Although this conference will be held in the US, it may also be of interest for members of the Australian AI community.

Registration is now open!

Please join us in beautiful Charlottesville,Virginia, for this conference jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia Center for Appreciative Practice and the Corporation for Positive Change, to be held on the grounds of the UVA Darden School of Business, June 13-15, 2013.

About the Conference

This conference will feature the expertise of Dr. Diana Whitney, an internationally recognized expert in the field of Appreciative Inquiry, and the faculty of the UVA Center for Appreciative Practice who have emerged as leaders in adapting Appreciative Practices to the field of health care. The highly interactive format combines presentations, panel discussions,illustrative activities and skill building sessions and allows for significant interaction with the expert faculty.

Participants will receive real-time feedback while learning skills that can be applied immediately,providing an ideal venue for individuals or professional teams to envision the application of Appreciative Practices to their own work environments with guidance from seasoned professionals.

About Charlottesville

Charlottesville is a beautiful historic destination. Many area cultural and recreational attractions are easily accessible from the conference location including Thomas Jefferson’s University of Virginia and Monticello, James Monroe’s Ash Lawn, the vibrant Downtown Mall and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Registration

$895 for healthcare professionals
$450 for residents/fellows (graduate medical trainees).

More Information

For detailed brochure and to register, please visit the CME website and  click on Conferences and Symposia > June.

(This meeting has been accredited for 15.5 AMA PRA Category 1 creditsTM).

We sincerely hope that you will join us for this exciting and educational symposium, and look forward to seeing you in June!

The UVA Center for Appreciative Practice & the Corporation for Positive Change

Contact Information

Katharine Schlag
University of Virginia
School of Medicine
Office of Continuing Medical Education
P.O. Box 800711
Charlottesville, VA 22901 USA
Tel: 1-434-924-9387
Email: kas3b@virginia.edu
or kas3b@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

Registrations are now open for our upcoming The Essence of Appreciative Inquiry workshops.

Early Bird registrations until 28 February. So if you would like to attend, register now!

Locations

Canberra: 3rd  & 4th April

Brisbane: 10th & 11th April

Melbourne: 18th & 19th April

Sydney: 1st & 2nd May

Workshop Fees

Full Registration: $770 (including GST)
Early Bird Registration (until 28 February): $693 (including GST)
Fees include workshop manual, Food for Thought journal (see below) and delicious fully catered lunch, morning and afternoon teas.

More Information

Download Flyer

Register

By: Sue James

Mark these dates in your diary, if you are interested in registering for one of our Essence of Appreciative Inquiry workshops in early 2013:

Canberra
Wed 3rd April – Thur 4th April

Brisbane
Wed 10th April – Thur 11th April

Melbourne
Thur 18th April – Fri 19th April

Sydney
Wed 1st May – Thur 2nd May

Venues will be finalised in early January 2013, after which full details as well as workshop fees and registration links will be posted  on our website.

If you would like to be notified when details are available, please complete the Expression of Interest form on the above page.

In these workshops you will;

• Gain a deeper understanding of the ‘essence’ of AI and how to apply it
• “Learn by doing” through many practical activities
• Understand the history, theoretical foundations and key concepts of AI
• Explore the essential principles and assumptions of AI and relate them to your own life and work
• Gain a basic understanding of Appreciative Intelligence(R) and its relationship to AI
• Practice the art of asking powerful questions to shift a conversation and encourage transformative change
• Identify how and when to use a formal Appreciative Inquiry or a simpler ‘appreciative approach’

PLUS: You will receive a detailed workshop manual that will be a valuable, ongoing reference.

These highly practical, fun and interactive workshops are very different from the standard approach, because it focuses on the ‘essence‘ of Appreciative Inquiry so critical for success. Capturing the spirit of Appreciative Inquiry makes the approach more powerful than simply applying it as a ‘mechanical technique’.

This workshop was, by far, one of the most inspirational, thoughtful, action-provoking workshops I have attended for many years – and I’ve attended many! Two days were not enough – we could have spent the whole week working on the many aspects that were obviously not covered in the timeframe allowed! As a Community Development Trainer and Facilitator, I have been an AI convert for many years and utilise it in professional development workshops that I deliver throughout Australia and for framing generative questions. But this particular course by Sue and Chris gave me a deeper meaning and understanding of AI as a way of viewing my work, family, colleagues and life through a thoroughly more appreciative lens! I cannot recommend the Essence of Appreciative Inquiry highly enough and I’m sure if I did the 2 days again, I would gain bucket-loads more from each workshop!

Dee Brooks, ABCD Asia Pacific

Photo by Luigi Diamanti FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Catching the Third Wave: Developing genuinely collaborative partnerships for change

David Lees and Paul Montgomery of Unique Outcomes will be facilitating this workshop in Brisbane on 5-6 November.

Ideal for all those who are interested in strength-focused approaches to change that honour the wisdom, skills and knowledge of all those  involved:

Over the past couple of decades, David Lees and Paul Montgomery of Unique Outcomes have participated in the rise of what Bill O’Hanlon has called the “Third Wave”.  Unlike the “first wave” (that has workers analysing psychopathology) and the “second wave” (that has us hypothesizing problematic patterns), the “Third Wave” is based on a genuine faith in the insider knowledges, intentions and potentials of the people for whom we provide a service.  As keen “surfers” of this wave, David & pAul have been practicing, supervising and teaching these ideas in a range of contexts and are delighted to have this new opportunity to bring together highlights from four of the important “practice traditions” that are part of this wave. These four traditions are: Appreciative Inquiry, Narrative, Solution-Focused and Strengths Based Practice.

More Information

WHEN: 9.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m., Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 November, 2012

WHERE: Riverglenn Convention Centre, 70 Kate St Indooroopilly, Brisbane

COST: $480 (incl GST) includes 2 days of training, all materials, meals & refreshments.

TO REGISTER: phone Mary on 0400 500 674 or email mary@uniqueoutcomes.com.au

By: David Lees

Places are still available for The Essence of Appreciative Inquiry workshop to be held in Sydney next week.  However due to unforseen circumstances, there has been a change of venue:

When
11-12 October
9.00 am – 4.30 pm

Parking available at the hotel $21 per car per day.  Accommodation also available if required. Workshop fee includes tea/coffee on arrival, fully catered lunches and morning/afternoon teas.

Facilitators
Sue James & Chris Bennett of BJ Seminars International

More information

Comments from previous participants

Registration

By: Sue James

Appreciative questions are used in all our work at BJ Seminars International, but recently I had the opportunity to include them in a personal project of mine.

This project involved eight other martial artists from around the world and was the publication of a free ebook – ‘Many Paths One Destination: Nine Martial Artists Share Their Journeys’.  Sue James created the appreciative questions, designed to encourage contributors to tell their personal stories at a deeper level

It certainly was a challenge to co-ordinate the project, help edit and also contribute my story to the ebook.

Visit Appreciative Questions & the MAT Chat E-book to find out more about the project and read the 8 appreciative questions the authors used to help them shape their stories.

By:  Chris Bennett

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY CERTIFICATE
in Positive Business and Society Change

PRESENTED BY AI FOUNDER PROF RON FRY
BOOK NOW for November 2012 & June 2013, Melbourne, Australia

AI: LEVERAGING STRENGTHS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE LASTING CHANGE
(Formerly Foundations and Frontiers)
3.5 days Nov 12-15, 2012

AI ADVANCED WORKSHOP
Certificate in Positive Business and Society Change
3 days Late June 2013

Developed by AI co-originators and Weatherhead School of Business faculty members David Cooperrider, Ph.D., and Ronald Fry, Ph.D., this program presents a proven approach to accelerating organisational change by redirecting focus to core strengths. Through a combination of coursework and fieldwork, earn advanced professional education in the foundations of AI and work on projects specific to your own organisation. The certificate, awarded by the Weatherhead School of Business at Case Western Reserve University, bridges high ideals with the results orientation of business and industry.

WHERE

Melbourne, Victoria.

FEE

Part 1: Appreciative Inquiry: Leveraging Strengths for Transformative, Lasting Change 
$4,400 incl GST.
Early Bird Fee by 1 October 2012: $3,960 including GST
Parts 2 and 3: Fieldwork and Advanced Workshop
$6,600 including GST.
Early Bird by 1 February 2013: $5940 including GST

Continue reading for more details about the course, the instructor (Pof. Ronald Fry) and how to book.

WHAT AND WHEN

Part 1: November 12 – 15, 2012
Appreciative Inquiry: Leveraging Strengths For Transformative, Lasting Change
(3.5 day in class program)

Part 2: Field Work
Take your AI capability to a new level
Supervised Projects
Optional Learning Conferences
(2 x full days for Certificate Candidates)
Supervision Conference Calls
The Certificate Program Qualifying Portfolio

Part 3: Late June 2013 
The Advanced Workshop on AI
Take your learning and practice to the cutting edge of AI
(3 day in class Program for Certificate Candidates)

COURSEWORK FOR THE CERTIFICATE

The certificate is awarded after completion of the three-part sequence outlined below.

Part I: Appreciative Inquiry: Levereraging Strengths for Transformative, Lasting Change
(3.5 days in class program)

Discover how and why Appreciative Inquiry works through case studies and illustrations. Learn how to ask the questions that open the floodgates for positive change, engage the whole system, and generate measurable results.

Topics:

How and why Appreciative Inquiry works
AI in action – Case studies, stories, illustrations
Questions that make positive change possible
Engaging the whole system in change
Develop a project for your organisation

Part II: Field Work: Certificate Qualifying Portfolio
An Inquiry into the Stories and Lives of Leaders in the Field
Join in a global inquiry on business as an agent of world benefit by conducting five appreciative interviews with social and business change leaders to capture golden innovations and visions of a future where business and society are even more positively connected.

AI Learning Conference Calls

Participants connect with colleagues through periodic internet mediated coaching and conference calls.

The Certificate Program Qualifying Portfolio

Participants move to a new level of capability by preparing two papers: a report on their inquiries with five leaders in the field and an analysis of their own projects.

Part III: The Advanced Workshop on AI 
(3.5 days in class program)
In this capstone session, participants experience the power of appreciative learning through interactive feedback sessions on AI projects

Receipt of Certificate
Participants will receive their certificates at the conclusion of Part III Advanced Workshop on AI.

PROFESSOR RONALD FRY (INSTRUCTOR)

Ronald Fry, Ph.D., is the chair and a professor of organisational behaviour. Dr. Fry, a co-originator of AI and noted authority on the subject, has published numerous journal articles and books on AI, including co-authoring the Handbook of Transformative Cooperation with Cooperrider and Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity with Frank Barrett, and has developed and conducted a certificate program in Appreciative Leadership and Organizational Capacity Building in over 30 countries. He also consults with a variety of organisations including The Lubrizol Corporation, Roadway Express, and the U.S. Navy. Dr. Fry received his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

TO BOOK

Email us to arrange payment.
We accept VISA, MasterCard and Direct Deposit

info@positiveleadershipinternational.com

Jan Elsner & Barbara Heilemann
Directors
Positive Leadership
601/118 Russell St, Melbourne, VIC Australia 3001

By: Jan Elsner

The May 2013 issue of the global  Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner journal will focus on the theme of Appreciative Inquiry and Communities of Practice.  This issue will also incorporate an innovative, collaborative process for gathering and publishing people’s contributions.

This Appreciative Inquiry Australia website was established as a space where Australian AI practitioners and others interested in AI in Australia could come together, share news or resources and learn from each other.

While it is certainly true to say that, as yet, we are not all well-connected as an Appreciative Inquiry Community of Practice across Australia, there are no doubt a number of ‘common unities’ and collaborative efforts taking place in different locations across our continent!

If you’re involved in one of these, you may like to consider a contribution to the May 2012 issue of AIP.

Download the AIP May 2013 Call For Contributions (pdf) to learn more.

The deadline for first drafts is 7 September 2012.

Appreciative Inquiry is great way of distilling new ideas from employees in any organization. However, what do you do with those ideas once you have encouraged them to come to the surface?

How can you record, sort, prioritize and track them in a way that keeps them in people’s minds and moving forward to realization?

We been working on this and I’m pleased to say that earlier this month we released our innovation portfolio tracking tool.

This little piece of software brings rigor and transparency to your organization’s innovation efforts. When you look at your organization’s current set of innovation opportunities from a portfolio perspective, you can easily determine where next investments should be placed.

The tool will help you answer the following questions:

• Are we taking enough risk or betting only on incremental “sure things”?
• Are we pursuing original ideas or just following others?
• Do we have any high-impact ideas under consideration?
• What aspects of our product/service offerings are not currently being innovated?
• How healthy is our pipeline, in terms of innovations moving from concept through to development?

Innovation Portfolio Tracker is in Beta release at the moment. We are looking for people who would like to try it out and give us some feedback. For your efforts, you will qualify for free updates for two years. I encourage you to find out more by visiting our Innovation Portfolio Tracker blog.

By: Leslie Allan

The Essence of Appreciative Inquiry workshop is coming to Sydney for the first time!

When:
10 and 11 October
9.00 am to 4.30 pm

Where:
The Ideas Vault
Building 14, Driver Avenue
Moore Park, NSW 2021

Parking vouchers provided for multi-level car park across road. $8 per day. Workshop fee includes fully catered lunches, morning/afternoon teas and café style espresso coffee on arrival and during morning & afternoon breaks.

More information and registration

Download the flyer

 By: Sue James