World Appreciative Inquiry Conference 2012

World Appreciative Inquiry Conference 2012, Ghent.


I attended the Conference and a pre-conference AI/Strengths Master Class with David Cooperrider in the two days preceding the conference. There are several webcasts from the Conference really worth viewing.



The first is the Conference Opening Keynote speech from Prof. Cooperrider which sets the scene for the three days that followed and also picks up a number of themes from his earlier masterclass, with almost 200 participants. In particular the need to find ways of 'scaling' strengths-based approaches to transformation in our cities, organisations and communities and the development of the appreciative models to be ever more generative in nature, i.e. far more than mere positive thinking and talking.


http://www.2012waic.com/webcast-opening-keynote/


The second webcast involves two fascinating examples of how 'business can be an agent of world benefit', another theme from within the Conference. One example involves an entrepreneur using digital design manufacture to reduce waste, speed production and scale the knowledge of the processes across the globe. The second example involves a more 'straightforward', if that's the right word, use of Appreciative Inquiry in an already highly successful service company in Belgium. The AI intervention was facilitated by David Cooperrider and the presentation demonstrates the power of using AI in organisations that seemingly had little need of improvement. The lesson was, transformation can take place when we are most capable, as well as when we are least able or poor in our performance.


http://www.2012waic.com/plenary-session-1/


The final webcast, by Dr. Diana Whitney takes us on a global journey of Appreciative Leadership at the Nexus of Appreciative Inquiry, Positive Psychology and the Strengths Movement. Dr Whitney is one of the thought-leaders in the AI world and again draws on the latest research and case studies to demonstrate how leadership has been influenced and shaped through the three pillars of this world-view, i.e. positive psychology, AI and strengths.

http://www.2012waic.com/webcast-plenary-session-3-dr-diana-whitney/


Taken together these webcasts offer some of the most uptodate thinking and practise in a field that is continuing to challenge the deficit, problem-centred 'improvement' paradigms in our organisations, services and cities. All of this offers ways for our hard-pressed organisations, particularly in the public sector, but not only those, to address the need for transformation from their generative and positive cores.    

A week is a long time...for politicians, journos and top cops

My last blog was but a short week ago, when I bemoaned the deficit behaviours of those in the media spotlight. A list of miscreants which later included those who report on the news as well as those who make it - unwittingly or otherwise. Andy 'it's (not) a fair cop' Hayman turned out to be a mere entre to the firestorm that rapidly engulfed serving senior police officers who were lunched, dinnered, or strategically advised by serving and former NI staffers. 


I also wrote some time ago that the fox hunt that was developing around the NI story was faintly absurd, and so it has proved, as MPs fell over themselves to put the boot into the dying NoW and what could be a mortally injured NI. I was once told that auditors were accountants who found the front-end too hot to handle and preferred instead to roam the battlefields, bayoneting the dead and dying. I feel this about the MPs putting the boot in now. If they'd got some principles and bottle earlier, as with Chris Bryant MP, they would look less like auditors doing the bayoneting etc.


Let's see how the Select Committee goes tomorrow. Will it be tally ho! or more like being "savaged by a dead sheep", either way I hear the chattering classes are having friends around for drinks to watch it - the first time in Select Committee history surely that anyone other than policy wonks and resting actors take in its day-time proceedings. I exaggerate for effect.


What does this have to do with things like organisational culture, leading change, learning and appreciative inquiry. Well, at first sight, not a lot, then on the other hand, what are we actually witnessing here? It reads a lot more like an array of (organisational) cultural insights, e.g. what is the culture at the top of the Metropolitan Police that made these dreadful conflicts of interest (at best) and shoddy investigating so much the norm? What is/was the cultural vacuum at NI/NoW that made endemic the illegal hacking of 'phones and payments to police officers? A recent book was entitled "Where were coaches when the banks went down". Where were the regulators when the papers went wrong?  


There will be so much more detail to come, that's for sure. The resignations have not ended. The reach of the scandal has a few yards yet to go. As with MPs expenses, it feels like a 'gift' that just keeps on giving. I say that however not in a sarcastic way, but seeing it as a 'gift' in the way it might encourage deep self-analysis, culture change and a paradigm shift in behaviours that we were told MPs experienced after their expenses debacle (although they were soon squealing about the new system that demanded receipts and time spent filling in forms - if you work in, say, local government, you'll think what IS the fuss about having to fill in an expenses form). 


Maybe we are seeing the end of the 'grey areas' that dubious senior managers and politicians like to inhabit as if they are some special breed that can navigate these shadow areas - the public service equivalent of the 'masters of the universe' who navigated the mystical world of debt instruments, until they unhinged the whole western banking system. Maybe. These are not games to be played to 'big boys' rules, but games that should simply not be played.


These shifts of cultural norm, calls to greater transparency and improved standards of behaviour are meat and drink to many of you who have worked your management and leadership careers in many other parts of the public service. For instance, never putting yourselves at risk by accepting hospitality, at any level, (it was so much easier to simply say 'no thanks' and insulate yourself from any claims of influence, justified or otherwise, at a later date). Always seeking to be as open and transparent as practicable; pushing the boundaries of behaviour, not the dubious kind, but the kind that encompassed acceptance of responsibility, high ethical standards and appropriate loyalty to profession and community. Of course there were and are dilemmas in public service, but the need to properly investigate wrong-doing, not accept hospitality and avoid putting yourself and your team in the way of harm or conflict of interest do not qualify as dilemmas - they qualify as good professional judgement.


And the Appreciative Inquiry aspect of all this? Well, AI posits that every, (every) organisation has a positive core. How hard must we look at each of the organisations in the spotlight over the past few months to discover its positive core? I believe not as hard as we first might think. What's critical is that those charged with leading the change, altering the culture and improving behaviours, will want to work with those who remain and discover the positive core, the things that work well and must be carried forward into the future, and the 'best of what is' before they dream afresh about how great these institutions might yet become. If, however, they believe that more top-down exhortation holds the key, they will see short-term gain but long-term pain. 


Trust the process and seek to capture the causes of success, not failure -we've had quite sufficient of those thank you.     


    

Take a deep breath...and then change, appreciatively

The coalition government's programme develops apace. Whilst it looks to be largely about cuts, reductions, downsizing and closures, with significant reshaping, renewing or refocusing of what remains, in responding (we're not yet at the proactive 'predicting what's next stage' are we?) the challenge continues to be one of finding ways that protect what works well. To not do so risks losing so much of the excellent practice, innovation and new thinking that characterised some sections of our public services, despite the previous government's apparent mania for top-down targets, with the attendant unintended consequences that they sometimes created.


It's exactly at this point that we need to introduce, or re-acquaint ourselves, with appreciative and strengths-based approaches to large-scale organisational and partnership change and individual and organisational development. These approaches are proving to be enduring and sustainable across sectors and indeed cultures, with a growing body of quite inspirational case studies and stories from the field.


The argument is not to dismiss the highly problematic and potentially cataclysmic funding cuts as some trite 'opportunity' to be taken, although several of our clients are indeed using the challenges as productively as they can to generate new models of delivery and partnership, rather it's to start the work of change with an appreciative investigation, capturing the best of what is, and considering what might be, as the transformational journey gets underway. This way nothing is missed, good work of public value is recognised and considered properly, and innovation encouraged, rather than the more limited and self-limiting apparent 'equity' of across-the-board cuts, i.e. 'salami slicing' and other problem-centred solutions.


It's not easy. That we recognise and understand, and the trick, if there is one, is to engage as many people as practicable in our organisations and communities in as many of these tough decision-making processes; to encourage them to identify what works well and needs to be retained (in some form), as well as what has to or can go. As we know, what one inquires into is fateful to what one finds out, and only asking people to identify the 'losing' services is a path that will eventually and quite rapidly destroy fragile morale, hope and aspiration. Balance in all things - we must make those tough decisions, but let's make them with the best information and knowledge to hand.


We've recently spent an intensive month with a large public service that has inquired into its organisation in a coherent, concerted and consistent manner, asking every manager to review their service, consider alternative structures and funding levels and demonstrate where they are truly effective and innovative. This offered the opportunity for quite tough and challenging conversations as services were 'exposed' at several levels, yet in an environment where hope remained strong; where thoughts were not just about cuts, but also possible re-investment, realignment and new forms. Of course, the outcome has to equate to a reduction of 25% costs over four years, yet the impact is different - a new model can take shape and really effective services find ways to transform in a culture of openness and support. Tough calls made with good quality data and information, not ignorance, presumption or prejudice.


It's at times like this that we must support individuals and teams with coaching, learning opportunities and mutual support mechanisms. Now is not the time to be cleansing organisations of all development work. Quite the opposite, now is the time when some of the finest learning about change and transformation has to be captured, shared and acted upon. Many methods to do so cost little, need only small amounts of concentrated time and effort to yield quite remarkable learning opportunities and growth potential. Strengths-based and appreciative methods deliver in these scenarios - try them!