Inspiring Impacts

In this special double-header, Scot Lowry and Jeff Bouwman share their discovery of Appreciative Inquiry and how, through the AiMS Institute, they have used it as a management approach to help companies transform the way they work. Scot is a Managing Partner at Promise One and a Professor focused on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. He has found great success in applying a strengths-based approach to engage teams and stakeholders in dialogues that value people and unleash potential. Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of The AiMS Institute and helps leaders create transformative change by bringing an innovative new approach to how they run their businesses. They join us to share how they have seen Appreciative Inquiry enable leaders to think, talk, and act differently in a time of unprecedented complexity and uncertainty. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Scot shares how using AI helped him successfully scale his company, transitioning from traditional management to embedding AI into daily operations, which led to increased employee engagement and business growth. Jeff highlights two essentials for leadership: being open to diverse perspectives and executing leadership through a strengths-based, appreciative approach. They share a case study with Precision Communication. A new owner faced resistance with a traditional top-down approach. By shifting to a co-creative process using AI, the company experienced a transformation in team dynamics, engagement, and business results. The owner involved the team in creating a new organizational structure and setting business priorities, leading to increased ownership, adaptability, and the achievement of 90-day goals. The company saw revenue growth and an energized team, indicating a cultural shift driven by appreciative practices. Scot and Jeff share that true engagement occurs by actively involving people in the process, a simple yet powerful principle that underpinned their success. They emphasize that they aren’t changing what is done, but rather HOW leadership is executed. They cite AI as a transformative tool for increasing engagement (the emotional connection that motivates employees to bring their best efforts voluntarily) and mutual commitment, moving away from top-down, command-and-control methods. Scot and Jeff stress the importance of AI as a management approach that encourages leaders to honor team input and integrate broader perspectives into decision-making. They recommend resources such as the AI Certificate Program at Champlain College, "Conversations Worth Having" by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres, and Jeff Bouwman's Change Maker program. Jeff advises using simple, actionable AI-based questions to unlock team wisdom, such as asking what's important, reflecting on past successes, and envisioning future possibilities. They both think that the best way to understand AI's benefits is through direct experience. LIKE AND SHARE If you liked this podcast, please SHARE an episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more at appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu.

Ever since he joined British Telecom (BT) as a senior executive in 1998, Joep de Jong has been using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to lead, coach, and facilitate change and innovation in organizations . He consults and leads lectures on leadership, change management, organization development, and intercultural work at organizations ranging from the UN’s World Food Program, the European Space Agency to small and big for profit organizations. He is particularly interested in the sustainability of AI in organizations and in the use of it in every day processes (strategic planning, facilitation, coaching, appraisals etc.) in order to achieve the best possible results. Core in his approach is a strong belief in the possibilities and potential that resides in us all. He joins us to share where he has seen AI have a big impact. From mergers, to layoffs, to domestic violence, he demonstrates how AI, and the power of storytelling, can make a meaningful difference. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Joep shares how one of the most powerful invitations in Appreciative Inquiry, that of storytelling, immediately “sold” him on the approach. He notes how during a technical merger between two companies, storytelling was an integral part of building trust between the two teams. Joep talks about his favorite go-to tool for co-creating visions and values: The Wall of Wonder. Using an appreciative approach and truly walking the talk of his belief in relationships helped Joep during a particularly difficult round of layoffs He shares how he helped facilitate discussions around domestic violence, using Appreciative Inquiry to help them focus on peace in the house. Joep is credited with the quote, “A problem is nothing but a frustrated dream.” He challenges us to prove him wrong. LIKE AND SHARE If you liked this podcast, please SHARE an episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more at appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu.

Dr. Nicole Bossard helps community and social service agencies align organizational values and business practices; strengthen accountability processes; improve collaborative partnerships; improve employee engagement and dramatically expand leadership capacity throughout the organization. With over 25 years experience helping social and human service providers make the shift from compliance-driven practice to real impact for individuals, families, employers, and communities in urban, suburban, rural areas, and Tribal nations across the United States, Dr. Nicole understands the pressures to perform and deliver results in a systems context. She joins us to share her journey with Appreciative Inquiry, where she has seen it have real impact in child protective services, and how she thinks organizations can tap into their best resource: the full engagement and inclusion of their employees and customers! EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Dr. Nicole shares how she discovered Appreciative Inquiry and what pushed her toward taking a deep dive in applying it in her work. She shares her commitment to making our relationship accountability objectives as important as our systems change objectives. Appreciative Inquiry challenges the faulty premise that we have to focus in on the problem, which only pigeon holes us to the presenting issue. Dr. Nicole’s work leading systems change in child welfare services meant gathering a whole system of stakeholders, including among others, birth parents. She shares how she helped create safe spaces for people in a system rife with secondary trauma. She walks us through the process of how she ran a Summit to improve system outcomes for child welfare services. There is a transformation that happens when you invite people to see themselves as leaders. Dr. Nicole shares the story of Sherry Tomlinson and how important it is to include big loud, sometimes scary, voices. She leaves us with the takeaway that this approach to human systems allows for a soul blossoming that creates so much value and the kind of collaboration needed in the world today. LIKE AND SHARE If you liked this podcast, please SHARE an episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more at appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu.

Fran Stoddard is a journalist and consultant who has been involved in education, public relations, media production, facilitation, and strategy development for more than 30 years. With a deep interest in helping organizations and communities move forward, Fran has used Appreciative Inquiry to help inspire impacts in towns and communities across the country.

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? It’s the one and only, Dr. David Cooperrider, the first person to coin the term “Appreciative Inquiry”! David Cooperrider, PhD, is a professor and Founder of the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. As we wrap up Season 1 of Inspiring Impacts, David joins host Dr. Lindsey Godwin to share his definition and perspectives on three decades of global f Appreciative Inquiry work. David shares stories of how Appreciative Inquiry first developed, how he’s applied it in his own life, and how he’s seen others use AI to create positive change in their lives and the world for over 30 years. Highlighting many of the themes we’ve discussed throughout this season, he answers questions you’ve likely been wondering. He also details the powerful role of language in bringing people together in a creative mode, practicing Appreciative Inquiry, and realizing transformation. David Cooperrider, PhD, is the Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. Currently David serves as Faculty Director of the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. David is best known as the co-creator and creative thought leader of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). His founding work with AI is creating a positive revolution in the leadership of change; it is helping institutions all over the world discover the power of the strength-based approaches to multi-stakeholder innovation and collaborative design. Cooperrider’s work is especially unique because of its ability to enable positive change, innovation, and sustainable design in systems of large and complex scale. Episode Highlights: The origin story of the term “Appreciative Inquiry”. Why the “whole system” approach is so important in the Appreciative Inquiry model. “Words create worlds.” – What is the meaning behind that phrase? Reframing as a core principle of Appreciative Inquiry & how David brought reframing to life in his own health journey. Why storytelling is a powerful tool and a core part of any appreciative process. Appreciative questions you can take with you into work, relationships, personal health, and more. Join us next season for more conversations, stories, and guests who are Inspiring Impacts all over the world! Did this episode inspire or impact you? Want to make an impact on us? If so, SHARE this episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts! Resources & Previous Episodes Mentioned: More about David's work and writing: https://www.davidcooperrider.com David's commentary on the original AI article he and Suresh Srivastva published https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S1475-9152(2013)0000004001/full/html UN Global Compact Appreciative Inquiry Summit: https://aicommons.champlain.edu/educational-material/united-nations-global-compact-leaders-summit/ Making Change Easy: The Tiniest Ai Summit in the World. This article details David's personal health journey using AI reframing as an approach AI and the United Religions Initiative (URI) http://www.theinterfaithobserver.org/journal-articles/2019/5/13/appreciative-inquiry-and-the-united-religions-initiative Ame Lambert: add link when live Jackie Wong: add link when live Liz Vogel: https://bit.ly/43IjfSz Luc Verheijen: https://bit.ly/43KO7Sg Tojo Thatchenkery: add link when live Ellen Drolette: https://bit.ly/44HAgOc Yabome Gilpin-Jackson: https://bit.ly/47aQjWc Ronald Fry: https://bit.ly/44GXN1F Inspiring Quotes: “Appreciative Inquiry is all about the search for the true, the good, the better, the possible.” “We grow and we become what we most deeply, frequently, and most powerfully ask questions about.” “There’s a big difference between eliminating something and enabling something and you can’t enable what you can’t talk about it.” “We’ve

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? Tojo Thatchenkery! Dr. Tojo Thatchenkery, PhD, is a professor, author, and Founder of the Appreciative Intelligence® Model, which is based on Appreciative Inquiry and mindfulness. Listen in as Tojo joins host Dr. Lindsey Godwin to detail the concept of Appreciative Intelligence and share how you can develop your own Appreciative Intelligence® with just three simple techniques. From doctors to economists to parents, everyone can benefit from growing their Appreciative Intelligence®! Tojo says a big part of that is practicing mindfulness and positive reframing. Tune in to learn more about the power of Appreciative Intelligence® and even how it helped Tojo transform his relationship with his daughter. Tojo Thatchenkery, PhD, is a professor and director of the Organization Development and Knowledge Management program in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is an internationally known speaker, consultant, and educator and is featured as one of the leading change thinkers in the Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Thatchenkery’s research has been funded by agencies such as the United States National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, and the U.S. Postal Service. He is the author of more than a dozen books and hundreds of articles. Episode Highlights: The difference between Appreciative Inquiry and Appreciative Intelligence®. How leaders, individuals, and organizations are using Appreciative Intelligence® (plus their results). Why reframing is a crucial part of Appreciative Inquiry and Intelligence. How to develop your Appreciative Intelligence® and reframing skills. The 4 qualities of people with Appreciative Intelligence®. How Tojo has used Appreciative Intelligence® and reframing in his personal life. What is the circular economy and how do you see it as reframing in action? Resources Mentioned: http://www.appreciativeintelligence.com/ Appreciative Intelligence®: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn (book) by Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker The Development and Validation of the Appreciative Intelligence ® Scale (article) by Brian Whitaker, Tojo Thatchenkery, and Lindsey Godwin Inspiring Quotes: “Appreciative Inquiry is a systematic way of building on those core values, competencies, assets, etc. thereby creating a much better and healthier organization. “We also find mindfulness as one of the best examples of a practice for reframing and seeing the positive because in mindfulness, you are accepting the present as good without judging.” What is Appreciative Inquiry? Appreciative Inquiry, sometimes referred to as “the other AI”, is one of the best kept secrets behind meaningful and lasting change at organizations. The AI approach is strength-based, meaning it focuses on identifying and leveraging successes to solve problems, rather than focusing on trying to fix individual failures. Did this episode inspire or impact you? Want to make an impact on us? If so, SHARE this episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts!

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? Dr. Ame Lambert! Dr. Ame Lambert is the Vice President for Global Diversity & Inclusion at Portland State University (PSU). Tune in as Ame speaks with host Dr. Lindsey Godwin about the generative power of Appreciative Inquiry in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion at universities and beyond. Ame describes how Appreciative Inquiry helps bring diverse groups together across cultures, races, and ethnicities, making it a powerful tool for seeing the universal humanity in all of us and bringing out the best in each of us. You’ll learn how Ame and her colleagues are using an appreciative approach to co-create a racially just and equitable future for the Portland community. She notes how the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, along with a similar tragedy at PSU, fueled her action-focused diversity and inclusion summit called Time to Act. Listen in to learn about the powerful impact of this summit and the work that continues to unfold at PSU. In her role as Vice President for Global Diversity & Inclusion at Portland State University, Dr. Ame Lambert leads the embedding of equity into all university operations, and supports the thriving of minoritized students and employees. Her goal and core purpose is to close the gap between potential and thriving for students and the university as a whole. Episode Highlights: What pushed Ame to use Appreciative Inquiry in her diversity and inclusion work. How to use Appreciative Inquiry to fuel action in people who feel hopeless, angry, and frustrated. The Appreciative Inquiry framework that informed the design of the Time to Act Summit. Dream and Discovery questions that encourage people to imagine a more inclusive, equitable future. Goals and action items of PSU’s Time to Act Plan. How PSU is infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion into leadership and infrastructure, student education, scholarship and service, and the performance review process. Resources Mentioned: Time to Act Summit: https://www.pdx.edu/diversity/equity-summit Inspiring Quotes: “I see AI as a methodology that really activates the best in us to work for the best of us.” “Every year we’re getting better.” “What pain and anger of frustration actually are communicating is that in my core, I have a sense of how it should be.” What is Appreciative Inquiry? Appreciative Inquiry, sometimes referred to as “the other AI”, is one of the best kept secrets behind meaningful and lasting change at organizations. The AI approach is strength-based, meaning it focuses on identifying and leveraging successes to solve problems, rather than focusing on trying to fix individual failures. Did this episode inspire or impact you? Want to make an impact on us? If so, SHARE this episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts!

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? Ellen Drolette! Ellen Drolette is an appreciative educator and expert on early childhood education. Tune in as Ellen speaks with host Dr. Lindsey Godwin about the transformative impacts Appreciative Inquiry has on the mindsets and behaviors of early childhood teachers and students. Ellen breaks down how Appreciative Inquiry can help educators reframe and change negative behaviors and perspectives, from kids’ biting habits to the dread you feel about Mondays. She emphasizes the power of using AI to dismantle and avoid negative self-fulfilling prophecies and even improve your interactions with co-teachers and parents. Ellen Drolette is a certified Appreciative Inquiry practitioner and has found innovative ways to work AI into the practices of early childhood education. She earned her certificate at Champlain College under the direction of Dr. Lindsey Godwin. Ellen brings nearly 30 years of experience to the early childhood field. Her enthusiasm and passion for working with young children and families are as enormous as her passion for working with early childhood teachers, directors, mentors, administrators, and the entire team of early childhood educators. Ellen’s first book, Overcoming Teacher Burnout in Early Childhood: Strategies for Change, was published in 2018 by Redleaf Press and focuses on how early childhood professionals can battle burnout and low morale in the workplace. Episode Highlights: How Appreciative Inquiry guides her through difficult moments as an educator. Ways to integrate Appreciative Inquiry in early childhood education + examples of AI questions to ask young students. How to use Appreciative Inquiry at parent-teacher conferences. Understanding, reframing, and correcting children’s behaviors, like biting, with Appreciative Inquiry. How to stop dreading Mondays. How to work more effectively with your co-teacher. Resources Mentioned: National Association for the Education of Young Children: https://www.naeyc.org The Joy of Appreciative Living by Jacqueline Bascobert Kelm: https://appreciativeliving.com/the-joy-of-appreciative-living Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dwek: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400062756/sociapsychn0f-20 Research on Growth Mindset: https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/ A summary of Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions: https://positivepsychology.com/broaden-build-theory/ Summary of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Pygmalion Effect: https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-fulfilling-prophecy.html Inspiring Quotes: “Once you learn about Appreciative Inquiry, you can implement it so deeply in all of the different places of your life.” “I realized in that moment, it had nothing to do with the children. It had everything to do with me and my attitude and how I was showing up for that day… That really was very impactful for me.” “If you know your co-teacher’s not a morning person, don’t try to engage with them in the morning, but also, recognizing what is going well with that teacher… that can go a long way... when you say that you appreciate the way someone did something, it’s so powerful.” What is Appreciative Inquiry? Appreciative Inquiry, sometimes referred to as “the other AI”, is one of the best kept secrets behind meaningful and lasting change at organizations. The AI approach is strength-based, meaning it focuses on identifying and leveraging successes to solve problems, rather than focusing on trying to fix individual failures. Did this episode inspire or impact you? Want to make an impact on us? If so, SHARE this episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts!

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? Luc Verheijen! Luc Verheijen is a Partner at Kessels and Smit, The Learning Company in Belgium. In this episode, Luc speaks with host Dr. Lindsey Godwin about how to use Appreciative Inquiry and learning networks to address challenges, improve performance, and create energized workplace environments. Luc emphasizes the power of storytelling and leading with questions instead of answers, noting how different questions can lead to different realities. He describes how to use appreciative inquiry in large groups and learning networks to foster collective intelligence and inspiring impacts. Luc Verheijen is a Consultant and Partner at Kessels and Smit, where he focused on process guidance, appreciative inquiry, leadership, organizational and social development, and positive education. He believes that if we can change the conversations, then the organization changes. Episode Highlights: How Luc utilizes an appreciative inquiry approach to work with large groups and bring diverse views together to tackle challenges head-on. Collective Intelligence: When people come together around a shared purpose, they can take on challenges and create positive impacts far beyond what they could do alone. The power of the question: “Whose voice do we need to hear at this moment?” AI learning networks to learn about and apply appreciative inquiry to a large group’s work around a shared topic. What does it look like for people participating in a tourism-focused appreciative inquiry learning network? What’s been the biggest impact of the learning network? How to bring feuding companies together through appreciative inquiry. Advice for using appreciative inquiry: AI itself is the learning. It’s a tool for continuous discovery. Resources Mentioned: Kessels and Smit: https://www.kessels-smit.com AI Practitioner - International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry: https://aipractitioner.com “Appreciative Inquiry as a Daily Leadership Practice” by Luc Verheijen, Saskia Tjempkema, & Joeri Kabalt: https://www.amazon.com/Appreciative-Inquiry-Daily-Leadership-Practice/dp/193855275X Inspiring Quotes: “Every participant who joins and learns about AI, we get tens and tens of projects using AI to support the mission of everyone deserves a holiday and we strengthen the interrelationships between all these network parts.” “For me, the essence is a practice of inquiry, a practice of being curious every and each time, again and to see the wonder in everything you meet during a day.” What is Appreciative Inquiry? Appreciative Inquiry, sometimes referred to as “the other AI”, is one of the best kept secrets behind meaningful and lasting change at organizations. The AI approach is strength-based, meaning it focuses on identifying and leveraging successes to solve problems, rather than focusing on trying to fix individual failures. Did this episode inspire or impact you? Want to make an impact on us? If so, SHARE this episode with a friend, leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and follow Inspiring Impacts wherever you listen to podcasts!

Who’s Inspiring Impacts today? Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson! Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, PhD, is an award-winning scholar, executive coach, organizational development practitioner, and thought leader. Tune in as she speaks with host Dr. Lindsey Godwin about how she’s using trauma-informed Appreciative Inquiry to create resonant transformation in organizations.

Learn how to unlock the power of "the other AI" - Appreciative Inquiry - with host Dr. Lindsey Godwin. AI is one of the best kept secrets behind meaningful and lasting change at organizations like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Apple, The Cleveland Clinic, and the United Nations. In each episode, we’ll hear from leaders and experts who have achieved astonishing results at their organizations, from improved teamwork and productivity, to increased engagement and revenue. Get inspired with "Inspiring Impacts," brought to you by the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College. The first two episodes air on June 14th, 2023!