“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” Maya Angelou
David Cooperrider, creator of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), was the keynote speaker at a networking event I attended. Being a huge fan of his work, I have to admit I was a little star struck by him. Funny thing is, I didn’t need to be. David is one of the nicest and most down-to-earth people I have met.
Not only was I impressed with the quality of his presentation, I became an even bigger advocate when he shared that he never copyrighted AI because he wanted to give everyone access to it. He was out to make a difference in the world, not just to make a name for himself.
I use AI concepts in my programs and they always get great results. When you focus on the good instead of trying to “fix what’s wrong,” amazing things happen. The AI process is a different concept to the way organizations normally conduct business. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s worth exploring.
It’s when people like David Cooperrider give of their time, energy and talent, with no expectation of return that progress happens. The cool thing is that by the very act of not expecting recognition for your efforts, it happens anyway – oftentimes to a greater extent than you can imagine. Share your talents – that’s why you have them!