generative inquiry (neena verma)

neena verma

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drneenaverma@gmail.com

Inquiry

‘Critiquing’ ... ‘Appreciating’

Constructionism ... Words create Worlds

‘Critiquing’ and ‘Appreciation’ ... the way they partner

Generative Inquiry

... Mindful Harmonization of ‘Critiquing’ & ‘Appreciating’

My experience with Generative Inquiry

Lets do it

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Intent ... Uncover or create truth, knowledge, possibility

Context ... Discovery

Value ... Curiosity, Creativity

Process ... Explore, Examine, Probe, Seek

Approach ... Focus on the Question or the Answer

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Starts by identifying ‘what’s broke’

Seeks to examine ‘problem’ , analyze root-cause & find ‘solution’

Encourages and stimulates critical thinking

Fosters ‘solution orientation’

Tends to create defensive energy !!! ... Always ???

How is it different from ‘criticism’ !!!

And how is it similar to ‘appreciation’ !!!

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Starts by identifying ‘what’s working’

Seeks to appreciate, affirm and amplify the ‘positive’

Encourages and stimulates appreciative thinking

Fosters ‘possibility orientation’

Tends to create positive energy !!! Yes of-course

... Always ??? Amongst all ???

How is it different from ‘appreciation’ !!!

And how is it similar to ‘critiquing’ !!!

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Focus versus

Intent Find Solution Find Possibility

Thrust What’s broke/missing/wrong

What’s working/present/right

Process Examine, Analyze Affirm, Design

Approach Address the ‘Negative’ Leverage ‘Positive’

Amplify the ‘Positive’ Reframe the ‘Negative’

Metaphor Dark Cloud Flash of Lightning

Reflection Intellect, Logic, Reason Affirmation, Intuition, Imagination

Impact Directive ... Defensive Innovative ... Isolative

and

Generate

Way Forward

Explore

Synergy

Symbiosis

Objective Partnering

Collaborative

Words create Worlds versus

and

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Appreciating Critiquing Together

Value Curiosity Curiosity Curiosity

Method Affirmation Question Generation

Driver Faith Logic Conviction

Capability Discover & Dream Discuss & Deliberate Dialogue

Impact Inspiring..Isolative Directive..Defensive Inclusive

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Premise

Negativity..Problems..Doubt..Skeptical Eye are just as real & impactful words & processes as Positivity..Possibility..Hope..Appreciative Eye

The ‘negative’ may have a ‘positive intent’ The ‘positive’ may create a ‘blinding view’

Dark & Light are symbiotic parts of a ‘Whole’

Mutuality has power to engage & co-create

‘Critiquing’ is not same as ‘Criticism’ ‘Appreciating’ goes beyond ‘Appreciation’

‘Critique’ alone may create defensive energy ‘Appreciation’ alone may create isolative energy

Both seek to move forward

Proposition

Acknowledge and accept their co-existive presence

Appreciate the ‘positive intent’ of the ‘negative’ Stay mindful of the ‘positivity’ exaggeration

Allow them shared space and frame

Dialogue ... An invisible ‘D’ between all Ds

Discover and Design ... Synergy possible between ‘Critique’ and ‘Appreciation’

Seek to include by first Pacing ... Then Leading

Allow movement together ... Generate

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Process

Discover Acknowledge.. Engage.. Co-frame

Dream Understand..Partner..Co-imagine

Design Discuss..Validate..Co-adopt

Deliver Align..Act..Co-achieve

Dialogue An invisible ‘D’ between all Ds

Generative Core &

Potential

Discover

Dream

Design

Deliver

Fragmented Energy ... One section .. dismissive of what emerged from ‘Discover’ ... Other section .. enthusiastic to experiment what emerged from ‘Dream’

My struggle to ... Make ‘Positive Core’ be appreciated & ‘Positive Potential’ be projected ... Amplify the Positive &

Reframe the negative ... Include the Isolated and enable partnership & co-creation

First Intervention ... With Myself ... My awareness, acceptance and insight about my own polarized exploration ... Re-visiting my approach ... Realigning with Initiative Sponsors

Second Intervention ... With the Group as ONE WHOLE ... Re-engaging with the ‘Critical Energy’ section with acknowledgment & curiosity ... Facilitating a dialogue between two fragmented sections of the group ... To understand & appreciate each other, explore together and partner to co-create

Facilitating generative mutual discovery ... Brought the two in the same frame

Some of the questions asked –

What is the positive intent behind the ‘wrong/problem/gap’

What is the possibility from this problem, and partnership with the ‘Positive Core’

What would enable ownership of the change/excellence agenda that THIS GROUP would design

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Apprehensive Energy ... The intimidating impact of the ambience and process of ‘Assessment Centre’ ... and of being under

the ‘observation lens’

My struggle to ... Make the participants feel the ‘positive core’ of the process and get engaged with it ... Make the Assessors/Observers understand the impact of their deficit-based approach and job

First Intervention ... With Myself ... Understanding my own worry ... Relieving myself of the pressure to resolve ... Re-visiting my approach

Second Intervention ... With the Assessors ... Pacing with their ‘Evaluative Stance’ ... Hearing them ... Making them feel understood & appreciated ... Inviting their ‘expertise’ to think up ‘Possibility’

Third Intervention ... With the ADC process design ... Becoming Interactive ... Transforming ‘Exercises/Tools’ into ‘Experiences’ and ‘Feedback’ into ‘Development Dialogue’

Co-framing ... Facilitating Assessors to feel & imagine the heat of pressure on participants ... and practice their

objectivity with humility ... Facilitating participants to guess the enormity of ‘responsibility’ for assessors & partner with them

Some of the questions asked – What is the higher purpose and positive intent of ADC What is the possibility from this process and partnership What would enable ownership of THIS GROUP for fair and engaged assessment

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Think of an AI experience where problem/doubt/worry became the theme

Pair up and ask each other

What was the positive intent with which this ‘problem/doubt/negativity/dissent’ showed up ... Heliotropic Principle

What possibility can be pursued once we acknowledge the presence of ‘defensive/isolative’ energy ... And facilitate a pusposefully mutual inclusion, partnership and engagement ... Poetic, Simultaneity & Wholeness Principles

Imagine such generative partnership has happened... Anticipatory Principle

Stimulate your creativity further to spin a success story about how this happened ... ‘what dialogue’ helped create ... what impact and meaning it created ... what all is done to sustain this energy and partnership ... how ... Narrative Principle in Prospect

Identify metaphors/themes from your story ... Design a Provocative Proposition ... Deploy and accomplish ... Constructionist Principle

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David Cooperrider & Frank Barett Generative Metaphor Intervention: A New Approach for Working with Systems Divided by Conflict and Caught in Defensive Perception Gervase R Bushe Appreciative Inquiry Is Not (Just) About The Positive OD Practitioner, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp30-35, 2007. Generativity and the Transformational Potential of Appreciative Inquiry Organizational Generativity: Advances in Appreciative Inquiry Volume 3.

Stephen Fitzgerald, Christine Oliver & John C Hoxsey Appreciative Inquiry as a Shadow Process Journal of Management Inquiry, 19(3), Page 220-233 Constructionist Principle

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Thank you for your insightful and engaging participation Look forward to your feedback at

drneenaverma@gmail.com +91 991.002.1187