Page 15 - index
P. 15
CONFERENCE FEATURE
and team development. We do board the inherent value of certain beliefs,
development and strategic planning behaviors, and actions. Te inquiry part
for organizations and, more and more, is the ability to design questions that
teams are talking to us about how to be move organizations and people through
resilient inside the education container, experiences. Te resilience work is a way
which is pretty fragile in relation to a of thinking about the ways in which
long-term planning horizon. It is a very people can access appreciative thinking
politicized environment with an almost and action in times of hope, despair, and
constantly declining budget. forgiveness. In times of hope it’s easier
Each time we go out and work with a because we don’t really recognize that
client it is unique. We sit down with an we are accessing it in that same way. In
organization, the leadership team, or the despair we sometimes focus on the event
CEO, and talk through what is going on or experience itself. Jeanie and my work
for them. We attempt to discover what helps people begin to ask about their
yearning it is that they have, what that strengths in that time. We recognize
aspiration is they are reaching for, and that despair stays as long as it stays. It
then we design something unique for will stay a diferent amount of time for
that context. One of the things I love you than it will for me. In exploring
is that I get to go into organizations forgiveness, we use AI to fnd our way
throughout Canada, the United States, to this place that is about a larger kind
and abroad, and I get to learn about of systemic forgiveness, a recognition
their systems. Tese diverse experiences that life is a practice and sometimes we
help to inform the bigger thinking about founder in the practice and sometimes
education that is ofen on my mind. I we are successful in that practice. We
love that. need to begin anew, and that is what
forgiveness allows us, both through self-
I know from frst-hand experience that you employ a unique forgiveness and organizational forgiveness.
and sophisticated version of Appreciative Inquiry in your work.
Why is this such an important feature of your work? Jeanie and I think that AI has a great deal to contribute to the
work on resilience. When we reviewed the resilience literature,
I think that for me personally, I fnd that leaders choose their we discovered that much of it focuses on how to acquire grit
own toolbox and I have a deep respect for that. Choosing to and act in a courageous way. Ours is more about the input side.
found all my work on AI is really important to me. It excites me We ask, “What are the kinds of questions you ask yourself in
to have the ability to begin to look at resilience in a new way, these states that might actually generate courage or grit?”
and to begin to look at the relationship between emancipatory
work and AI. To be able to do this in challenging times, and to You often conclude your workshops with a poem you have written
build upon the core of the possibility of positive interaction, and which highlights the theme so well. Why is writing poetry so
matters to me personally. We spend a lot of time inside our valuable for you?
organizations, inside our own lives, inside a society hammering If I could, I would sit on a street corner and sell my poetry for
away that, “Tis is wrong, this is bad, and if that other person fve cents a poem and make a living doing that. I think poetry
just lef, my life would be better!” I wanted to do something for me is absolute magic – it takes a whole body of thought and
diferent than that. I wanted to work with organizations condenses it into a couple of words. And so when I read poets
that would feel better afer having constructed a design I really admire, I am always in awe of their ability to take very,
and implemented it in a larger way. Huge kudos to David very complex things in society and distill them into words.
Cooperrider in his early work on AI, and his grace in allowing And so I have always loved poetry. It is like a compulsion for
a community of practitioners to expand upon and play with his me. I don’t have the same compulsion to publish my poetry,
original ideas. Tat is very powerful and very rare in academia. but it is embedded in all of my academic writing. Recently, I
What he has said is, conceptually, go play and go create - and have started a poetry section on our website (cockellmcarthur-
that is what the entire worldwide community has done. It has blair.com). I just love it! I give it away in exchange for an act of
application right across the spectrum. kindness. You have to promise to engage in some generous act
You and Jeanie are the co-authors of Appreciative Inquiry in Higher directed to another. I am about to add a number of new poems
Education, and you are currently co-authoring a new book whose to the site, so be sure to check them out and, as payment,
title will be Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry: commit an act of kindness!
A Leadership Journey Through Hope, Despair and Forgiveness Joan, I have enjoyed our conversation so much, and I only wish
(Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco), which will appear in Spring 2018. that there were more time to pursue other topics I would love to
Can you comment on how your thinking about Appreciative discuss with you. I look forward to other opportunities. Tank you
ßInquiry in this context is evolving? for spending this time with me to share your ideas and experiences
Te inquiry part of AI incorporates the notion of appreciation related to academic leadership. I am certain that your comments
as both the ability to value what is but also to recognize what is. will encourage others to pursue their leadership journeys.
Te appreciation component, then, emphasizes ways to increase
LEADERSHIP Vol. 23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 13
Client: The Chair Academy Job: Leadership_Journal_23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 Final size: 8.5” x 11” Colors: CMYK Bleeds: Yes
Created by: Goldfsh Creative - Laura Dvir • 602.349.2220 • LAURA@GOLDFISHCREATIVE.NET
and team development. We do board the inherent value of certain beliefs,
development and strategic planning behaviors, and actions. Te inquiry part
for organizations and, more and more, is the ability to design questions that
teams are talking to us about how to be move organizations and people through
resilient inside the education container, experiences. Te resilience work is a way
which is pretty fragile in relation to a of thinking about the ways in which
long-term planning horizon. It is a very people can access appreciative thinking
politicized environment with an almost and action in times of hope, despair, and
constantly declining budget. forgiveness. In times of hope it’s easier
Each time we go out and work with a because we don’t really recognize that
client it is unique. We sit down with an we are accessing it in that same way. In
organization, the leadership team, or the despair we sometimes focus on the event
CEO, and talk through what is going on or experience itself. Jeanie and my work
for them. We attempt to discover what helps people begin to ask about their
yearning it is that they have, what that strengths in that time. We recognize
aspiration is they are reaching for, and that despair stays as long as it stays. It
then we design something unique for will stay a diferent amount of time for
that context. One of the things I love you than it will for me. In exploring
is that I get to go into organizations forgiveness, we use AI to fnd our way
throughout Canada, the United States, to this place that is about a larger kind
and abroad, and I get to learn about of systemic forgiveness, a recognition
their systems. Tese diverse experiences that life is a practice and sometimes we
help to inform the bigger thinking about founder in the practice and sometimes
education that is ofen on my mind. I we are successful in that practice. We
love that. need to begin anew, and that is what
forgiveness allows us, both through self-
I know from frst-hand experience that you employ a unique forgiveness and organizational forgiveness.
and sophisticated version of Appreciative Inquiry in your work.
Why is this such an important feature of your work? Jeanie and I think that AI has a great deal to contribute to the
work on resilience. When we reviewed the resilience literature,
I think that for me personally, I fnd that leaders choose their we discovered that much of it focuses on how to acquire grit
own toolbox and I have a deep respect for that. Choosing to and act in a courageous way. Ours is more about the input side.
found all my work on AI is really important to me. It excites me We ask, “What are the kinds of questions you ask yourself in
to have the ability to begin to look at resilience in a new way, these states that might actually generate courage or grit?”
and to begin to look at the relationship between emancipatory
work and AI. To be able to do this in challenging times, and to You often conclude your workshops with a poem you have written
build upon the core of the possibility of positive interaction, and which highlights the theme so well. Why is writing poetry so
matters to me personally. We spend a lot of time inside our valuable for you?
organizations, inside our own lives, inside a society hammering If I could, I would sit on a street corner and sell my poetry for
away that, “Tis is wrong, this is bad, and if that other person fve cents a poem and make a living doing that. I think poetry
just lef, my life would be better!” I wanted to do something for me is absolute magic – it takes a whole body of thought and
diferent than that. I wanted to work with organizations condenses it into a couple of words. And so when I read poets
that would feel better afer having constructed a design I really admire, I am always in awe of their ability to take very,
and implemented it in a larger way. Huge kudos to David very complex things in society and distill them into words.
Cooperrider in his early work on AI, and his grace in allowing And so I have always loved poetry. It is like a compulsion for
a community of practitioners to expand upon and play with his me. I don’t have the same compulsion to publish my poetry,
original ideas. Tat is very powerful and very rare in academia. but it is embedded in all of my academic writing. Recently, I
What he has said is, conceptually, go play and go create - and have started a poetry section on our website (cockellmcarthur-
that is what the entire worldwide community has done. It has blair.com). I just love it! I give it away in exchange for an act of
application right across the spectrum. kindness. You have to promise to engage in some generous act
You and Jeanie are the co-authors of Appreciative Inquiry in Higher directed to another. I am about to add a number of new poems
Education, and you are currently co-authoring a new book whose to the site, so be sure to check them out and, as payment,
title will be Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry: commit an act of kindness!
A Leadership Journey Through Hope, Despair and Forgiveness Joan, I have enjoyed our conversation so much, and I only wish
(Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco), which will appear in Spring 2018. that there were more time to pursue other topics I would love to
Can you comment on how your thinking about Appreciative discuss with you. I look forward to other opportunities. Tank you
ßInquiry in this context is evolving? for spending this time with me to share your ideas and experiences
Te inquiry part of AI incorporates the notion of appreciation related to academic leadership. I am certain that your comments
as both the ability to value what is but also to recognize what is. will encourage others to pursue their leadership journeys.
Te appreciation component, then, emphasizes ways to increase
LEADERSHIP Vol. 23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 13
Client: The Chair Academy Job: Leadership_Journal_23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 Final size: 8.5” x 11” Colors: CMYK Bleeds: Yes
Created by: Goldfsh Creative - Laura Dvir • 602.349.2220 • LAURA@GOLDFISHCREATIVE.NET
