Embrace Each Other & the Promise of “And”
As much as we know that words make worlds in our Appreciative Inquiry global community, sometimes there are no words that seem just right to capture everything in our heads and hearts. The perfect word to accurately reflect the mix of emotions that we, like all of you, are experiencing on a daily basis alludes us. There are many wonderful words, however, that have been swirling in our social media streams and during our myriad of virtual conference calls of late; words like: compassion, kindness, humanity, support, connections, and patience. Have you seen these words not only in writing, but also coming to life in new ways around you during the past several weeks?
The word that resonates with and inspires me perhaps the most right now is: “AND”
If anything, Appreciative Inquiry invites us to embrace and explore the “AND’s” in our lives now more than ever. As an AI practitioner, I know it is powerful to ask:
- How are we physically distancing AND socially connecting?
- How are we appreciating the gifts we have AND giving ourselves permission to grieve the losses we are feeling individually and collectively?
- How are we lifting up what is working today AND daring to ask what we want tomorrow to look like?
- How are we cultivating resilience AND how are we giving ourselves permission to not always have things figured out?
- How are we supporting others AND how are we taking care of ourselves?
As a firm believer in the Simultaneity Principle, I know that questions ARE catalysts for change, thus I will keep asking “AND-inspired” questions, and hope you might too. We will be doing just this in the weeks to come during our free webinar series and look forward to continuing to connect with you even while we must remain apart for now.
What questions are inspiring you right now? Share your insights with us @DLCCenterforAI #QuestionsCreateChange
-Lindsey Godwin,
Robert P. Stiller Endowed Chair & Professor of Management
Academic Director – David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry
Announcing Special Webinar Series:
Connecting to Conquer COVID with CCAI
We are proud to announce that we have scheduled a new FREE webinar series for the upcoming week. During this time of physical distancing, we hope to continue to socially connect with the golobal community in new and creative ways. Join us and other AI Experts in this free weekly webinar series to maintain and support our connection and conversations with you during this trying time. We don’t have the answers, but together we can come together to design a better tomorrow.
APRIL 2ND | 9 -10AM EST
INQUIRING INTO THE LIGHT IN TIMES OF DARKNESS
How might we use Appreciative Inquiry to seek out hope, optimism, and energy in a time when it is easy to feel just the opposite?
APRIL 9TH | 10-11AM EST
APPRECIATIVE RESILIENCE: SEEKING HOPE IN TIMES OF DESPAIR
How might we deepen our practice of appreciative resilience and seek hope in times of despair as we live and work through the COVID-19 pandemic?
Joan McArthur-Blair & Jeanie Cockell; Co-Presidents, Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting
APRIL 16TH | 10-11AM EST
CONVERSATIONS WORTH HAVING IN THE MIDST OF COVID19: USINE APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY TO FUEL PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS
How might we turn the challenges presented by Covid 19 into possibilities for Conversations Worth Having?
APRIL 23RD | 9-10AM EST
STORYTELLING, RESILIENCE, AND BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
Why do our stories matter so much right now?
UNABLE TO ATTEND ALL SESSIONS? NO PROBLEM!
WE WILL RECORD AND SEND OUT TO ALL REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS.
Resources from our global community of AI Practitioners
Because we need Appreciative Inquiry now more than ever, we wanted to share forward some of the resources our global community of practitioners have created to get us through these trying times.
A Virtual Open Dialogue with Dr. David Cooperrider and Dr. Lindsey Godwin about using Appreciative Inquiry in challenging times and the importance of the questions we ask.
Dr. Lindsey Godwin’s session as part of the Reinvention Summit on the power of Appreciative Inquiry to survive and thrive in crisis, along with a beautiful graphic recordings produced by Angelique McAlpine of Drawing Impact.
Sign up for future sessions and access to past recordings of the Free Reinvention Summit, hosted by Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva.
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Connecting to Conquer COVID with CCAI
FREE Online Webinar Series
Begins April 2, 2020
During this time of physical distancing, we hope to continue to socially connect with the global community in new and creative ways. Join the Cooperrider Center and other AI Experts in this free weekly webinar series. We’ll explore practices that can help us feel better, recognize strengths, and stay connected during this trying time. We don’t have all the answers, but we can weather it together and design a better tomorrow.
Strength-Based Book Group
FREE Online Session
April 14, 2020
Thriving Women, Thriving World: An Invitation to Dialogue, Healing, and Inspired Actions
by Diana Whitney, Caroline Adams Miller, Tanya Cruz Teller, Marlene Ogawa, Jessica Cocciolone, Haesun Moon, Kathryn Britton, Angela Koh & Alejandra Leon de la Barra
April 14: Chapters 1-5
May 12: Chapters 6-9
June 9: Chapters 10-13
Sign up to receive log in information
Developing an Appreciative Mindset
Online
May 5 – June 11, 2020
You will learn:
- How to identify your own strengths, as well as others’ so you can better leverage them
- The art and science of building your own gratitude practices and their impacts
- How to craft questions that inspired others and help generate new possibilities in your own life, organization, and community
- Inspirational examples of how others have used Appreciative Inquiry as a practice and methodology to create change in different ways around the world
This course will help you build capacity to apply AI Principles to your personal life while understanding AI’s larger applications.
Conversations Worth Having –
Trainer Certification
Asheville, NC
May 13-15, 2020
Conversations Worth Having (CWH) certification gives you the ability to positively affect people’s lives by significantly improving communication within organizations. As a CWH trainer, you will have the tools and skills to offer both virtual and on-site Conversation Bootcamp trainings. The certification program is designed to ensure that as a trainer, you will be confident and effective.
Certification requires successful completion of the 2.5-day CWH training for trainers’ program, an online final evaluation process, delivery of bootcamp trainings, and acceptance of a professional project.
Timely Topic Virtual Session: AI JAM
FREE Online Session
May 16, 2020
This is an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming 4th Annual Appreciative Inquiry Jam, which will be held in Burlington, VT, October 2-4, 2020.
The AI Jam is a multigenerational gathering where you can renew, reenergize and reflect on your practice of appreciative inquiry for your personal and professional lives.
Whether you are new to the concept of appreciative inquiry, ready to raise your game or a seasoned practitioner, the AI Jam is an event worth attending. As a newcomer to AI, you will have an opportunity to meet and learn from AI practitioners who have used this approach in a variety of ways. Come with questions of just to listen… we hope to see you online!
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