When teaching coaching skills to managers I have often noticed that it’s hard for them to move on from the habit of using questions that close down thought processes, rather than opening them up. This short series of articles suggests some things to look out for in the way you frame questions, if you want
This follows on naturally from the Constructionist Principle. We have habits of seeing which filter out some aspects of our experience and emphasise others. Over time (through the process that psychologists call ‘confirmation bias‘) these mental filters become stronger, so that our beliefs and our habits of seeing become self-fulfilling prophesies that ‘create’ their own
(This is the first in a series of articles introducing the principles that underpin Appreciative Inquiry, and their implications) The Constructionist Principle, derived from ‘Social Constructionist’ theory, states that the language we use shapes our social reality. Meaning is made in conversation, and what emerges as knowledge is a broad social agreement created among
The Thin Book of SOAR: Building Strengths-Based Strategy by Jacqueline M Stavros and Gina Hinrichs The ‘Thin Books’ series impresses with its aim of presenting key organisational and people development concepts in a brief, fluff-free and practical way which makes it a boon to the busy manager or consultant. The Thin Book of SOAR is
