“[Appreciative Inquiry] deliberately seeks to discover people’s exceptionality – their unique gifts, strengths, and qualities. It actively searches and recognizes people for their specialties – their essential contributions and achievements. And it is based on principles of equality of voice – everyone is asked to speak about their vision of the true, the good, and […]

Our time gives us the extraordinary challenge we call sustainability: to collectively change the way we live to be in balance with the planet. It is very easy to talk about sustainability in a way that drains the energy for change out of people. Talk only about the immensity of the problem and then watch a room full of people move into either denial or depression. So how do we talk about sustainability in ways that lead instead to hope and personal responsibility? We can use the Appreciative Inquiry model of Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny.

This is part two of coverage of the 2007 Appreciative Inquiry Conference (Sept 16-19, Orlando, FL). Today was Tuesday, September 18, 2007, and the main events were a panel on how to run an AI Summit, a keynote by Peter Coughlan of IDEO, and many companies presenting their results in using AI and strengths. […]

Cooperrider went broad, Buckingham went specific, and Seligman went cohesive: Cooperrider introduced the concept of strengths elevating an organization to beyond its four walls, Buckingham hit home the message that using strengths at work starts with you, the individual, and Seligman outlined some major findings of positive psychology that support Cooperrider and Buckingham’s work in strengths. […]