Appreciate you, Appreciate me, Appreciate all that can be

So, why write about Appreciative Inquiry?

It all started when I decided to go back to school and get my Masters of Science in Management and Leadership after being away from school for almost 15 years.??

I was absolutely terrified.??100%.??My kids were 4 and 6 years of age, I had recently transitioned from a job I held for well over a decade, working full-time, and I hadn’t written an academic paper, let alone taken an academic test, in the same amount of time, and…..

I was in the process of getting my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) from the University of Washington, Tacoma.

What was I thinking??!!!!??

I’m not sure other than I wanted a challenge and I wanted to be able to move myself forward in my new career with the State of Washington.??I also knew I had the support of my wife and kids and they knew it was going to be a good thing for all of us.??This isn’t to say it wasn’t challenging but we made it through.??

The outcome:??I completed my Masters degree in 14 months and my LSSBB during the same period.

I attribute my ability to wake up every day and get it done to my Appreciative Inquiry practice and my?Panda Planner.??I made the commitment to lean really hard into the idea that?neuroplasticity?worked and it all started with a conversation with the testing help center at Western Governors University.

I remember the call clearly.??I knew I wasn’t a great test taker and it took 3x the amount of work than most of my peers to pass.??I knew I needed to ask for help, use the help that was available to me, and so I made the call.??I was on the phone concerned as it was my first academic test in quite awhile and I was worried that no matter how hard I studied I would struggle.??The testing center person was so kind and supportive and she gave me a few great tips.??

She said:

·???????Develop the same routine for every test, including what you have for breakfast, where you sleep, and the schedule on the day of the test

·???????Go on a walk and get some fresh air

·???????And this last one is the one that got me

Tell yourself that you are going to do well, that you are the best test taker ever, and that you are going to get 100% on the test.

I thought to myself, “Does that really work?”??and “What do I have to lose?”

So I did it and I aced the test.

One of the first concepts of Appreciative Inquiry is establishing the Positive Core.??The Positive Core, as defined by David Cooperrider is…..?

“the organization’s positive core is the beginning and the end of the inquiry. This is where the whole organization has an opportunity to value its history and embrace novelty in transitioning into positive possibilities.”

My take on this is to take note of what’s working well and build on it.??So I did exactly that, not only with my test preparation, but also how I operated from that path forward, both in my workplace and my home.??

The factors this week are somewhat personal and related to concepts within Appreciative Inquiry, so take what you think is relevant and valuable to you.

Factor 1:??Don’t be limited by the gap

Sometimes we get so focused on problem-solving (inside of and outside of ourselves) that we lose sight of what’s really great about ourselves.??Whether it’s a comparison to those around us, what society expects of us, to the barriers that are place in front of us, we need to be intentional about highlighting the valued-add and strengths we bring to ourselves and the world around us.??This needs to be our discipline not the other way around.?

Factor 2:??Imagine the intangible

With my first academic test I envisioned something that hadn’t happened yet.??I told myself I was going to do well.??I repeated it like a mantra all the way up to when I clicked the button to start the online test.??Imagine a future for yourself that is way better than you could have ever imagined.??This goes for organizations and teams too.??Be intentional about “discovering” and “dreaming”.??Don’t limit yourself to the data you can grasp. Be willing to consider the data that hasn’t been produced yet. More to come on this in upcoming newsletters as we dive into the “4-D Cycle”.

Factor 3:??Practice, practice, practice

If you’ve every played sports, taken music lessons, or been in a band this concept shouldn’t be a foreign idea to you.??Some of the most iconic figures also had some of the most fervent practice routines.??Develop an appreciative practice and be disciplined about carving out time every day to do this.??Five minutes, just like five pages from a book, adds up and before you know it your entire outlook on the world around you has changed.

Talk to you all next week!???I wish you an amazing week ahead!

-Brian

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