Another appreciative inquiry mini-case study
04 Thursday Dec 2008
Written by Jo Jordan in BUSINESS & COMMUNITIES
Tags
appreciative inquiry, career planning, happiness, leadership, management, positive psychology, simultaneity, social responsibility, tough working condition, Wal-Mart
Share it
Be careful of citing companies who do well by doing good!
Death and taxes are certain in this world. So is the likelihood that any company you quote as doing good will make the headlines in the morning. I’ve taught for years, and this rule never fails me!
Wal-Mart at its best
So taking my reputation in my hands, I am delighted to pass on another little appreciative inquiry nugget that I spotted in the Management Education briefing circulated by The Economist.
Wal-Mart, the big shop that people love to hate (I’ve never been in one, have you?) did respond well after Hurricane Katrina. They suprised themselves, as well as their detractors, and supposedly sparked an ephiphany moment for CEO, Lee Scott.
“What would it take for Wal-Mart to be that company, at our best, all the time?”
Wal-Mart as an example of appreciative inquiry
This simple sentence is typical of appreciative inquiry. We identify the high point and work out the processes that led us there. Frequently, we find solutions to a range of problems that we previously thought intractable.
Appreciative inquiry & me
And I ask myself: what will it take for me to be that person, at my best, all the time?
3 comments
March 10, 2009 at 2:28 am
Hi Jo,
I love the question you ask yourself. What would it take to be that person, at your best, at all times?
For me, it requires to be the most aware I can be at all times and I know I won’t always be. But as I was reminded yesterday, that all things pass. I will start each day anew and be lovingly kind to myself and all others. I will keep working at being the best I can. http://pursuingpassions.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/the-practice-of-positivity/
July 4, 2010 at 11:23 am
thanks for your inspiration
July 4, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Thank you, Bukik. Alas, I do not speak Indonesian. But I very much enjoyed this quotation in English that I found on your site.
“While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance.” Hans Bos