and that we would be launching a formal project to undertake this effort.
• Careful identification and recruitment of a highly diverse project team, ensuring representation from all levels of the org (Front-line, management, senior leadership, executive), all functional/departmental groups, and all country sites / cultures. Sought out project team members generally shared the qualities of being hard-working, self-motivated, team-oriented, flexibly-minded, and subject-matter experts within and adjacent to their domains.
• A “best teams inquiry” exercise was completed, modeled after Gervase Bushe’s Meaning Making in Teams (2002), where we agreed upon the team’s shared values.
• A “pre-mortem” exercise, where we preemptively identified reasons the project could potentially fail, for the purpose of then creating mitigating tasks to address them.
• A nested SOAR Summit, leveraging Jackie Stavros and Gina Hinrichs SOAR methodology, where we created vision, mission, and purpose statements and SOAR tables – for the company as a whole and separately for each of the new divisions.
• Recreation of the major processes of the company, re-tooled for each unique division (e.g. idea-to-product, engage-to-order, order-to cash, etc.).
• Numerous communication tools were used throughout the project, such as weekly org-wide update emails, semi-regular (every 6-8 weeks) town hall sessions with more detailed updates and live Q&A, anonymous feedback channels, pulse surveys, various 1-on-1 conversations as warranted, and more.

What was the impact?

An early pre-launch survey to the entire org exceeded 65% favorability and 27% neutrality for moving to divisions based on the planning and build-out work of the project team, suggesting strong likelihood for org-wide support and success after “go live”. The new divisions had several markers for success, in no particular order:

• Enhanced the customer experience
• Allowed for seamless transition to the various stakeholders
• Enabled separate and focused profit and loss statements (with all new divisions being profitable)
• Included measurable KPIs and dashboards for the new divisions
• Resulted in detailed process maps (value stream maps) for all major processes
• Coexisted within the existing IS/IT structure with minimal retooling
• Refreshed clear and referable org charts for the new divisions
• Explained clearly to – and bought in by – the entire org
• Developed a process to use as a guideline for the creation of new additional divisions in the future

Note that a post-launch survey and project post-mortem activity is planned for mid-2025 (a few months after this blog post was submitted), where we hope to learn even more about the overall impact of the project.

What did I learn?

I had three key learnings on this project:

1. Important changes – like transitioning org structures – deserve the extra time and effort. Spend the time and energy to maximize supporters (and neutrals) and minimize detractors. Allow the space and embrace the risk reward of co-creation by a diverse group – it can be incredibly powerful!

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Early, often, across all levels, and via different means (regular status updates, town halls, 1-on-1s, anonymous surveys, etc.).

3. SOAR Summits sometimes require detours of complementary work. Beyond “SOARing” at 30,000 feet, consider if you also need to spend time at 10,000 feet (e.g. process flows) and/or 1,000 feet (e.g. task-level assignments). Those extra insights might be key for untangling things, and/or for putting certain personality types at ease!

How will I apply this learning moving forward?

As a current student in a Masters-track OD program, I was thrilled to leverage AI tools and methods to help my company out with an ambitious project like this. I look forward to continuing to use AI for a whole host of change management needs that my company will have in the future!

Cees Hoogendijk

www.ceeshoogendijk.com

mail@ceeshoogendijk.nl

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I was happy to be invited, for a second time, as sometime-professor at the University of Valencia to work with students in the Erasmus program “European Master in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) 2024” for the course Intervention in Organizations, Organizational Change and Development (see photo). My three-day lecture is about contemporary methods of organizational change and development: Appreciative Inquiry interventions.

This LinkedIn post by Bishal Sala gives an impression of how it went. AI, of course, is the perfect practice for a process of “learning by doing”. We designed our own AI-summit on the self-chosen – and essential – topic of Work-Life-Balance.

Fast forward to the individual assignment I created, inspired by Nick Heap and Random Acts of Listening initiative, which turned out to be a great success, highly rewarding for both teacher and students.

Appreciative Inquiry Reflection with a Stranger

Faith Sonia Wanyoike

The theme I decided to explore for the Appreciative Inquiry interview was ‘passions’. This is a topic that I think about.I feel as if I have already discovered what I am truly passionate about, but when faced with obstacles towards achieving this passion, I often feel like it is not truly what I want to do but what I think I should be doing. I hoped that the conversation I would have with a stranger would also help me reflect on how I really feel about my personal passions and it could also help open up this conversation in the mind of someone else.

Because of poor weather, I decided to go to my favourite café. A girl was ordering her drink in accented Spanish, but she spoke English fluently, helpful as I don’t speak Spanish well enough to interview someone. She was German,on an ERASMUS semester studying Literature and Linguistics and spoke four languages. After I explained the purpose of the interview and Appreciative Inquiry, she agreed to be my interviewee.

Interview questions

I designed the questions based on the content delivered during the classes and content from the book, attempting to. Because I had selected a complete stranger I tried to open up with energizing/exciting questions first, following the 5D approach.

Energizing

1. What activities or interests make you feel most energized and fulfilled? 2. When did you last feel completely absorbed in something you love doing? What made it so exciting? 3. Who or what inspires you to pursue your passions? Do you feel like their actions impact you in some way?

Discovery questions

1. Can you share a time when you were able to express your passion fully? What strengths did you use? 2. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment related to this passion? What helped you achieve it?

Dream questions

1. Imagine being able to live out your passion without limitations. What would that look like? 2. How would you like your passion to shape your future? What difference would it make in your life?

Design questions

1. What steps would you need to take to integrate your passion more fully into your daily life? 2. Do you think people in your life could support you pursuing this passion more actively? In what way could they?

Delivery Questions

1. What’s one small action you could take this week to move closer to living your passion? 2. What resources, habits, or support systems would help you stay committed to this passion long-term?

Preparation considerations

Because I was aiming to talk to a stranger, I thought about ways I could engage in someone naturally before opening into a conversation. I was hoping to find an English speaker, so I went to a café near the university I prepared an explanation of what the interview was for and how it might help them reflect on their personal lives. I also wanted to reassure them that they should feel comfortable sharing as much or as little information as they wanted.

I also felt very nervous and uncomfortable with the situation so I practised questions with my roommates to get a feel for how long the conversation could go on for.

What worked

• The opening appreciative compliment worked well and allowed us to begin interacting. She seemed interested in what AI was and found the topic of passions interesting. We found a common theme in competitive rhythmic gymnastics, which she had competed in and which I used to enjoy watching in the Olympics. She became excited when explaining the pride she felt watching the Olympics this year, as a German gymnast had won the gold medal.
• Asking more specific follow-up questions helped open up the conversation as well, as she was initially a little bit reluctant to be sharing so much with me as a stranger.

What surprised me

• I was surprised by how much she had already reflected on this topic; her answers felt confident and well thought-out. At the end of the interview, I asked her what influenced her approach to passions. She explained that in Germany you select your life path from an early age, and she already knew that art and sports were key for her to feel fulfilled in her life. This was a bit of a cultural shock to me: in Kenya there is a greater focus on picking a stable career, rather than picking something that you are passionate about.
• She also surprised me with how strongly she identified with her passion, in her words it is something “part of yourself” and something you simply do. She mentioned that perseverance to pursue your passion is more impactful than merely talent, a concept I also struggle with accepting and implementing in my own life. I found it surprising that someone similar to me in age had already grappled with these ideas and determined what their beliefs were.
• As someone who also has a passion for the arts, I was really surprised by her effort to include that in her everyday life. She was also clear that it is her responsibility to push her passions forward even if there was no time or motivation to do it. I am still reflecting on how to push away my doubts and fears, and have this approach instead.

General experience and learnings

• I found this experience a little uncomfortable at first, but after the conversation ended I felt like I had a new perspective on what a passion is. Once we discovered we shared similarities, the conversation felt more natural. The AI approach helped both of us reflect on how we can appreciate, build and maintain these passions in our everyday life. I also felt like I learned a lot about myself during the conversation.
• This experience reminded me that I should not neglect my passions, particularly when I can still create time for what I love to do.
• I appreciated the challenge of having to talk about this topic with someone I didn’t know. It was difficult, but afterwards it felt like an accomplished that I had approached a stranger and complete dthe interview.
• At the end of the conversation my interview shared something I will try and incorporate more in my life regarding my passions: “If you love it, you will never give up.”

Call for Submissions

Regenerative Business: Strengths-Based Practices for Building a Better World

Proposals due by 16 March 2025 for AI Practitioner, November 2025

Bernard Mohr and Susan Donnan, Guest Editors

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The business sector has been and can be, a force for good – lifting people out of poverty, raising the quality of life for so many and driving innovations to reduce or eliminate harm. But what is the world calling for now? Is it Regenerative Business? What does that mean? And what does it mean for us?

The guest editors of this special issue are drawn to the definition that both the enterprise and society will benefit when a business shifts from harm reduction/net zero to net positive restoration and revitalization of our social and natural worlds. Additionally, we think that appreciative/strengths-based approaches accelerate the collaborations, partnerships and innovations required for this shift.

We invite YOU to help clarify what this could look like!

This issue of the AI Practitioner seeks articles, interviews or videos that illuminate an “appreciative/strengths-based approach” to one or more specific Regenerative Business Practices.

Let us know of your interest in submitting an article, interview or video, by submitting a 250-word proposal by March 16, 2025.

Regenerative Businesses create profits not from creating the world’s problems, but from solving them.*Being a Regenerative Business is a destination – and for most businesses that destination is attained over time with the intentional use of Regenerative Business Practices.

1. Regenerative Business Practices:

• are outwardly focused, go beyond simply minimizing harm to the environment and society to actively work to restore and revitalize them.

• create and deliver value for shareholders/investors partners/suppliers, employees, customers AND additional stakeholders , such as societies, communities and nature.**

2. By appreciative/strength-based we mean approaches involving some form of:

• Co-creation between the enterprise and one or more of its ecosystem stakeholders of innovative practices that create value across social, enterprise and/or environmental values.

• Where the co-creation includes some form of generative inquiry that identifies Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and desired Results in the business and its stakeholder ecosystem (Note: the framework for strength-identification need not be SOAR).

Regenerative Practices are contrasted with “doing-less-harm” practices. Both are good, but regenerative practices actively restore/revitalize social and natural world. The table below shows examples of each.

NOTE The Regenerative Business Practices listed were not done from a “strengths-based” focus . That is what we are looking for from YOU – stories of how these and other regenerative business practices have been accelerated and reach higher impact using the principles and practices of Appreciative Inquiry.

Proposals should describe specific strengths-based Regenerative Business Practices, and describe how the practice:

• Restored and revitalized social and natural systems.

• Generated both short and long-term value for traditional stakeholders (shareholders/investors

partners/suppliers, employees, customers) AND additional stakeholders – such as societies, communities and nature.

Ideally your submission will also highlight the use of networks, new partnerships and collaborative innovation processes, to transform the business ecosystems within which the business operates.

Final articles are expected to be in the range of 800 to 2500 words. Interviews and videos must be submitted in edited form.

For more info to help you submit your proposal, please email the editors for this special issue:

• BERNARD MOHR bernard@cocreatingmutualvalue.org

• SUSAN DONNAN susan@cocreatingmutualvalue.org

Please contact us – we want to answer your questions!!

Important Deadlines:

March 16, 2025 250-word Proposal or Overview/Outline of Contribution

May 15, 2025 First Draft Due

July 15, 2025 Final Submission Due

October 1 2025 AIP editor sends final versions back to authors for final corrections

November 1 2025 Publication

* Adapted from Net Positive Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever

** Adapted from Towards regenerative business models: A necessary shift? Jan Konietzko, Ankita Das, Nancy Bocken

Cees Hoogendijk

www.ceeshoogendijk.com

mail@ceeshoogendijk.nl

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I was happily invited, for a second time, as sometime-professor at the University of Valencia to work with students in the Erasmus program “European Master in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) 2024” for the course Intervention in Organizations, Organizational Change and Development (see photo). My three-day lecture is about contemporary methods of organizational change and development: Appreciative Inquiry interventions.

This LinkedIn post by Bishal Sala gives an impression of how it went. AI, of course, is the perfect practice for a process of “learning by doing”. We designed our own AI-summit on the self-chosen – and essential – topic of Work-Life-Balance.

Fast forward to the individual assignment I created, inspired by Nick Heap and Random Acts of Listening initiative, which turned out to be a great success, highly rewarding for both teacher and students.

Charikleia Georgaki

Appreciative Inquiry Reflection with a Stranger

Dear Professor,

Before everything, I would like to thank you for this beautiful and outside-the-box individual assignment. I was initially skeptical about it, especially given my past less-than-positive experiences in Spain with strangers. Last year, I struggled to communicate in Spanish, which often led to a not-so-positive attitude toward me, despite my efforts to be polite. However, Arthur was an amazing person, and I am so happy I had the opportunity to talk with him. He is Irish, so he spoke English fluently, which maybe didn’t help me in communicating with a local person, but that facilitated our conversation.

Planning the assignment

Today, October 20th, 2024, I decided to visit a friend who runs a lab for creating Halloween mugs from clay near Rusafa, Valencia, which meant that I arrived late for class, which was full, and had to wait for approximately 40 minutes outside. While waiting, I found a comfortable table and opened my laptop to check on this assignment. I created a plan for my questions centered around appreciation in life, eager to discover what people value. My approach was based on Appreciative Inquiry and the five-step model of Define, Discover, Dream, Design and Deliver.

Initially, my plan was to find a student the next day at the university to conduct the interview with, as I felt psychologically unprepared to talk to a total stranger outside the university space due to language barriers.

During the wait a dog approached me, followed by a middle-aged gentleman. After a brief chat with my friend, who was facilitating the activities, he told me in English that he thought he needed to wait as well. He commented to me, “At least you have your laptop” and laughed. We engaged in a small conversation, discovering our shared appreciation for art and creation, despite our hesitance to pursue it ourselves. I also shared that I had prepared some general questions for an interview. In that moment, I felt brave and social, and I stepped out of my comfort zone when I suggested we conduct the interview together.

After considering my proposal, he initially seemed a bit stressed about taking a photo but ultimately agreed. He confided that his wife had asked for a divorce the previous day, which made him anxious. I clarified that if he wasn’t feeling up to it, we could wait for the class and forget about the interview idea, but he insisted on proceeding. He asked to start with a selfie to help him not dwell on the situation, and I happily agreed.

A peaceful state of mind

We began with the general question: “What does appreciation mean to you?” He replied, “Appreciation is to be thankful and to appreciate the things around you.” I then asked what he appreciated the most, and he said that it was a peaceful state of mind, noting that this requires financial stability, love from family and friends, and affection from a partner. Wanting to dive deeper and facilitate the conversation, I prompted him to consider smaller actions or specific events that he appreciates.

He mentioned his dog, Iris, (who I had already met) and his open-minded siblings, who were supporting him during this difficult time. Sensing he was becoming emotional about the divorce, I shifted the topic and asked what he appreciated in his job. He initially replied that he was jobless, but then clarified that he is self-employed, travels around the world, and works from anywhere. He noted, “I appreciate that I can travel around the world”, but also remarked that while he enjoys travelling, he feels that money mostly brings material things rather than meaningful experiences.

What has made you smile?

I then applied the model steps, starting with a first question (with intentions to define): “What has made you smile today?” After a moment’s thought, I followed up with “What makes you happy lately?” He mentioned his dog and reflected on how he had been struggling to smile since his wife had said she wanted to divorce him. I pointed out that he had smiled in the second photo we took during (he asked me to delete the first one, so I did) and during some parts of our conversation, which he said he hadn’t realised.

Next, I asked him to envision his ideal future in order to discover the desired future and dream the ideal one. He described wanting to find companionship, whether as a friend or partner, without necessarily seeking marriage. I inquired about how he thought this could happen. He expressed scepticism, stating that he needed to be more open to getting to know people and to move on from what had ended. He mentioned he was okay with not having children, since he has his dog, but wanted someone to spend time with.

Cees Hoogendijk

www.ceeshoogendijk.com

mail@ceeshoogendijk.nl

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I was happily invited, for a second time, as sometime-professor at the University of Valencia to work with students in the Erasmus program “European Master in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) 2024” for the course Intervention in Organizations, Organizational Change and Development (see photo). My three-day lecture is about contemporary methods of organizational change and development: Appreciative Inquiry interventions.

This LinkedIn post by Bishal Sala gives an impression of how it went. AI, of course, is the perfect practice for a process of “learning by doing”. We designed our own AI-summit on the self-chosen – and essential – topic of Work-Life-Balance.

Fast forward to the individual assignment I created, inspired by Nick Heap and Random Acts of Listening initiative, which turned out to be a great success, highly rewarding for both teacher and students.

Vasiliki Salvanou

Preparation

Since I was going to Turia Park, my goal was to choose someone who seemed approachable. I wanted to focus on strengths, successes and possibilities through my questions, rather than on problems.

Possible questions for an appreciative inquiry

1.“Hi, I’m a master’s student of organizational psychology in university of Valencia, and I’m doing a project on how people create and try to maintain positive changes in their lives. Would you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about this topic?”

2. Life moment “When you felt you were at your best? Was it special for you?”

3. Specific experience “How did your strengths shape your experience?”

4. Future goal “What’s something positive you hope to achieve in the future? What will help you get there?”

5. General “How could you focus more on positive outcomes rather than on obstacles?”

After the conversation

Before going to Turia Park, I felt both curious and hesitant.

I felt uncomfortable asking if I could take a picture because it seemed a bit intrusive. By focusing on creating a respectful and meaningful exchange, I chose to prioritize the connection over the photo, which allowed the conversation to flow more naturally and authentically.

My overall impression of the conversation was as follows: I introduced myself and described my project to a person seated on a bench. The stranger was open to talking, so we talked about a time when she felt most herself. We started a conversation about her strengths with her sharing a story of her own personal development. Generally, the conversation had a smooth and upbeat flow. Even though I was a bit anxious, it was simple to keep going because of the emphasis on advantages and positive elements.

From this experience I took away the importance of posing inquiries that prompt individuals to consider the positive parts of their lives. The talk flowed more naturally than I had expected, and it felt more like an interaction than an interview. Plus,I found out, it’s also not too difficult to strike up a (positive) conversation with a random girl at Turia Park.

Cees Hoogendijk

www.ceeshoogendijk.com

mail@ceeshoogendijk.nl

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I was happily invited, for a second time, as sometime-professor at the University of Valencia to work with students in the Erasmus program “European Master in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) 2024” for the course Intervention in Organizations, Organizational Change and Development (see photo). My three-day lecture is about contemporary methods of organizational change and development: Appreciative Inquiry interventions.

This LinkedIn post by Bishal Sala gives an impression of how it went. AI, of course, is the perfect practice for a process of “learning by doing”. We designed our own AI-summit on the self-chosen – and essential – topic of Work-Life-Balance.

Fast forward to the individual assignment I created, inspired by Nick Heap and Random Acts of Listening initiative, which turned out to be a great success, highly rewarding for both teacher and students.

Bishal Saha

Inspired by Random Acts of Listening, I wanted to connect with someone entirely different from myself – a true “unusual suspect”. I headed to a nearby park, a serene setting where people often find quiet moments with nature. I noticed an elderly lady, likely in her seventies, walking gently with her small dog. She had an air of calm that captivated me. I decided to approach her. My goal was to engage in an Appreciative Inquiry conversation that would encourage her to share meaningful life experiences, aiming to uncover the insights and wisdom she might offer.

Before speaking to her, I prepared questions that might elicit rich reflections, including:

• “What’s something you’re grateful for at this stage of your life?”

• “What has been a defining lesson or value that you try to live by?”

• “If you could share a piece of wisdom with someone younger, what would it be?”

These questions were designed to create a safe, open space for conversation, allowing her to share insights from her life experience.

The conversation

After gathering the courage, I approached her with a smile and introduced myself, explaining that I was doing a project that involved talking to someone with different life experiences. She smiled and introduced herself as Elaine, introducing me to her dog, Max. Her warmth made it easy to begin, and we started strolling together through the park.

I started by asking, “Elaine, I’d love to hear about something you’re grateful for at this stage of life.” She paused for a moment, watching Max sniff around the grass, and then responded, “I’m grateful for simple joys, like these quiet walks with Max. They’re small moments, but they give me peace and remind me to be present.”

Encouraged by her openness, I asked, “How did you come to appreciate these small moments?” Elaine laughed softly and shared that, as a young mother juggling work, family and household responsibilities, she had rarely had time to slow down. “Back then, I was always running,” she said. “But I learned that life is richer when you stop and appreciate what you already have.” Her words struck a chord, a reminder of the importance of slowing down amidst life’s busyness.

No day is ever wasted

Next, I asked, “Is there a piece of wisdom or life philosophy that has guided you over the years?” Elaine nodded thoughtfully and shared a beautiful piece of advice: “No day is ever wasted if you have loved someone, felt joy, or learned something new”. She explained that this was a principle she’d held close throughout her life, even during hard times, like when she lost her husband a few years ago. “It’s not about achieving something big every day,” she said, “but finding beauty in the little things that make life meaningful.” Her words were profound, revealing her deep appreciation for life’s fleeting moments and connections.

Curious to understand her perspective on relationships, I followed up by asking, “How did kindness and compassion play a role in your relationships?” Elaine’s face softened as she talked about her marriage, her children and, now, her grandchildren. “I’ve always believed in treating people with kindness, even when they’ve hurt you,” she said. “It keeps you at peace with yourself and, I think, in the end it’s what people remember about you.”

At this point, I noticed how Max would look up at her with what seemed like admiration, and I could see how Elaine’s calm presence must have brought comfort to many people in her life. I was moved by her selfless approach to relationships, and her words made me reflect on the importance of kindness in my interactions.

Reflection and learning

After the conversation, I sat on a nearby bench to jot down my thoughts, surprised at how Elaine’s wisdom had affected me. Her life philosophy and simple joys offered a fresh perspective on happiness and contentment. I realized that true fulfillment doesn’t necessarily come from major achievements, but often from small, everyday moments we sometimes overlook. Her statement, “No day is ever wasted if you loved someone, felt joy or learned something new,” has stayed with me as a powerful reminder to seek out joy and learning each day.

This conversation taught me the importance of being present and appreciating life’s little pleasures – a lesson I might not have learned so profoundly if I hadn’t engaged in this appreciative inquiry. Elaine’s openness and willingness to share her experiences as a stranger highlighted the strength of empathetic listening and the connection it fosters, even in brief exchanges.

Conclusion

This exercise was both challenging and rewarding, as it pushed me out of my comfort zone and connected me to someone from a different generation with insights far beyond my own. Through Appreciative Inquiry, I gained a deeper appreciation for the wisdom that comes from lived experience, and I left the park that day with a renewed outlook on life’s small, joyful moments. Elaine’s wisdom on kindness, presence, and love enriched my understanding, and I hope to carry forward her lesson: to slow down, cherish small joys, and make time for meaningful interactions.

Cees Hoogendijk

www.ceeshoogendijk.com

mail@ceeshoogendijk.nl

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I was happily invited, for a second time, as sometime-professor at the University of Valencia to work with students in the Erasmus program “European Master in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) 2024” for the course Intervention in Organizations, Organizational Change and Development (see photo). My three-day lecture is about contemporary methods of organizational change and development: Appreciative Inquiry interventions.

This LinkedIn post by Bishal Sala gives an impression of how it went. AI, of course, is the perfect practice for a process of “learning by doing”. We designed our own AI-summit on the self-chosen – and essential – topic of Work-Life-Balance.

Fast forward to the individual assignment I created, inspired by Nick Heap and Random Acts of Listening initiative, which turned out to be a great success, highly rewarding for both teacher and students.

Appreciate Inquiry Reflection with a Stranger

Rhens Rio Emil D. Guevarra

One Friday evening at the park while I was reflecting on “the week that was” after school, I overheard a man who seemed to be speaking Latin American Spanish. He also seemed so different to me. I was intrigued. I like to wear earthy, pastel colours, while he was all in black. I approached him and asked if I could ask a few questions for a project. I told him “it’s going to be a quick conversation about life”. He agreed.

We began with the question “what moment in your life you have felt most alive?”. He smiled, but seemed so stunned by the question. What we agreed would be a quick conversation turned out to be an hour of appreciation about life. As we spoke, I learned more about this stranger’s passion for kickboxing and how it helps him cope with life. He described his love for his friends back in Honduras. His longing for his mom’s cooking. How music keeps him alive.

Then he talked about the challenges of living in Spain. He shared how, day by day, despite his effort to keep friendships going, he is starting to lose contact with some of his friends back home. But life goes on. He has started meeting new people and building a life here. We realized how when one moves to a different place, so much of ourselves changes.

What started as a simple inquiry turned into a conversation about hope, and this is the part that really got me emotional. Both of us are students in Spain. Next year, we are graduating from our Master’s programs. Ramon (him) and I, despite missing home, prefer to stay in Spain. It’s not so easy for people like us. But there is always hope. And it is up to us to design the life we want. This was a difficult conversation, but something I needed at that very moment. The past few weeks, I’ve started to feel anxious about my future and it was comforting to have this conversation with a stranger.

You see, at first, Ramon was so different to me. I am soft-spoken and he was “a bit of force”, I would say. We have different hobbies, are from different cultures. But deep within, we are not so different. Such experience is a beautiful reminder of the interconnectedness of the human life, no matter where we come from. For an hour, we turned from strangers into, well, strangers who happened to know more about each other’s lives. Maybe we can become friends in the future if we hang out together more. We exchanged Instagrams and told each other we’d go out for a coffee sometime.

As I left the park that evening, I reflected on how every conversation has the potential to energize us, even when shared with a stranger. I found myself wondering: what if I make this a more regular practice? Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media, what if I engage in conversations with people at the gym or in my community? If social media often feels superficial, then these genuine interactions could be the true social energizers we crave.

Table 1. Questions I prepared to set the structure but I kept the conversation fluid and flexible.

Practical Appreciative Inquiry: How to Use This Leading-Edge Coaching Method Confidently with Teams and Small Groups

Keith Storace is a registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and an associate fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way.

Andy Smith

ISBN 9798854405621

Publisher: Coaching Leaders

Available from the website Coaching Leaders

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Practical Appreciative Inquiry: How to Use This Leading-Edge Coaching Method Confidently with Teams and Small Groups by Andy Smith draws on the pioneering work of David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva. They developed Appreciative Inquiry (AI) at Case Western Reserve University in the 1980s. Their shift from deficit-based analysis to an approach that focuses on strengths marked a pivotal moment in organisational development. This method moved away from identifying problems to spotlighting the positive core of individuals, teams and organisations. Building on this foundation, the author offers a practical, nuanced guide designed to empower leaders, coaches and facilitators to foster meaningful change.

Practical tools for real-world application

The book is a thoughtfully written guide that offers an enriching approach to fostering change. Through a clear lens of positive inquiry, it invites coaches, facilitators and leaders to explore new possibilities beyond traditional problem-solving methods. The emphasis on focusing on strengths over shortcomings reflects the essence of AI – a refreshing shift in perspective – cultivating environments where creativity thrives and teams find renewed energy. Shifting away from a deficit-based approach, this work emphasises that real transformation is possible when we focus on what works.

The author’s approach moves the reader beyond academic abstractions to present a structured, hands-on approach. The detailed breakdown of the 5D cycle that drives AI – Definition, Discovery, Dream, Design and Delivery – guides readers through each phase, ensuring they can apply these insights with confidence. Real-world examples breathe life into these stages, making the theory accessible and immediately applicable, particularly in team settings.

The neuroscience of positive inquiry

A notably distinctive contribution to understanding the effectiveness of AI is the explanation of how neuroscience adds depth, linking the activation of the brain’s empathic network with the positive emotions generated through AI. This connection not only emphasises the practical benefits of AI but also offers a compelling rationale for its effectiveness in creating collaborative, high-trust cultures. By grounding ideas in research about how positive emotions affect the brain, the book offers unique reasoning for the effectiveness of focusing on strengths. This is not just a feel-good approach; it aligns with how our minds work best, and the discussion of neuroscience never feels heavy-handed. An entire chapter is devoted to neuroscience and AI, clearly explaining that when positivity and curiosity are cultivated, parts of ourselves – and our organisations – that might otherwise remain dormant can be unlocked.

Overcoming resistance and facilitating change

The author acknowledges the varied contexts in which AI can be applied, offering pathways for both large-scale change and intimate coaching sessions. This versatility ensures that readers, regardless of their experience level, can find valuable strategies to enhance their practice.

Addressing scepticism, the book takes a pragmatic approach for those encountering resistance to AI. Framing discussions around tangible benefits helps make a persuasive case for the strengths-based approach, while advice on integrating AI incrementally shows an understanding of organisational dynamics, where gradual shifts often prove more sustainable.

A philosophy grounded in stories and strengths

The writing transcends the procedural, breathing life into the process of change with a focus on human stories and their power to reshape perspectives. Stories are more than just anecdotes; they are the fabric through which an organisation’s values and aspirations are woven. In generating stories of success and peak experiences, leaders can build a more resilient culture, one that is grounded in a shared vision of what is possible. Guidance on how to facilitate these conversations, how to listen deeply, and how to create space for new stories to emerge adds a rich layer to the process of AI.

There is a keen awareness that every organisation holds a reservoir of untapped potential, hidden beneath the daily grind of deadlines and targets. This potential is best uncovered not by zeroing in on faults, but by shining a light on those moments when people and teams are at their best – a theme revisited throughout the book. It’s in this space that fertile ground for growth is found, where a simple shift in focus can change the narrative of an entire organisation.

Rather than merely offering a toolbox for change, the narrative is as much about philosophy as it is about practice. The approach is nuanced, aware that the terrain of organisational change is often complex. Challenges are not shied away from; instead, they are met with a blend of practicality and compassion, offering insights into how even the most hesitant participants can find their place in the process. The tone is never prescriptive; it is invitational, drawing readers into a world where transformation is less about fixing what is broken and more about nurturing what already thrives.

Realising potential through shifts in perspective

Practical Appreciative Inquiry makes change feel possible, even in the most entrenched environments. It captures the magic that occurs when teams begin to see themselves through a new lens – one that highlights their achievements, strengths and capacity for growth. This shift in perspective doesn’t just change outcomes; it changes how people relate to their work and to each other, fostering a sense of connection that goes beyond the typical transactional nature of organisational life.

Ultimately, Practical Appreciative Inquiry is as much about fostering a mindset as it is about implementing a methodology. The narrative helps facilitate this through its inspiring and realistic approach, reminding readers that small shifts in perspective can lead to profound changes over time. The insights offered remind us that by focusing on the best in people, we not only enrich their experience but also unlock potential that drives meaningful change.

We are invited to see beyond limitations, finding a pathway where collective vision and strengths lead the way, and how a shift in focus might bring about deeper, more lasting change. It’s a vision that reminds us of the potential for growth that often lies just beneath the surface, waiting for someone to notice. By guiding readers through this journey of noticing, the author has crafted a book that is as enlightening as it is practical – one that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who is committed to positive change.

Here are our favourite “micropractices” of appreciation or inquiry. These are things that anyone can use naturally in everyday interactions, and they deserve spreading!

Nick Heap

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