Peggy Holman and I have just spent two days working with some amazing provincial public servants in Victoria, hosting a learning workshop on Appreciative Inquiry. There were many gems over the two days, but I think what stands out for me is the list of learnings that came after this morning. Our participants were given some homework overnight which simply consisted of interviewing someone using appreciative questions. Here are some of the rich insights that came up in the check in this morning: Genuine, appreciative questioning brings us together and fosters connection Being interviewed appreciatively open our awareness of possibility …
I’m in Victoria, BC. Tonight we had dinner at my favourite Thai restaurant in the world, Baan Thai. There are two reason why I love it. First the food is fantastic…homestyle Thai food that is slightly to the high end of medium priced, but is worth every penny. And second, if you stay there until closing you will witness a lovely ritual. At closing, the staff pull all of the tables in the middle of the restaurant together and they lock the door and they all sit down together to eat their supper. The chefs …
Douglas Rushkoff on President Obama: When there’s a big blackout in New York, especially during the summer, some people take it as a “cue” to start looting. It’s not that the blackout itself makes it significantly to break down store fronts; it’s not that the police are so very busy with the blackout. The lights going out is a cue to behave differently – to release the hidden potential for vandalism and long-repressed rage. Likewise, the election of a black man to the presidency is a cue that something has changed. As my friend, Ari Wallach explained to me on …
The Province of British Columbia runs an amazing Aboriginal Youth Internship progra. The program takes young ABoriginal people (under 30) and places them in a 12 month program featuring nine months of working within the provincial government and three months of working with Aboriginal organizations and governments. The chief architect and steward of this program is Sasha Hobbs, who is sitting next to me in a fog bound Vancouver harbour. She is working with another friend of mine, the amazing Priscilla Sabbas, and together they are working with 25 amazing young people in their second year of …