Why? A simple question and, so open to multiple ways of understanding. Recently Melissa Robaina asked if 'Why' is an Appreciative Question. Here she writes about the responses that she has receives and continues to receive.

The Plant Manager had been introduced to AI earlier this year by the Human Resources Manager, and agreed to the summit. In preparation for the Summit, he attended training, read books and participated in virtual discussions. On the morning of the Summit, he talked about the tough times they have had, the economic meltdown; and, how it had impacted the Company, their Division and their Community. Then, he shifted to his personal journey. He told the stakeholders that his early morning schedule has always been to get up at 4:00 a.m., with a quick check-in to see if there had been any crisis' during the night, and to look over the production statistics for the prior day. He said to the crowd, "I am an Engineer. These numbers set my priorities and my focus. I looked at them for problems, and corrections we need to take. Now, I have been introduced to a different way. New ideas about how we work together. Words like love, compassion, hope, and inspiration do belong in the workplace."

He went on to describe how their plant productivity is thriving and wondered the costs to individuals this level of activity over the long haul might be. "We are on a rise in terms of production and hiring. We have the opportunity now to join together to build the foundation that combines our past strengths that our people built with the production requirements to be competitive now. I welcome you to our first AI Summit."

Gives you goosebumps, doesn't it?

Appreciatively,

Kathy Becker,  

President of Company of Experts, Inc. 

Company of Experts is pleased to introduce its newest Certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitators and/or Coaches to its growing AI family. 

The individual(s) listed below participated in our 4-day Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training (AIFT) and/or our 5 day Appreciative Inquiry Coaching Training (AICT) program and submitted a practicum demonstrating their knowledge and application of Appreciative Inquiry. In reading their practicums, we are able to celebrate in their achievements and observe how Appreciative Inquiry has positively influenced their lives - personally and professionally.

• Patti Phillips, "A Connected Team Creates Positive Synergy"

A few days ago I shared a fascinating HBR article on LinkedIn titled, "Become a Company That Questions Everything". The article talks about how companies should encourage curiosity in the workforce by inviting employees and other stakeholders to ask questions. The article itself has a large graphic of the word "why". As I shared the article on our various social media outlets, one person asked me if "why" is an appreciative question. I stopped what I was doing just so that I could let that question sink in. I mean, I believed it could be, depending on the context in which it is used but I was curious as to what others thought.

After pondering the question for a day or so, I posted the question on various LinkedIn groups I am connected to. The question spread like wildfire. I was honored that so many people took the time to share their thoughts and experiences. The discussions that emerged were engaging and insightful. Read Full Article>> 

We don't have to agree with each other in order to think well together. There is no need for us to be joined at the head. We are already joined by our human hearts. --Margaret Wheatley 

Most people I meet want to develop more harmonious and satisfying relationships. But we may not realize that this can only be achieved by partnering with two new and strange allies: uncertainty and confusion.

Most of us weren't trained to like confusion or to admit when we feel hesitant and uncertain. In our schools and organizations, we place value on sounding assured and confident. People are rewarded for stating opinions as if they're facts. Quick answers abound; pensive questions have disappeared. Confusion has yet to emerge as a higher order value or behavior that organizations eagerly reward.

As life continues to speed up (adding to our confusion), we don't have time to be uncertain. We don't have time to listen to anyone who expresses a new or different position. In meetings and in the media, often we listen to others just long enough to determine whether we agree with them. We rush from opinion to opinion, listening for those tidbits and sound bites that confirm our position. Gradually, we have become more certain but less informed, and far less thoughtful. Read Full Article>>  

"If you want to be successful over the long haul, you have to have a sense of purpose that is clearly articulated and embedded in your organization and processes, but you also have to live it.  There can't be two sets of rules."-Punit Renjen, Chairman of the Board, Deloitte  

I caught up with Deloitte Chairman, Punit Renjen, to discuss the release of the firm's third annual Core Beliefs and Culture Survey, as a follow-up to my profile of him last year that struck a chord with the Forbes Insights audience and was my second most read story of the year.  Here's what Punit had to say about this year's study...

"The difference between last year and this year's version of the study  is that, in addition to reaffirming the premise that  'purpose' is a driving force for business success, it points out that  focusing on purpose rather than just profits builds business confidence.  And we wanted to explore that notion, given the current climate of uncertainty and slowed economic recovery. Read Full Article>> 

Imagine you're a bright, inquisitive person working for a company with long-established policies and work processes in place (or maybe you don't have to). Now let's say you've noticed one of those processes is not as efficient or effective as it might be, which leads you to reasonably ask: Why are we doing it this way? Is there a better approach?

What happens next in this scenario could be a good indicator of whether your company has a culture of inquiry or one of acceptance and conformity. If it's the former, that question you raised will be carefully considered and may trigger ongoing discussion - and possibly action - by the company's managers and leaders. You might be praised and even rewarded, just for asking it.

If, on the other hand, yours is a company that doesn't value or appreciate questioning, you might hear something like: "This is the way we've been doing things for 20 years - who are you to second-guess us?" Or the always-popular, "Around here, we expect people to bring us answers, not questions." Read Full Article>>  

The command-and-control approach to management has in recent years become less and less viable. Globalization, new technologies, and changes in how companies create value and interact with customers have sharply reduced the efficacy of a purely directive, top-down model of leadership. What will take the place of that model? Part of the answer lies in how leaders manage communication within their organizations-that is, how they handle the flow of information to, from, and among their employees. Traditional corporate communication must give way to a process that is more dynamic and more sophisticated. Most important, that process must be conversational.

We arrived at that conclusion while conducting a recent research project that focused on the state of organizational communication in the 21st century. Over more than two years we interviewed professional communicators as well as top leaders at a variety of organizations-large and small, blue chip and start-up, for-profit and nonprofit, U.S. and international. To date we have spoken with nearly 150 people at more than 100 companies. Both implicitly and explicitly, participants in our research mentioned their efforts to "have a conversation" with their people or their ambition to "advance the conversation" within their companies. Building upon the insights and examples gleaned from this research, we have developed a model of leadership that we call "organizational conversation." Read Full Article>>  

In a global marketplace where problems are increasingly complex, no one person will ever have all the answers. That's why Google's SVP of People Operations, Lazlo Bock, says humility is one of the traits he's looking for in new hires. "Your end goal," explained Bock, "is what can we do together to problem-solve. I've contributed my piece, and then I step back." And it is not just humility in creating space for others to contribute, says Bock-it's "intellectual humility. Without humility, you are unable to learn."

A recent Catalyst study backs this up, showing that humility is one of four critical leadership factors for creating an environment where employees from different demographic backgrounds feel included. In a survey of more than 1500 workers from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico, and the U.S., we found that when employees observed altruistic or selfless behavior in their managers - a style characterized by 1) acts of humility, such as learning from criticism and admitting mistakes); 2) empowering followers to learn and develop; 3) acts of courage, such as taking personal risks for the greater good; and 4) holding employees responsible for results - they were more likely to report feeling included in their work teams. This was true for both women and men.

Employees who perceived altruistic behavior from their managers also reported being more innovative, suggesting new product ideas and ways of doing work better. Moreover, they were more likely to report engaging in team citizenship behavior, going beyond the call of duty, picking up the slack for an absent colleague - all indirect effects of feeling more included in their workgroups. Read Full Article>>  

To celebrate 25 years, we are offering an additional $250.00 savings on all 2014 Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Trainings (AIFT) being hosted in Las Vegas! Register early and combine your $250.00 savings on top of our Early Bird Registration Discount. Please enter promo code: THEBIG25 upon checkout to receive our 25 year celebratory discount. Discount cannot be combines with group rates or other offers. 

Payment Plan Program is now available for ALL of our workshops!

Company of Experts, Inc. is pleased to offer a Payment Plan Program as a manageable alternative to paying your workshop registration in a lump-sum payment. Our Payment Plan Program allows you to pay your workshop registration over a number of weeks/months, interest free.

Enrollment in our free Payment Plan Program will reserve your seat(s) in the training of your choice. Your reserved seat(s) permit you to receive all the benefits of registered participants, such as access to any pre-workshop readings, materials and activities.  Learn More>>  

Advanced Level #AppreciativeInquiry Course Now Available #coaching #leadership #ICF #AICT #consulting http://conta.cc/1smGCu9  

RT Make your affirmation statements paint a complete picture. The more defined your desires are, the more effective your affirmations will be.  

#GreatQ: How do you address social factors in organizational change?  

 What makes questions so powerful? #AppreciativeInquiry #questions #dialogue #positive #trust http://ow.ly/xa1M5  

Every Child a Talker - Appreciative Inquiry at Work  

Description: Robbie Macpherson shares a story about infusing AI into his work. 

Whole Systems Healing - Interview with Diana Whitney  

Description: An interview with Diana Whitney about Whole Systems Healing and Appreciative Inquiry.

Appreciative Inquiry in the Working Place 

Description: Prof. John Hayes discusses Appreciative Inquiry and its use in the workplace.  

Every Kid Needs a Champion 

Description: A call to educators to believe in their students' potential. 

We invite you to join our LinkedIn Group called "Discovering Appreciative Inquiry". It is an open group that allows participants to ask questions and share stories in regards to AI. All are welcome!

To view a list of our webinar recordings, please click here.