Shifting Nonprofits through [the other] AI
Before you continue reading, this is not another Artificial Intelligence blog that are so prevalent today. Rather, I recently stumbled upon an organizational and human systems approach that I found interesting. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an innovative approach that focuses on an organization's strengths and successes instead of its weaknesses. By creating a positive and inquisitive environment, AI aims to enhance an organization's potential and find creative solutions.
The early stages of a non-profit are a mix of ambition, passion, and a drive for meaningful change. These early steps are crucial in shaping the organization's core. In this context, I had a chance to apply Appreciative Inquiry in a meeting with an early-stage nonprofit. I thought I would share how it went.
Utilizing Appreciative Inquiry as the guiding framework, I facilitated a brainstorming session with an early-stage nonprofit focused on community improvement/development. The objective was to shape the structure and approach for an upcoming board retreat that would firmly establish the organization's mission, vision, and values.
During this session, the core focus was on harnessing Appreciative Inquiry's approach to prompt team members to recall instances of success and positive impact within the organization. By crafting questions that encouraged sharing these success stories, the goal was to recognize the organization's achievements and effective practices, which could provide a solid foundation for the upcoming board retreat. The stories shared ranged from successful community engagement events to impactful collaborations, thereby spotlighting the organization's intrinsic strengths.
As the session progressed, I facilitated a collaborative dialogue to distill the nonprofit's strengths and characteristics from these success stories. Through a series of AI-influenced questions, we collectively identified the underlying principles that had driven the organization's accomplishments and progress. This process enriched the team's understanding of their strengths and laid the groundwork for discussing values during the upcoming board retreat.
Subsequently, the conversation naturally evolved towards envisioning the organization's future—a pivotal element of the approaching board retreat. Employing the approach of Appreciative Inquiry, I encouraged the team to articulate their aspirations and goals, fostering a forward-looking perspective. This phase of the discussion enabled them to shape a vision that was deeply rooted in their achievements and strengths, setting a positive tone, and identifying expectations for the upcoming retreat.
There is certainly a time and place to address challenged areas of an organization, but often the more fruitful direction is rooted in questions recognizing successes, such as:
What is working?
What are you doing well?
What are the root causes for your success and how are you able to repeat it?
Questions like these help organizations that are often in very hard, deep, and difficult work see why they should have hope for better days. It allows them to appreciate the good they have contributed to each other and the community and build upon it.