Reaching the Peak: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Assess and Advance Your Advising Practice

1. Reaching the Peak: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Assess and Advance YourAdvising Practice Jeffrey McClellan Utah Valley State College

2. Traditional Assessment Find the problems and fix'em, fire 'em, hide 'em, or dress 'em up and make 'em look pretty Overview of the assessment process. Accessed Jan. 24, 2005 online at: http://www.bridgew.edu/AssessmentGuidebook/chapter2.cfm#steps

3. The Problem with Problems “Focusing on problems fosters negativity”, which leads to: • Experience of life stress • Deficiency cognition; (3) ‘Learned helplessness’ (4) The development of depression (5) The breakdown of social bonds (6) Decreased immune function and illness. Cooperrider, D. L. (2003). Positive image, positive action: The affirmative basis of organizing. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 31-55). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L. L. C.

4. What is Appreciative Inquiry? • “Appreciative Inquiry is about the coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms” Cooperrider, D. L. & Whitney, D. (2001). A positive revolution in change: Appreciative inquiry. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 9-30). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

5. Principles of AI • The Constructionist Principle • “Meaning is socially constructed” • Gergen, K. J. & Gergen, M. (2004). Social Construction: Entering the Dialogue. Chagrin Falls, OH: Taos Institute Publications. • The Principle of Simultaneity • “Inquiry and intervention are interrelated and simultaneous” • The Poetic Principle • Organizations are “open to multiple interpretations and conclusions” • The Anticipatory Principle • “An image of the future precedes the actual change” • The Positive Principle • Positive questions create positive data. Positivity creates lasting change. Head, R. L. & Young, M. M. (2001) Initiating culture change in higher education through appreciative inquiry. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 9-30). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L.L.C

6. Appreciative Inquiry • Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems 2. to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. Synonyms: VALUING, PRIZING, ESTEEMING, and HONORING.In-quire’ (kwir), v., 1. the act of exploration and discovery. 2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. Synonyms: DISCOVERY, SEARCH, and SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION, STUDY. Cooperrider, D. L. & Whitney, D. (2001). A positive revolution in change: Appreciative inquiry. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 9-30). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

7. The “4-D Cycle” Discover “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Appreciating Dream “What might be?” (What is the world calling for) Envisioning Results Deliver “How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?” Sustaining DEFINE Affirmative Topic Choice Design “What should be - the ideal?” Co-constructing Cooperrider, D. L. & Whitney, D. (2001). A positive revolution in change: Appreciative inquiry. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 9-30). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

8. Full AI Process • Select focus area or topic(s) of interest • Conduct interviews designed to discover strengths, passions, unique attributes • Identify patterns, themes and/or intriguing possibilities • Create bold statements of ideal possibilities ("Provocative Propositions") • Co-determine "what should be" (consensus re: principles & priorities) • Take/sustain action James, S. (Feb. 2005). Appreciative inquiry: design and discover—A practical workshop. Available online at http://www.lakeshorepublishers.com/aiwebsite/Links/links.htm

9. Deficit Issues Student dissatisfaction Staff Turnover Affirmative Topics Student satisfaction Attracting & Keeping Great Staff DEFINE:Deficit Problems to Affirmative Topics Adapted from: James, S. (Feb. 2005). Appreciative inquiry: design and discover—A practical workshop. Available online at http://www.lakeshorepublishers.com/aiwebsite/Links/links.htm

10. What complaints do students have about our office? What’s the biggest problem here? Why do you mess up so often? Why do we still have those problems? Why does everything go wrong all the time? What do students love most, find most helpful, etc. about advising? What possibilities exist that we have not thought about yet? What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact? What solutions would have us all win? Ask a Positive Question Adapted from: James, S. (Feb. 2005). Appreciative inquiry: design and discover—A practical workshop. Available online at http://www.lakeshorepublishers.com/aiwebsite/Links/links.htm

11. Get a Positive Response • Positivity leads to • Improved performance (Emmons, 2003) • Increased motivation (Bagozzi, 2003) • Recognition of and use of strengths (Clifton & Harter, 2003) • Social helpfulness • Increased creativity • Improved problem solving and decision making • Optimism • Increased learning capacity (Cooperrider, 2003) Cooperrider, D. L. (2003). Positive image, positive action: The affirmative basis of organizing. In D. L. Cooperrider, P. F. Sorenson, Jr., T. F. Yaeger, & D. Whitney (Eds.), Appreciative inquiry: An emerging direction for organization development. (pp. 31-55). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L. L. C. Emmons, Bagozzi, and Clifton & Harter are found in Cameron, K.S., Dutton, J.E., Quinn, R.E. (Eds.) (2003). Positive organizational scholarship. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

12. Questions • Form pairs with someone you least know • Select a discover question • Describe a peak experience or high point in your life – personal or professional. • What do you most value about yourself? your work? your organization? • What is the core factor that gives life to your organization? • Describe your vision of the future for the organization and your world.

13. Group work • Use the interview question you selected • One speaks, the other listens and takes notes for themes (10 minutes) • Switch • Other speaks, the first listens and takes notes for themes (10 minutes) • Debrief as group (5 minutes)

14. Design • How could you harness the strengths or life giving elements in the system to accomplish your vision?

15. Destiny • How could you create within your organization an ongoing attachment to the positive energy of AI?

16. Assessment? I thought this was supposed to be a positive psychology? • What will it look like when you have achieved your vision? • How can you measure it?