
Part of the process of Appreciative Inquiry is asking questions using overwhelmingly positive language. We know the more positive the question, the more positive and long-lasting the change.
Life changing conversations
Appreciative inquiry provides opportunities to ask life-affirming questions that lead to answers and conversations that two people may not otherwise have had. If you start with a question that is heart-focused, you get to hear stories the teller may have forgotten or hasn't had a chance to share with another.
The gift of listening
Part of the protocol of having an appreciative inquiry question is the person asking the question can only ask what is written. They cannot inject additional questions, commentary or thoughts. The true gift is listening to the person speaking with your full attention.
The second gift
Imagine, after listening to a person speak you are able to make them feel seen, heard and felt by giving them back the story they shared with insight and gratitude. How would that feel for both parties?
I think this quote by Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (1916-1988) captures the essence of a shared interview. “I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person.”
We have so much in common
"We have so much in common," is the phrase I have heard regularly expressed after a paired appreciative inquiry interview. The participants return to the larger group, excited and enthusiastic having made a connection, found a new friend or uncovered something they didn’t know about an old friend. The essence of a strong appreciative inquiry question leads to two people discovering a shared philosophy, a common dream or experience. Often after such conversations there is a determination to continue the connection and conversation started with the power of a single question.
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