Everything you see on this web site is founded on the methods and perspective of appreciative inquiry (even if the term itself is pretty much missing).
We’ve found this approach can be used to enliven and embolden an organization, a person, a group, a community, a country — or an idea or profession. It’s an exciting way to take any human enterprise to its next level, and to inspire people, for the benefit of us all.
Big ideas
- What is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative inquiry (or “AI”) asks us to pay special attention to “the best of the past and present” — in order to “ignite the collective imagination of what might be.” - Talk About What You Want
Many folks launch social initiatives (including nonprofit organizations) in order to “solve a problem” they see in their community (or the larger world). But here’s another way to think about what you’re going to do. - How the “Paradoxical Theory of Change” Can Make Your Work Easier
People are more open to change than one might expect, even eager for it. What we object to is being changed. (Understandably!) What might happen if we stopped using up so much of our energy trying to change people? - Words Create Worlds
Could it be that the words we speak each day, often without thought, can be of historic importance? They just may be, especially in times like these.
Success stories
- From Victims to Leaders
How students from Jonesboro and Columbine showed, in an especially poignant way, what can happen when the common discourse of despair is interrupted in order to draw attention to the life and hope contained in a situation. - Deepening Engagement in Civic Life
Civic life is almost always problem-focused. Whether the talk is of potholes or poverty, it’s almost always about the community’s deficits. And political campaigns are notoriously negative, with candidates eager to attack and blame their opponents. What might civic life look like if a different kind of dialogue were taking place? - What Can Street Children Teach Us?
When circumstances seem daunting, where can you look for resources and vitality? Here’s what I learned from street children in Africa. - Can We Make an End Run Around “Problems”?
An organization facing budget deficits and layoffs shifts its focus to its best moments (with surprising results). - Do You Start with “Feasibility” … or With Who You Are and What You Want?
“If we’d begun by analyzing the ‘feasibility’ of founding a new school, we probably would’ve stopped dead in our tracks.” How a relentless focus on resources and assets led to the founding of an exceptional school in Canada.
What’s Next for You?
Click here to see how this approach can come alive in your life — and what it can deliver for you.
Consulting? Maybe speaking, writing, coaching, facilitating, teaching, advising? Get the special report I’m just now finishing on 3 strategies ... “How to create the consulting practice you really want.” Click here for your complimentary copy.
