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Appreciative Inquiry

Agenda for Today. Defining ?Appreciative Inquiry" Stimulating thoughts Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry Exercise 1 ? church experience. AIWhere usedTo what end Problem Solving vs. AI Foundations of AI ?Four I" Model of AIInitiate, Inquire, Imagine, and Innovate Exercise

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Appreciative Inquiry

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    2. Agenda for Today Defining “Appreciative Inquiry” Stimulating thoughts Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry Exercise 1 — church experience

    3. AI Where used To what end Problem Solving vs. AI Foundations of AI “Four I” Model of AI Initiate, Inquire, Imagine, and Innovate Exercise 2 — leadership experience

    4. Steps to take and timeline for 2007 AI Committee and Periodic Reports to Vestry Vestry Report on AI process as Mutual Ministry Review Toward a Mission Statement in 2008 Exercise 3 — working together as a vestry

    5. 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.

    6. In-quire, 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.

    7. Appreciative Inquiry is based on the idea of discovering what works and gives life to an organization and building the organization on these life-giving properties.  

    8. "More than a method or technique, the appreciative mode of inquiry is a means of living with, being with and directly participating in the life of a human system in a way that compels one to inquire into the deeper life-generating essentials and potentials of organizational existence." — David Cooperrider, founder of Appreciative Inquiry

    9. Our Inquiry Must Be the Change We Want to See in the World There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. — Albert Einstein

    10. We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. — Plato

    11. In using AI in churches we describe it as discovering "What in God's name is going on here" and then designing the church structure and programs to enable more of these Godly things to be done and participated in. — The Rev’d Rob Voyle, Psy.D.

    12. Biblical Foundation for AI Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. — Philippians 4.8 (NRSV)

    13. Assumptions In every congregation, some things work well What we focus on becomes our reality Asking questions influences the group People have more confidence in the journey to the future when they carry forward parts of the past We should carry forward what is best about the past

    14. It is important to value differences The language we use creates our reality Organizations are heliotropic Outcomes should be useful All steps are collaborative

    15. Exercise 1 Pair Up and Interview the Other Person Remembering your entire experience at our church, when were you most alive, most motivated and excited about your involvement? What made it exciting? Who else was involved? What happened? What was your part? Describe what you felt.

    16. AI is being used in . . . religious groups United World Religions and the Dalai Lama and 20 World Religious Leaders community and municipalities City of Chicago, City of Dallas, State of South Carolina, United Way-Denver families education government United Nations, United States Navy business Motorola, AVON (Mexico), Paine Webber, GTE, Body Works, Hunter Douglas AVON Used AI for sexual harassment issues. Anti-female lawsuits were forthcoming. Women now make contributions equal to men. Avon Mexico won the Catalyst Award, an award given to the company in Mexico that has created progress and policies to make their organization a better place for women to work.AVON Used AI for sexual harassment issues. Anti-female lawsuits were forthcoming. Women now make contributions equal to men. Avon Mexico won the Catalyst Award, an award given to the company in Mexico that has created progress and policies to make their organization a better place for women to work.

    17. to improve . . . culture change strategy design “problem solving” improving quality product development human conflict (all levels & relationships)

    18. AI is a shift in thinking from problem solving to appreciative evaluation.

    19. Problem Solving Identification of problem From felt Need Analysis of causes Analysis of possible Solutions Action plan (a treatment) Basic Assumption: a problem to be solved Appreciative Evaluation Appreciating and valuing The best of “What Is” Envisioning “What Might Be” Dialoguing “What Should Be” Innovating “What Will Be” Basic Assumption: a mystery to be embraced

    20. vs. Problem-Solving Metaphor: Organization has PROBLEMS Appreciative Inquiry Metaphor: Organization has SOLUTIONS

    21. AI foundations Choose the positive as the focus of inquiry Inquire into the stories of life-giving forces Locate themes that appear in the stories and select topics for further inquiry Create shared images for a preferred future Find innovative ways to create that future

    22. The “Four I” process INITIATE AI to discover us “at our best” 2007 introduce leaders to theory and practice choose the positive as focus of inquiry develop initial steps to discover organization’s “best” INQUIRE about “what is” at our best 2007 choose stories of “life-giving” focus locate themes in stories (& select topics for further inquiry)

    23. IMAGINE “what should be” 2007 interpret interviews use imagination create images of preferred future (“what should be”) INNOVATE “what will be” 2008 by discourse, find innovative ways to create that future seek greatest possible involvement

    24. If you want to build a ship, Then don’t drum up men to gather wood, Give orders, and divide the work. Rather, teach them to yearn for the far and endless sea. —Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    25. Exercise 2 Without being humble, tell about a time when you were at your best and you achieved something positive in a leadership capacity. What did you do? What specific skills did you contribute? How did you feel?

    26. Step 1: Initiate Lay foundations (at January Meeting) Consider Appreciative Inquiry basics Committee chair assigned Determine the research focus What we value about Saint Stephen’s in “our life together” What we have done/are doing well What gifts do we bring to the church What is our hope for our life together Form the questions Committee shares questions with Vestry (by March Meeting) Create initial strategies Committee proposes interview schedule (by March Meeting)

    27. Step 2: Inquire Develop protocol for Questions (by March Meeting) Select interviewees (by March Meeting) All Significant Ministries: Rector and Staff; Vestry; Christian Education; Children’s Ministry; Youth Ministry; Stephen Ministry; Music Ministry; Hospitality Ministry; Newcomer’s Ministry; Outreach Ministry; Liturgical Ministry (Altar Guild, Ushers, etc.); Women’s Ministry (ECW, Oasis), etc. Advertise for Volunteers who wish to be interviewed Assign interviewers (by March Meeting) Conduct interviews (March through April) With Groups (pairing) and with Individuals

    28. Step 3: Imagine Collate data Share data (at May Meeting) Find life-giving themes (at May Meeting) Decide themes for focus (at May Meeting) Develop provocative proposals (May through September)

    29. Creating provocative proposals Focus on an area of the church’s life and mission Locate peak examples Analyze factors that contributed to the faithfulness/ goodness of the church’s life and mission Extrapolate from the “best of what is” to envision “what might be” Construct a proposition of “what is possible,” expressed as if it were already true.

    30. Step 4: Innovate Written report of AI committee (for October Meeting) Project scope and discovery Key themes found in interviews of ministries Provocative proposals for future growth Formal initiatives of rector & vestry Acceptance of Report as MMR (November Meeting) Present report at the annual meeting

    31. 2008 Continue creating shared images for a preferred future Find innovative ways to create that future

    32. A Bibliography

    33. Appreciative Inquiry “Whatever you focus on, you tend to get more of.” As a steward of the gifts this church has received, what will you choose as your focus?

    34. Exercise 3 Make three wishes (hopes) for our working together as a vestry in 2007. “Always be ready to give an account of the hope that lies within you. . . .” — I Peter 3.15

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