Appreciative Leadership

Transcription

1 Appreciative Leadership 1 STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES THAT TURN POTENTIAL TO POWER NSPA Annual Conference October 10, 2016 Kansas City, MO October 10, 2016

2 Our Agenda 2 Understand Appreciative Leadership: a relational process that mobilizes creative potential and unleashes positive power. Explore the five core strategies of Appreciative Leadership. Experience personal, one-to-one and team practices that can turbo-charge staff, students and donors and our capacity to promote college success through the power of scholarships. Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

3 The Global Context 3 1. New generations have come of age 2. Diversity is the norm 3. Institutions are being reinvented 4. Holistic, sustainable approaches are essential Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

4 The Philosophical Context 4 Positive Organizational Scholarship Positive Psychology Strengths Movement A positive revolution: Personal Interpersonal Organizational October 10, 2016

5 The Experiential Context 5 Personal Observation Appreciative Interviews Appreciative Focus Groups Appreciative Leadership Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, Appreciative Leadership, 2010

6 Appreciative Leadership: A New Approach for a New World 6 The relational capacity to mobilize creative potential and turn it into positive power. Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

7 Positive power means 7 Bringing your best forward Recognizing creative potential Enhancing individual and collective capacity Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

8 Let s explore 8 Describe a time when exemplary leadership unleashed positive power, enabling a powerful and positive outcome that would otherwise not have been possible. What was the situation? Who and what was involved? What specific strategies or practices did leadership employ, to mobilize creative potential: both individual and system-level? What were the initial results? How about the long-term or residual benefits? October 10, 2016

9 Five Relational Strategies of Appreciative Leadership 9 Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

10 The Wisdom of Inquiry: Leading with Positively Powerful Questions 10 If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask. Albert Einstein Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

11 The Childhood Malnutrition Project 11

12 The Problem with Problem-Solving What happens when you focus on a problem during a meeting? What are the unintended consequences? 12 Thought Action Behavior Downward Spiral October 10, 2016

13 From Problems to Opportunities 13 Outcomes / Results The Problem or Opportunity Root Causes October 10, 2016

14 Root Causes of Turnover 14 Root causes: Low compensation Bad leadership Lack of recognition Long hours Insufficient training Outcomes we might achieve: Increased productivity Reduced training costs Satisfied employees Higher pay October 10, 2016

15 Root Causes of Magnetic Work Environment 15 Root causes: Humor and fun Creativity Effective training Connected workforce High engagement Meaningful rewards Outcomes we might achieve: Increased productivity Reduced training costs Good PR Enhanced recruitment Use of skills and passions Connection to mission Pride Appropriate recognition Satisfied employees Risk Taking Innovation October 10, 2016

16 Fixing Problems vs. Building Capacity Illness Narrow Focus Error-prone Divisive Conflict Health Wider Focus Reliable Compromise Well-being Infinite Possibility Flawless Collaboration Fix Problems Adapted from: Barrett & Fry. (2006.) Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity. Taos Institute. 16 October 10, 2016

17 17 October 10, 2016

18 So, what do you want more of???? 18 Sexual harassment, or... Unhappy customers, or... Turnover, or Attrition, or... Positive cross-gender relations Service excellence Magnetic work environment October 10, 2016

19 Ask a positive question! 19 Backward questions: Describe a time when Forward questions: Imagine / If you had three wishes... Inward questions: What are the core factors that enable October 10, 2016

20 Great positive questions 20 Focus on opportunities vs. problems Engage people personally: heart, mind and spirit Invite stories Draw on life experience Stimulate imagination Suggest action The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, 2 nd Edition, Whitney and Trosten-Bloom, 2010

21 The Courage of Inspiration: Awakening the Creative Spirit 21 Hope is having a dream and believing it s possible to get there. Verena Kast Author Joy, Inspiration and Hope Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

22 The Art of Illumination: Bringing out the Best of People and Situations 22 The task of leadership is to align strengths toward a purpose or goal, in such a way that weaknesses become irrelevant. Peter Drucker Founder of modern management Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

23 il lu mi na tion (n.) Willingness and ability to see what works (vs. what doesn t) 2. Interest and capacity to discover strengths 3. Ability to sense positive potential in every situation Synonyms: CLARIFICATION, ENLIGHTENMENT, ELUCIDATION Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

24 Accelerated Learning Through Illumination 24 Correction does much; but encouragement does more. Corporation for Positive Change,

25 1. Select a partner. 2. Ask your partner to tell you a success story. 3. Probe and listen deeply to discover your partner s strengths. Be a Strengths Spotter! 4. Reflect back to your partner the strengths you heard embedded in the story. 5. Reverse roles. Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader,

26 Positive Inner Dialogue This project is impossible. I ll never get it done right. Corporation for Positive Change This project is hard. I m going to have to bring all I know to get it done well.

27 The Genius of Inclusion: Engaging with People to Co-Create the future 27 Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world. Hu Jintau Former General Secretary Communist party of China Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

28 From Dissatisfied Customers to 28 Corporation for Positive Change

29 Outcomes Prototyped new systems, structures and processes (e.g., member and provider portals, knowledge management, performance evaluation system, web-based training, member wellness and education) Widespread coordination and capacity building Unprecedented energy and commitment: 19 voluntary work groups formed Accelerated implementation of Enterprise Strategic Plan From 2 to 3.5 stars on CHPP score in less than 6 months 29

30 Six Categories of Stakeholder 30 Information Influence Impact Investment Interest Innovation October 10, 2016

31 Everybody Whose Future It Is 31 Employees Colleges Individual Donors Educators Students Legislators Foundations Board members October 10, 2016

32 It s Your Turn 32 Divide into groups of 3 or 4 ROUND ONE Imagine and describe a life-like scenario in which a number of diverse stakeholders might come together to fulfill or extend your organization s mission. Examples: Strategic planning Development of a new scholarship program Formation of a new partnership Write the scenario out, and trade with another group Corporation for Positive Change,

33 It s Your Turn 33 ROUND TWO Within your group, read aloud the scenario you ve been passed. Discuss and make recommendations. Given what you know: Who must be directly included? Who should be engaged or informed? What creative ways might there be to engage people, beyond direct participation in meetings? October 10, 2016

34 The Path of Integrity: Making Decisions for the Good of the Whole 34 All human beings are part of that unbroken whole which is continually unfolding and making itself manifest in the world. Joe Jaworski CEO American Leadership Forum Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

35 Practice Conscious Decision Making 35 Every choice emerges from other choices Large or small, conscious or unconscious, our decisions influence ourselves and others We are all connected through an interdependent web of life Consider the web, when making your choices Appreciative Leadership, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom & Rader, 2010

36 For More Information 36 Consulting Workshops and Training Leadership Development Keynotes October 10, 2016