Positive Psychology and Change How Leadership, Collaboration, and Appreciative Inquiry Create Transformational Results

Positive Psychology and Change explores how areas of positive psychology such as strengths, flow, and psychological capital can be applied to the everyday challenges of leading a dynamic and adaptive work community, and how collaborative group approaches to transformational change can be combined with a positive mindset to maintain optimism and motivation in an unpredictable working environment.

• Articulates a unique vision for organizational leadership in the 21st century that combines positive psychology, Appreciative Inquiry (AI), and collaborative group technologies
• Focuses on four specific co-creative approaches (Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space, World Café and SimuReal) and the ways in which they surpass traditional methods for organizational change
• Explains the latest theory, research, and practice, and translates it into concrete, actionable ideas for meeting the day-to-day challenges of effective and adaptive leadership and management
• Includes learning features such as boxed text, short case studies, stories, and cartoons

About the Author xi

Foreword xiii

Preface xix

Acknowledgements xxiii

1 The Legacy of Twentieth‐Century Ideas about Organizational Change 1

Introduction 2

A Changing World 3

The Roots of Many Change Models 4

Legacy Thinking about Organizational Change 6

The Legacy Beliefs of Lewin and Taylor in Our Understanding of Organizational Change 8

Conclusion 20

2 The Challenge of Leadership 21

Introduction 23

Should Decisiveness Be the Priority in Leaders? 24

The Need to Make a Difference 26

What Does Shifting the Organizational Metaphor Mean for Leaders? 29

New Definition of Leadership 30

Doing Leadership Differently 30

Characteristics of a New Leadership Style 32

Conclusion 50

3 Helping People Engage Positively with Imposed Change 51

Introduction 53

Typical Experience of Imposed Change 53

Unintended Consequences of Imposed Change 55

Understanding the Psychological Impact of Imposed Change on People 55

Accessing Psychological Resources to Increase Efficacy and Resilience 60

Conclusion 75

4 A Different Approach to Organizations and Change 77

Introduction 78

Key Factors that Create Living Human System Learning and Change 78

Distinctive Features of Co‐creative Approaches to Change 80

Principles of Practice for Achieving Change in Living Human Systems 88

Conclusion 96

5 Using Positive Psychology to Achieve Change at the Team and Individual Level 97

Introduction 98

Principles 98

Positive and Appreciative Practices 105

Conclusion 117

6 Appreciative Inquiry 119

Introduction 121

Process 122

Purpose 123

Recommended Use 123

Key Ideas 123

Critical Success Factors 128

Key Skills 132

Origins of the Methodology 136

When to Use and Counter‐indications 136

Conclusion 139

7 World Café 141

Introduction 143

The Process 143

Purpose 145

Recommended Use 145

Key Ideas 147

Critical Success Factors 151

Key Skills 157

Origins of the Methodology 158

Conclusion 160

8 Open Space 161

Introduction 162

Purpose 163

The Process 164                                                                   

Recommended Use 167

Key Ideas 170

Critical Success Factors 173

Key Skills 176

Origins of the Methodology 181

Conclusion 183

9 Simu‐Real 185

Introduction 188

Purpose 189

The Process 190

Recommended Use 191

Key Ideas 192

Critical Success Factors 194

Key Skills 200

Origins of the Methodology 202

Long‐Term Effects 202

When to Use and When Not to 203

Conclusion 203

10 Pulling It All Together 205

Introduction 205

Rise of Planned Change Approaches 205

Co‐creative Approaches to Change 207

Features of Co‐created Change 208

Linking Theory, Research, and Practice 215

Time for Something Different 216

Bringing Emergent Change Insights to Planned Change Projects 219

Positive: The Whole Strengths Spectrum Approach to Change 223

Conclusion 226

References 227

Index 237

SARAH LEWIS, an acknowledged expert on positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry, is Managing Director and Principal Psychologist at Appreciating Change (www.acukltd.com). She is an Associated Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Principal Member of the Association of Business Psychologists. She is the author of Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management (2nd edition, 2016) and Positive Psychology at Work (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). Her work is informed by a positive and appreciative view of organizations, and she also has particular expertise in systemic consultation, Open Space, World Café and Simu-Real. She is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, facilitates large group events and regularly runs workshops on “The Psychology of Change” through the CIPD.