Influencing other people can have a ripple effect – it can start small but then the efforts begin to grow and grow. Of course we want to influence other people in a positive manner, not a negative one. Through Appreciative Inquiry, we can influence others by not only being positive ourselves, but helping other people make changes in their lives and be a more positive person too.
Using Strengths to Solve Challenges
Every problem or challenge is different. Some of them we can handle on our own. Some of them require help from others. Whatever the case, we know that we can solve the problem the best way we know how by using our inner strengths. Maybe you think well when you look at the big picture or you take a step-by-step approach toward any solution.
They key is to find what your strength is and use it to your advantage. Use Appreciative Inquiry to ask yourself what kind of strengths have worked for you before. Ask yourself how you felt when you used them to solve a problem and remember how confident you felt afterwards. These Appreciative Inquiry exercises will help you get to the root of your problem and then help you determine how to solve it!
Confidence Will Promote Positive Change
The perception you have of yourself not only affects how other people see you, but it can affect how you view the world and act in it. Sometimes we can’t control these things, such as embarrassing moments or recent mistakes, but there are many things we can do that can boost our confidence. When we remember our earlier successes or imagine a goal we want to achieve, we get an instant confidence boost and can feel better about the choices we make. When we are confident in ourselves, we are more apt to make positive changes without being fearful and without our own criticism.
Inquiry is a Seed of Change
Many things in our lives have changed so much and continue to grow over time. But what makes them change? What steps do they take to make something different? We’d be surprised to know that the simplest way to make changes is to ask a question. Inquiry is the seed of change because it brings up the mental question of “what if?”.
Through Appreciative Inquiry, anyone can ask a question that seeks to find another type of thinking. When different types of ‘thinkers’ come together, it can create various types of changes that can alter how we view many things in our lives.
People Will Gravitate Towards What is Expected of Them
When you look for a job opening in the want ads, what type of ads do you notice first? Chances are you read the ones that mention your type of skill set, such as a secretary, a chef, or even a construction worker. You feel confident reading these ads first because you know that they are in your area of skills and you’re confident you can do the job.
The same effect is true for anyone else. When people have an idea of what is expected of them, they are more likely to drift toward that persona. If we are positive and helpful in our own actions, people will naturally want to join in when we encourage them to feel the same way. They feel as though they are expected to feel more positive, upbeat or confident, so they begin to review how they do things and ‘gravitate’ towards a different way of doing things.
This post is from September’s topic on Appreciative Inquiry, which is also a course on our Executive Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.