Diana Whitney PhD Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works
to Build a Thriving Organization 1
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Thomas Jefferson Every organization needs a positive
revolution. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 2
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Leadership at the Nexus of Three Innovative Fields Diana
Whitney www.positivechange.org 3 Appreciative Inquiry Strengths
Movement Positive Psychology
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What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)? 4 Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org
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The Case of PROCARE 79% Customer Satisfaction Desire to
improve. Focus groups with dissatisfied customers only. Shared the
information/results. The bottom drops out. Employee Satisfaction
declined Quality dropped Customer Satisfaction declined Diana
Whitney www.positivechange.org 5
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Appreciative Inquiry Approach Inquiry into Root Cause of
Success Outstanding Customer Service Interviews with satisfied and
dissatisfied customers. Best in Class benchmarking. Shared
information/results. 8 months 95% Customer Satisfaction Employee
Satisfaction increased as did quality Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 6
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Appreciative Inquiry is... 7 A philosophy of human organization
and change. A high engagement process for positive change. A
positive, strengths based approach to leadership. The study of what
gives life to people, teams and organizations when they are at
their best. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Inquiry is the Intervention 8 The questions we ask are fateful.
They determine what we find. They create the world as we know it.
Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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9 Words Create Worlds Stress in the Workplace Joyful
Productivity Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Discovery Study the best of what is. Discovery Dream Envision
what might be. Dream Design Decide what will be. Design Destiny
Organize for action. Destiny Strategicfocus Appreciative Inquiry
4-D Process Select Your Affirmative Topic Positive Core Positive
Core 10 Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Examples: Appreciative Inquiry in Action United Religions
Initiative GTE/Verizon Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Division
British Airways US Navy Sisters of Good Shepherd Lovelace Health
System UVA Health System Global Interfaith Organization Union
Management Relations Culture Transformation & Strategic
Planning Customer Satisfaction Leadership Development LT Planning
& Direction Setting Nurse Morale and Retention
Inter-professional Collaboration 11 Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org
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Leaders of Successful Appreciative Inquiry Initiatives Willing
to dialogue with other members of their organization or community
to create a better way. Care about people. Often describe the work
of their business as helping people learn, grow, and have a better
life. Truly believe in the power of the positive: attitudes,
emotions, recognition, intention and strengths. Willing to learn
and change in the process. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Appreciative Leadership Appreciative Leadership is the
relational capacity to mobilize creative potential and turn it into
positive power. It sets in motion ripples of confidence, energy,
enthusiasm and performance that make a positive difference in the
world. 13 Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Five Strategies to Focus on What Works Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 14 Inquiry Illumination Inclusion
Inspiration Integrity
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1 - The Wisdom of Inquiry Leadership by Asking Positively
Powerful Questions Tell me about the river that connects you. Diana
Whitney www.positivechange.org 15
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Positively Powerful Questions Focus upon what you VALUE And
what you WANT MORE OF Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 16
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We want more: Collaboration Across Sectors Select a partner.
Ask: Recall an experience of Successful Collaboration Across
Sectors. It may have been among policy makers and service
providers, parents and teachers, within your agency, one school or
a whole community. What was the situation? Tell me about it. Who
was involved and how did they contribute to the success of this
collaboration across sectors? What are all the things that made
collaboration across sectors work well in this situation? Change
roles and repeat. Time: 4 minutes each x2 = 8 minutes total. Diana
Whitney www.positivechange.org 17
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2 - The Genius of Inclusion Leadership by Engaging With People
Dont talk about me without me. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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All the People Whos Future it is. Idaho State Department of
Education AI Summit 250 People Focus: Educational Services for
Students who are Deaf and Blind Sub-Text: Should we close the
school? Who would you invite? Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Who Would You Invite? Teachers School Administrators Students
Blind and Deaf Adults Blind and Deaf Governors Office Advocacy
Groups Educators at all Levels Other States Facing Similar Issues
Parents Family Members Community Members Local Board of Education
State Dept. of Education State Legislators Sign Interpreters Guide
Dogs The Public Others? Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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High Engagement AI Summit Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Outcomes Consensus Decision to Keep the School Set of Agreed
Upon Recommendations to the State Department of Education
Acceptance and Budgeting of the Recommendations by the State
Legislature Significantly Strengthened Relationships Greater
Parental Involvement Improved Services Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 22
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3 - The Art of Illumination Leadership by Bringing Out the Best
of People and Situations. We are made and imagined in the eyes of
each other. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 23
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Peter Drucker, Management Guru Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 24 The task of leadership is to create an
alignment of strengths, toward a goal, in such a way that
weaknesses become irrelevant.
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Strengths Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 25 Near perfect
performance in an activity. Feel easy. Increase excellence,
success, productivity. Provide a sense of joy, flow, energy, and
fulfillment. Now, Discover Your Strengths Buckingham and
Clifton
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Excellent Performers Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 26
Are rarely well-rounded. They capitalize on their strengths. They
minimize their weaknesses. Only 20% of people say they get to use
their strengths on a daily basis. Each persons greatest room for
growth is in his or her areas of greatest strengths. Now, Discover
Your Strengths Buckingham and Clifton
Strengths Spotting Questions 1. Tell me about a recent success,
something youve done in the past few weeks or months that gave you
great satisfaction and pride. 1. What did you do? 2. What else did
you do? 3. What gave you the idea to do this? 4. Who else was
involved and how did you relate to them? 5. Tell me more about what
you did to make this a success. 2. Based upon your story, I sense
that some of your strengths are 28 Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org
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Strengths Spotting Try it Now 1. Select a partner an improbable
partner. 2. Ask your partner to tell you a success story. 3. Listen
to discover your partners strengths. 4. Reflect 4 - 6 strengths you
hear back to your partner. Reverse Roles Time: 4 minutes each x 2 =
8 minutes total 29 Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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4 - The Courage of Inspiration Leadership by Awakening the
Creative Spirit People flourish in the presence of positivity.
Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 30
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Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 25 The Birth of Positive
Psychology Prof. M. Seligman, President, APA, 1996 Author: Learned
Optimism; Authentic Happiness: Flourish He asked a provocative
question: What has the field of psychology studied? Findings for 30
years of research: 45,000 studies on depression, illness 300
studies on joy, hope, happiness
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Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 26 Research into Positive
Emotions Dr. Barbara Fredrickson Author: Positivity and Love 2.0
University of North Carolina Broaden and Build Theory 1.Broaden
Attention and Thinking 2.Undo Lingering Negative Emotional Arousal
3.Build Resiliency for Change.
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More of Fredricksons Research Positive Emotions &
Performance Joy....play, imagination, experimentation Innovation
Interest...involvement, investigate, explore New Knowledge
Optimism.....opportunity, confidence, persevere Achievement
Contentment...savor, integrate complex ideas Deeper Insight
Love....connect, relate Cooperation Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 33
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Positivity Ratio Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 34 People
flourish in the presence of positive emotions and positive
communication. The Healthy Range is 4+ : 1- ------------- 11+ : 1-
Marcial Losada, Chile Successful Teams 5+:1- John and Julie
Gottman, Seattle, WA Long Term Successful Marriages 5+:1-
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A Tale of Two Wolves Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Try this experiment: Appreciation Buddies Select a Buddy. Short
weekly call. One purpose: To give specific appreciation to each
other. Commit to 4 - 6 weeks. Email Diana what happens after 4
weeks! Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 36
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5 - The Path of Integrity Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
37 Leadership by Making Choices for the Good of the Whole Integrity
= Integral = Wholeness = Healing = Holy = Sacred
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Leadership as a Sacred Trust To be on the Path of Integrity is
to be moving, growing and evolving toward wholeness; and to be
supporting and enabling others to do the same. Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 38
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Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 39 Make a career of
humanityYou will make a greater person of yourself, a greater
nation of your country, and a finer world to live in. Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
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Remember: One Guiding Principle Take care of yourself, so you
can take care of others. Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org
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Five Strategies to Focus on What Works Diana Whitney
www.positivechange.org 41 1. Inquiry: Ask Positively Powerful
Questions. 2. Inclusion: Invite Improbable Participation. 3.
Illumination: Be a Strengths Spotter. 4. Inspiration: Maintain a
5/1 Positivity Ratio. 5. Integrity: Attend to Wholeness Your Own
and Others.
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For More Information Diana Whitney, Ph.D.
[email protected] Corporation for Positive Change
www.positivechange.org Appreciative Inquiry Consulting
Workshops/Training Appreciative Leadership Development Keynote
Speaking Coaching Diana Whitney www.positivechange.org 42
