Page 5 - The World Cafe

Special Report – Hosting Strategic Conversations 4
next level. In fact, simply asking the positive questions catalyzes change, even before planned action is taken based on the feedback from those questions.
While many systems-based processes such as Open Space Technology and the World Café often implicitly use the AI approach of looking at what works and at what can be, there are five basic stages to the ‘pure’ AI approach: Defining, Discovery, Dreaming, Designing and Delivery.
Defining
The defining stage of AI is the selection of what to focus on and the preparation of some of the appreciative questions. For example, instead of focusing on turnover, an AI approach would look at how to engage employees to deepen their commitment and tenure with the company. Instead of dealing with customer problems, perhaps you explore stories of totally exceptional customer service. The topic has to be positive and be something the organization and its people want, and can get excited about.
Discovery
Discovery involves going out and conducting many, many in-depth interviews with people, both employees and other relevant stakeholders, to find out what is working now and to uncover what happens when the organization is at its best. Questions such as ‘what was your best experience in doing XYZ’, where XYZ is the topic or situation you are exploring. From this first question, you can move to unearth what made that experience possible, and then shift into a bit of dreaming to ask, based on that best experience, what each person could dream to be possible 5 or 10 years into the future,
and what would enable that to happen. These interviews are then synthesized and analyzed to unearth themes and patterns.
The stories and best practices that you unearth in discovery can be shared throughout the organization to start to shift the focus and the mind-set of the entire organization.
Dreaming
The full dreaming process engages all key stakeholders in a fun, creative process that produces a compelling vision for the organization to move towards. There are a wide range of techniques and processes that are possible here, including our own Genesis process. The key is to actively engage and build the commitment of all key stakeholders in crafting a compelling vision and/or provocative propositions for the organization.
Designing
Designing involves all key stakeholders in uncovering the essence of the dream and finding a way to bring it into form that works for and supports all stakeholders. It produces the transition/ implementation plan for realizing the dream.
Delivery
This final stage (sometimes called ‘destiny’ by some AI practitioners) involves putting the plan into action with appropriate cross- functional and multi-stakeholder teams. Delivery is also strengthened by celebrating the successes that will have spontaneously occurred in the organization as you proceeded through the first four phases. It’s also important at this time to systematize or institutionalize the AI
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