The story of growing together in Appreciative Inquiry- based actions and understanding

2005-2007 Fire Works 2008-2009 AI Learning Network 2010 Book & Ambassador of the ESF 2011-2012 2nd AI Learning network 2012 World AI Conference

How can we guide people, living in deprived situations, towards a better future, towards a job or other activitities that are motivating and fullfilling?

How can we coach them towards a future build upon their own strengths, passion and dreams?

2005 - 2007

Prof René Bouwen takes us on a journey that is still going on…

We discover AI, develop an AI-way of coaching, and test it in several settings

FIRE WORKS is born

Fire Works - making future by

using your talents, personal drive,

life-purpose

FIREWORKS An appreciative inquiring

coaching journey in four steps

7 december 2007 An important step in creating

impact, without realizing it at

that time…

It felt like with Fire Works, we touched a deeper need living among professionals in coaching, HRD, L&D in Flanders

For us, it was a kind of ‘calling’, it became a mission to give more people the opportunity to learn about and practice the AI-approach

Appreciative Inquiry Learning network 2009-2010

90 people, 50 organisations, all of us

learning about AI and developping pilots in context of

our organisations

How many people did you reach while you worked on your AI-

pilot project?

±8

0

±865

2

±14 252

?

1

±108

±187

±?

Each break-out session of the network

We reached

hundreds of people

2010: Network inspires the

public

• Leading towards talents and drive –

connecting human energy is creating

powerfull teams

• Ambassador for the Flemisch

agency of the ESF

• We reached (and still do) thousands

of people with the book, workshops,

lectures, training,…

We’ve contributed strongly to new ways of thinking about HRD,

strenghts-based organising and learning,

Change.

Appreciative Inquiry Learning network 2011-2012

80 people, 60 organisations

Financial self supporting

2nd Learning Network

startup sessions, oct 2011.

Connection with the Netherlands

• AI -100: inspired by our work in Flanders

• AI-Magazine: Co-production

Connection with the Netherlands

• AI-networkmeetings cross-boundary’s

Local host: ‘De Werf’, together with • Conference Organizing Committee • International advisory Board “Towards an ‘economy’ of connecting strengths. Scaling up the generative power of AI”

Sub-themes

Connecting across organisations & communities Connecting within organisations & communities Connecting self to others, from inner to outer Appreciative Inquiry Craftmanship

25-1-2012 Appreciative Inquiry

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Let’s talk about this magic generative power of AI.

Do you think about a personal experience where you’ve seen that working with AI created effects that reached beyond your inititial scope?

Share stories in a duo-conversation and ask yourself what exactly made this effect come true?

At your table:

- Share headlines of stories

- Look if you can formulate a shared conclusion.

- And at last: do you have any questions left about what we presented earlier? Is there anything you are still curious about?