IN THIS ISSUE (linked list):

• CPC Consulting News: Appreciative Management, AI at Children and Families Conference, And the Award Goes To, Leadership in Health Care
• CPC on the Podium
• Putting Training to Work
• Certificate Program
• "Dear CPC"
• Current Workshops
• Books & Publications

"As I dig for wild orchids
In the autumn fields.
It is the deeply bedded root
that I desire,
Not the flower."

- Izumi Shiku, Japan (974-1034)

CPC Consulting News

Appreciative Management
As a part of a culture transformation project with a leading hospitality corporation based in Milwaukee, WI, Jim Ludema and Diana Whitney developed a new appreciative management program to train the organization’s 200 top leaders.  It included the principles and practices of appreciative inquiry applied to day-to-day management and change leadership, with modules on strategies and techniques for identifying what people do well, appreciative coaching, managing with questions, rules of positive engagement, and unleashing the power of co-creation.   

AI at Children and Families Conference
Indigenous language revitalization was the topic of a March leadership forum sponsored by Administration for Children and Families Bureau in Honolulu, Hawaii in March. The conference brought together 50 childcare and education leaders from tribes, Hawaii, and the territory of Guam – people already battling discouragement in the face of 68 languages that are nearly extinct and 70 already extinct. CPC Associate, Nila Rinehart led participants through Appreciative Inquiry interviews, group dialogs, and visits to a thriving language school, Aha Punana Leo. They left inspired and with tools and a network to continue their work. This is the first ever conference for early care and education professionals focused on this topic.

And the Award Goes to . . .
Longmont, Colorado won designation as an All-American City by the National Civic League in June 2006.  In its application, the City highlighted one of the strategic visions that emerged from the “Focus on Longmont” project facilitated by Barbara Lewis and Amanda Trosten-Bloom. The All-American City jury commented in particular on the power of the One Giant Front Porch theme as a future vision for the city’s hopes, dreams and challenges.  

Leadership in Healthcare
Susan Wood is a case consultant and author for Healthcare Leadership Masterpieces:  Lessons from the Field, being published in January 2007 by Jones and Bartlett. Editors Vince Pelote and Lynne Route of DaVinci Consulting have selected nine case studies, where exceptional leadership produces consistently positive results in employee satisfaction, patient safety, patient satisfaction and innovation. These are nine fascinating cases that you would never have known!  In-depth leadership profiles (behavioral competencies, social motive, leadership style and personality type) and a practical analysis of organizational structures and philosophies make this story-based book compelling.  

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CPC on the Podium!

If you are attending the 66th annual meeting of the Academy of Management, August 11-16, Atlanta, GA, plan to also attend Jim Ludema’s two presentations!  The first is a symposium with colleagues from Case Western Reserve University, Pepperdine University, and the Naval Postgraduate School on applying Appreciative Inquiry to management education. The second is a paper co-authored with colleague Marie DiVirgilio entitled A Little More Talk and A Lot More Action: Shaping Conversations that Energize Organizational Change. For more information, visit the conference web site at http://meetings.aomonline.org/2006.

CPC is sponsoring a client open house, along with one of its Denver-based consulting partners, Alchemy, on August 24th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Alchemy offices.  Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Barbara Lewis will speak about cutting-edge cases of large-scale, long-term collaborative Appreciative Inquiry initiatives in community, business and not for profit settings. For more information, contact Barbara Lewis at barbara@positivechange.org.

Diana Whitney will be presenting a keynote speech at the annual International Spirit at Work Conference in Garrison, New York, October 27 – 29, 2006. For more information and to register go to www.spiritatwork.org.

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Putting Training to Work

CPC workshop graduates regularly put their training to work in extraordinary ways in their client systems, workplaces, and communities. Applying what they’ve learned to interesting and creative initiatives, they continue to build AI theory and practice and enhance the profession with great new success stories. 

Some graduates do this is by partnering with CPC, for a short or longer-term period of time. They continue building their AI capacities by using CPC instructors and consultants as on-site partners, advisors and shadow consultants.

Denver-based Lynn Pollard is one such consultant.  Having graduated from a Foundations course, she retained Amanda Trosten-Bloom as a shadow consultant to expand her thinking and offer more to her clients. She chose over time, however, to maintain that relationship with Amanda, even as she herself became a highly experienced AI professional. “Initially, I wanted a shadow consultant to grow my skills,” says Pollard.  “Later, as I became more experienced, it was to ensure the client would receive the best thinking possible. Today, I would hire Amanda again – frankly for both reasons. Her grounding and experience in AI lends depth to the project and always offers me opportunities to learn and grow.”

CPC Certificate Program graduate, Deb Chromik-Ralston, has a similar story to share. Believing deeply in the approach after her first introduction to AI, she rapidly conceptualized a series of broad-reaching initiatives that she felt unprepared to independently design or facilitate. "Using a CPC shadow consultant gave me what I needed to venture into high-stakes situations and facilitate with confidence. It enhanced my skills exponentially, stimulating my thinking about how to meet my stakeholders' needs and apply the principles creatively under challenging circumstances." As a result of the support she received, Deb and her colleagues implemented AI in a variety of ways in their health care system, including hosting a mini-summit that involved all 80 members of their foundation in redefining the organization’s value proposition and successfully competing for a contract that generated 90% of their revenue. Reflecting on her experience, Chromik offers the following advice to both new and seasoned AI practitioners: 

Using a shadow consultant is a great way to create a strong foundation for complex projects, where depth of the design is critical to the success of the endeavor.  As an added advantage, using a shadow consultant dramatically expands the reach of your project budget. 

Shadow consulting can take place in person or by phone. For example, Mary Alice Arthur, an AI in Action graduate from New Zealand, asked Amanda Trosten-Bloom to "shadow" her on two extensive projects – a merger in the telecommunications industry, and a culture change project for an environmental agency. Both large, complex initiatives called on Mary Alice’s extensive consulting experience, on-site relationships, and understanding of the "Kiwi" culture; yet both were greatly enhanced by Amanda’s virtual input.  "We've evolved a way of working quickly and efficiently together that leaves me a step ahead in the emergent space that I'm playing in," says Arthur.  "That gives me confidence, and earns me a high level of trust from my clients.  Amanda's wealth of experience is a real asset, and I'm glad she's on my team. I highly recommend this way of working for anyone who wants to enhance their practice in action!"

CPC shadow consulting offers you one more way to build your AI skills, stretch your capacities, and put your training to work in interesting and creative ways. For more information about our CPC's shadow consulting services, contact amanda@positivechange.org, or office@positivechange.org. 

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CPC Certificate Program: Appreciative Inquiry and the Practice of Positive Change

Join the learning community formed by members of the Corporation for Positive Change Certificate Program!  In addition to the training they receive through CPC workshops, certificate program participants and graduates have access to ongoing peer consultation and coaching by CPC consultants through quarterly conference calls. 

In a recent call, moderated by Amanda Trosten-Bloom, participants shared current projects, designed upcoming Advisory and Planning Team meetings, and shared ideas regarding multiple / integration summits. 

For more information about the CPC Certificate Program, contact Corporation for Positive Change at 505 751 1232 or email: office@positivechange.org – or download the Application Form and return it by mail, e-mail, or fax. 

"I'm thrilled with where the CPC Certificate Program has taken me.  It's left me feeling really solid and grounded in AI: both competent and confident. Several other practitioners recently commented about how experienced I seemed to be.  What a nice affirmation - both of me and the program! "

Nancy Ogilvie
Core Essence Consulting

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Dear CPC: a source for ongoing capacity-building, questions and answers

Dear CPC:

How much time and effort should you dedicate to wordsmithing topic definitions and questions when working with a large group starting an Appreciative Inquiry?  It would be good to have them just right, but it gets tedious.  What is your advice on how to get it right?

Alex Jacacci
Director of Performance Improvement
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
Lebanon, NH

Dear Alex:

There is value to finding the “right” words – words that people feel passion for and resonance with – but it can, as you say, be tedious. In general, we recommend spending you’re the time it takes on the topic definitions – and keeping careful track of the words and concepts that don’t make it in to the final definition. These words and concepts can and should be incorporated, later, into the lead-ins and questions themselves.

Once the topics are clear and the lead-ins and questions have been solidly drafted, you can use a small team after the Launch to refine the definitions and questions, and then pilot test them. So at that point, if you are 80-90% there on wording, take it and avoid draining energy of the whole group. 

As a side note, it is important to witness progress as the definitions and questions improve. Help people notice how much is changing, as each draft improves.  It builds confidence and momentum. It’s a habit most task groups need to develop.

Susan O. Wood
for the CPC Consulting Team

Do YOU have a question for CPC? If so, contact us at office@positivechange.org. We will answer it in a future Appreciative Inquiries.

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Upcoming Educational Opportunities

CURRENT WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

(Click to jump to descriptions below)

Appreciative Leadership Development Program, Chicago, IL, September 18-21, 2006 . EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT APPLIES UNTIL AUGUST 18.  At last – an AI workshop for executives and managers! Facilitated by Diana Whitney and Jim Ludema this is a strength based leadership development program. It is a must for leaders who wish to identify and enhance their strengths and appreciative capacities for collaboration, affirmation, and inspiration. This is a perfect program for leaders of large scale change. For information and to register contact Corporation for Positive Change at 505-751-1232 or email: office@positivechange.org.

What participants are saying about the Appreciative Leadership Development Program:

This was a life altering experience.  I not only got in touch with my strengths as a leader but really got in touch with who I've been "being" as a leader and what is effective about it as opposed to what I've been "doing" as a leader.    I loved how we took the different data points and used them to take a look at ourselves and what we're up to as leaders.  I am completely re-inspired as a leader and feel very supported and connected with my colleagues. Thanks.

Tish Wilson
Vice President
Community Development Institute

 

The Foundations of Appreciative Inquiry, Taos, NM, October 16-20, 2006. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT APPLIES UNTIL SEPTEMBER 18. Whether you’re a consultant or leader of change, Foundations of AI will guide you through an exploration of the theories, principles and practices of Appreciative Inquiry. This workshop provides hands-on experience of Appreciative Inquiry, preparing you to guide clients and groups in creating interview protocols, conducting interviews, working with appreciative data and stories, and crafting provocative propositions and organization design principles. Understand the difference between Appreciative Inquiry and deficit-based approaches to change, and experience the power of positive change methodologies. For information and to register contact Corporation for Positive Change at 505-751-1232 or email: office@positivechange.org.

What participants are saying about Foundations of Appreciative Inquiry:

The Foundations of AI workshop expanded my consulting "toolkit", opened new avenues for productive client dialogue, and increased my network of AI colleagues - a fabulous development opportunity! 

Theresa Garcia
CEO/President
Trust, Leadership & Growth, LLC

The Foundations of AI broadened my horizons personally and professionally by teaching me a methodology to use success stories as the foundation for exploring future visions.  It challenged me to be bold enough to ask the necessary questions to discover a new world without limitation.

Kendra Sardelis
Science Applications International Corporation
BPM Specialist

 

AI in Action, Boulder, CO, November 15-17, 2006. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT APPLIES UNTIL OCTOBER 15. Want to build on your experience as a leader of positive change? Go deeper, faster and farther with Appreciative Inquiry? In this clinic-style workshop, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Mike Mantel will help you identify and build upon your strengths as an AI practitioner, and explore a variety of approaches for applying AI at different levels in an organization, community and across our world. Discover new ideas, approaches and frameworks for building your capacity and your own projects by studying the projects of other participants as case examples. Previous attendance at a Foundations-level Appreciative Inquiry workshop, as well as experience applying the AI approach to at least one project, is recommended. For information and to register contact Corporation for Positive Change at 505-751-1232 or email: office@positivechange.org.

What participants are saying about AI in Action:

AI in Action is a dynamic course that absolutely exceeded my expectations!  From pre-work to rich discussions to case studies, it stretched my capacities as an AI practitioner.  Within a day, I had applied what I learned to my job.

Barbara Bitondo
The World Bank

AI in Action has built on what I learned in the Foundations course. It gave me case studies and alternative methods of design, so now I am ready to “fly with AI.”

Diana Sadighi
Director, Human Resources
Hunter Douglas Window Fashions

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Books & Publications

Check out the full listing of leading books on Appreciative Inquiry and positive change by CPC consultants:

• The Power of Appreciative Inquiry (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom)

• The Appreciative Inquiry Summit (Ludema, Whitney, Mohr, & Griffin)

• Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in Change (Cooperrider & Whitney)

• The Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros)

• Appreciative Team Building (Whitney, Trosten-Bloom, Cherney and Fry)

• Encyclopedia of Positive Questions – Volume One (Whitney, Cooperrider, Kaplin, & Trosten-Bloom)

• The Non-Profits’ Guide to the Power of Appreciative Inquiry (Miller, Aguilar, Maslowski, McDaniel, and Mantel)

• Appreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for Change (booklet: Cooperrider & Whitney)

• Appreciative Inquiry:  An Emerging Direction for OD (Cooperrider, Sorensen, Yaeger, & Whitney)

Also, visit the AI Practitioner: the only newsletter on the practice of Appreciative Inquiry. Published quarterly by Anne Radford in London, the AIP features articles on such diverse topics as AI and strategic planning, AI in Health Care, and AI in the K-12 school system. The $28 subscription fee is modest, and well worth it

About Corporation for Positive Change

Corporation for Positive Change (CPC) is the premier consulting firm using Appreciative Inquiry for transformation and innovation in business, government, and non-profit organizations around the world. For more information about CPC, or to contact any of our consultants, please visit our Web site at www.positivechange.org.

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