Appreciative Inquiry Corporate Team Building Sessions and workshops for creating REVOLUTIONARY WORKPLACES
The power of Ai comes from the combined and positive exploration for the best.
The best in people, in groups, in teams and High Performance companies.
Appreciative Inquiry incorporates the approach of asking positively oriented questions that focus on the positive possibility of the potential to enhance the situation.
AI assumes all living systems have a reserve of untapped, trapped energy, and unexplored inspiring accounts of positive past experiences. Through the precess of linking the past “positive core” to your change intervention workplace , you use the positive past as the foundation for possibility and enjoy accelerate results.
Appreciative Inquiry is the study and exploration of what positively works.
AI has been successfully used in many environments; from whole system change retreats to Real AI team building activities, to individual coaching approaches.
The appreciative Inquiry approach is an effective process to unleash power , energy, passion, enthusiasm and momentum for positive powerful change.
Appreciative inquiry creates conversations that awaken passion, pride and participation. When team relationships are positively grounded in passion, pride, and positivity, teams become more cohesive, efficient and effective.
Potential Teams’ AI Approach
Traditional teambuilding or typical problem solving usually begins by noting what isn’t working. so these team problems can be fixed.
The similie, operating in this approach is “your team is like a machine”: if all the correct parts are in the correct place and working properly, the team machine will revert to its previous “unimpaired” functioning level.
Comparing this old blame, name, shame problem solving approach to an a positive Appreciative Approach.. we see the the first step is …
- DISCOVERY – Positive focus questions exploring what is already working well – what wonders have already been experienced? This reveals the “POSITIVE CORE”
The team can then plan it future by developing, expanding and sustaining the resources in the “positive core”.
The team is an evolving, expanding developing entity with many untapped possibilities.
Instead of just retaining previous performance levels, the Appreciative Inquiry team building process has the clear focus of creating new breakthroughs to enable and unleash the team’s highest potential.
Appreciative Inquiry Team Building Interviews
Sample Interview protocol to begin your AI Team Building inquiry:
1) Think back to a time when you were on a successful team. Think of a time that you felt engaged, energized, happy, fulfilled and most effective – when you were accomplished even more than you ever imagined. What made it such a powerful team? Tell the “story” about the events, situation, people involved, your involvement and how the team achieved its incredible results.
2) Without being humble, what was it about you and your actions, thoughts and beliefs that contributed to the success of your team?
Describe in as much detail at possible your personal qualities and what you value about yourself that enabled the team’s success.
3) Imagine that It’s 1 year from now and your team is functioning even more successfully than you imagined. What are you doing, how are your team mates working together differently? What does this activity and success look like? How did you make it all happen?
Team members separate into pairs… they then interview each other and document highlights from the interview.
Then teams get together into groups of 4-6 and share highlights, and compare and explore the positive past experiences.
The core themes and elements that come out of these successful times will emerge.
Through further inquiry and discussions the entire team then DESIGNS new strategies to leverage the existing assets so day-to-day functioning and performance of the team approaches an ideal level.
The stages of an appreciative inquiry are:
1) DISCOVERY : Discover the best of what is
2) DREAM: Envision what might be
3) DESIGN :Dialogue what should be
4)Destiny / DO : Innovate what will be. Action plans and ACTION
Appreciative Inquiry Activity Applications
The AI process is useful in almost any kind of team or group initiative:
- Newly formed teams
- Teams aiming for more effective collaboration
- Ongoing project teams facing challenges
- Teams needing renewal, rejuvenation or clearer focus
- Leadership teams on strategic planning outings
Appreciative inquiry frames and focuses your process from a positive perspective ie rather than digging into causes of conflict or problem solving.
An appreciative inquiry approach explores the sources of the best cooperation.
Instead of the old style of diagnosing the problems, Appreciative Inquiry focuses on enhancing the present results by discovering the foundations of the positive past experiences.
By looking for causes of problems low morale is reframed as a search for the root causes of greatest team excitement and commitment.
Every time you expose yourself to conversation about positive, empowering peak experiences, you will discover a special energy, enthusiasm, engagement, and rejuvenated optimism.
With a deliberate focus on strengths and positivity, Appreciative Inquiry for avoids the typical resistance that often emerges in change and problem-focused conversations.
The Appreciative Inquiry Team Building approach ensures a positive -” play the ball and not the man” – way forward.
Contact Tony Dovale on 083-447-6300 if you’d like to be smart and use AI in your next team or company event. Http://www.lifemasters.co.za
and for business leadership talks http://www.tonydovalespeaks.com
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