Who We Are
We work on the edge of what is and what can be.
How We Work
“Approaching life and business from an appreciative perspective has transformed the way I conduct business and the manner in which I lead; the results are incredible! So much more can be accomplished looking at what works and what we want more of. The journey of achieving more of what we want is much more powerful than the traditional approach of looking at what’s wrong and how to correct it.”
Renee Ascencio
Chief Executive Officer
HealthZone
We work with leaders and teams, at all levels to unleash positive change in their organizations and communities. We partner with them to achieve relevant results, tailoring our practices and processes to their unique culture, challenges and business environment.
We work collaboratively, enhancing relationships within and across functions, levels, and interest groups even as we address the issues and challenges at hand. Focusing on “the business of the business,” we design and facilitate processes that disrupt the status quo and accelerate action.
Our high-engagement processes illuminate strengths and leverage stylistic and cultural differences, helping clients transform their cultures, systems, structures and processes.
Appreciative Inquiry is our shared philosophy and primary methodology. Appreciative Inquiry “gives life,” energy and vitality to organizations, teams and people when they are at their best.
Appreciation + Inquiry = Positive Change
Like hydrogen and oxygen that combine to make water appreciation and inquiry combined produce a powerful, vital approach to leadership and organization change.
Appreciation is about recognition, valuing and gratitude:
- Recognizing the best in people and the world around us;
- Perceiving that which gives life, health, vitality and excellence to living human systems;
- Affirming past and present strengths, successes, assets and potentials;
- Increasing in value
Experience has shown us that organizations, businesses and communities can benefit from appreciation. Most people want to work from their strengths on tasks they find of value. Executives and managers long to lead from their values: they seek ways to integrate their strengths and interests into their daily work.
Inquiry is rigorous process of exploration and discovery:
- Asking questions;
- Studying;
- Searching, exploring, delving into or investigating.
It calls for sincere curiosity and openness to new possibilities, new directions and new understandings and a willingness to learn and change.
Appreciative Inquiry is a process to discover the best of what’s been,
envision what might be, and mobilize to make it happen.
The power of Appreciative Inquiry is unleashed through what we call a 4-D Process.
DISCOVERY: Identify and appreciate what works.
DREAM: Imagine what might be.
DESIGN: Develop systems, structures leveraging the best of what was and what might be.
DESTINY: Implement or deliver the proposed design.
We believe that …
- Inquiry invites curiosity and reflection, leading to breakthrough insight.
- Illuminating individual and collective strengths enables people to see potential and turn it into positive possibility.
- Engaging people with different perspectives and experiences unleashes new insights and capacities.
- Inspiration awakens the creative spirit and sparks innovation.
- Indicators imprint right action.
And so we …
- Ask powerful positive questions, and invite others to do the same.
- Help organizations discover their strengths and build upon them to achieve their goals.
- Empower people to think holistically, and to engage diverse stakeholders to make choices collaboratively and co-create shared futures.
- Harness the power of positive language, relationships and imagery to nurture hope, unleash passion and stimulate innovation.
- Establish appreciative success metrics that amplify what is most important and what you wish to grow.
We expertly apply Appreciative Inquiry and Appreciative Leadership to the visions and goals of our clients.