When faced with a crisis you might focus on the negative. Or you can consider a positive outcome, what assets you might access to turn things around, and what strengths you can tap into that will help you find your way. This is Appreciative Inquiry.
According to co-creator David Cooperrider Appreciative Inquiry is: The cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations and the world around them. A means for uncovering the strengths and assets of a system and leveraging them for greater impact.
In CNE’s October 27 workshop, Understanding Poverty to Engage Effectively with Your Clients, Ryan Jacoby of Game Changer Consulting, LLC, draws on his background in Appreciative Inquiry to help participants reflect on how they approach their work with those living in poverty. Knowing that our frameworks for creating solutions—our beliefs and assumptions—make a huge difference in how we work with these populations, Ryan will ask participants to think critically about how they currently engage with their stakeholders.
Topics will include:
- Differences between situational and generational poverty
- Poverty’s potential impact on program delivery
- Key principles of Bridges Out of Poverty
- An introduction to Appreciative Inquiry with training exercises
- Strategies for creating relationships of mutual respect to ensure effective engagement
Those working directly with populations affected by poverty are encouraged to register, as well as those responsible for developing programs for organizations working in these areas.
We need to discover the root causes of success rather than the root causes of failure.
– David Cooperrider