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I believe that Block (date) wanted to make people more aware of the importance of insight in the third edition of Flawless Consulting. Insight is important because it connects the way in which individuals think about the unique objectives of the organization. Without insight, consultants have a tendancy to focus on problems instead of discovery. Without insight, consultants are unable to effectively institute strength base or asset based approaches. Without being able to put these approaches into action, consultants get left to focus on the negatives instead of the possibilities. These two approaches remind me of growth mindset. Growth Mindset is the idea that individuals are not fixed in their ways but rather they can evolve and grow with hard work, feedback and productive strategies. Overall, think that insight is key when trying to evolve an organization through a consulting process and Peter Block wanted to shed light on that concept within his third edition.

3)  Share a useful resource in the third part of this discussion post that helps explain asset-based, strengths-based, or appreciative inquiry approaches to consultation. These can be articles, videos, podcasts or other credible resources.

4) Explain the difference between a problem-centered approach compared to a strengths-based approach.

Below is a link to a video that dives a touch deeper into a strength based approach.

Overall, a problem-centered approach focuses on the issues you see while a strengths-based approach focuses on possibilites and strengths of an organization.

https://sustainingcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/06/07/strengths-based-practice-intro/

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In my opinion, Mr. Block wanted the consultant to take the role of a dissectologist. If you are wondering what a dissectologist is, it is a person who enjoys jigsaw puzzle assembly. ... Dissected maps was a name used because some of the earliest puzzles were made from printed maps (Johnstone, 2020). Now that you are all confused, let me explain. While the dissectologist is putting the puzzle together they get the “insight” as to what piece goes where, they quite don’t know exactly where a piece might fit in, but they know that somewhere within those four corner pieces, that puzzle piece fits in. As they are gathering the pieces, they are forming the puzzle and getting closer to putting all the pieces together. Like the consultant that is gathering the pieces to solve the puzzle, the more they discover the more insight they get and the “board” is slowly settling into place. Like a puzzle, the more pieces that get revealed, the closer they are to solving or finding the answer or solution.

2) How does generating insight impact the potential for creating action?

Generating insight gives the consultant that 1000-foot view that allows them to see all the moving pieces and where they all might or might not fit. Only with this puzzle, the consultant can eliminate or create components to complete or totally wipe the slate clean. When the consultant has the insight (in my opinion) they can create the actions needed.

3)  Share a useful resource in the third part of this discussion post that helps explain asset-based, strengths-based, or appreciative inquiry approaches to consultation.

My search for this section was for Asset-based Consulting:

3a) https://stafiz.com/what-is-asset-based-consulting/

Explain the difference between a problem-centered approach compared to a strength-based approach.

3b)

Problem-centered approach focusses on the issues or problems and uses them to solve or find the resolution.

Strengths-based approach focuses on the strengths which focuses on an individuals’ self-determination and strengths. This type of approach builds on the client’s strengths, specifically seeing them as resourceful and resilient when they are in adverse conditions, this is usually client led.

Reference

Johnstone, M. (2020, April 3). What do you call a person who Does JIGSAW PUZZLES? https://www.puzzlehour.com/2020/04/what-call-person-jigsaw-puzzles.html.

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Genuinely digging into the data to identify the source of the issue at hand is critical, both to find the root cause and help the client understand things they are overlooking or purposefully choosing to ignore.  A consultant that generates a relationship with the client early in the process is more likely to receive their commitment to enacting change and taking action.  This can be done by taking the client along as the data is analyzed and interpreted.  If the client can see the issues as they are uncovered through a mutual relationship with the consultant, resistance is less likely to occur in the implementation stage of the process.

3)  Share a useful resource in the third part of this discussion post that helps explain asset-based, strengths-based, or appreciative inquiry approaches consultation.  These can be articles, videos, podcasts, or other credible resources. You will not need to respond to other posts during this module, but take time to read what others have posted.

http://www.metavolution.com/rsrc/articles/whatis_ai.htm

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A greater emphasis on generating insight - leads to the most positive - well, nearly everything. Just as we would when working with an individual on a team - helping to strengthen their strengths - will also help to offer more insight about potential ways to grown and reinforce what they already do. Within organizations - as an outside consultant, by not focusing on the perceived holes or challenges that an organization as - they are allowing more space for engagement and higher levels of communication. Those conversations can lead to more incredible ideas that are supported by those working within the organization.

I enjoyed humor around this subject from Jane Bavineau - in her Youtube about "A Skeptic's Guide to Appreciative Inquiry" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfUm-6K1DRA

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“The purpose of discovery is to mobilize action that will improve the organization’s function” (Block, 2011, p. 164). Teams and personal relationships are critical to technical and business success. A consultant generates valuable insights, but what the client may want and expect might be the opposite of what is most likely helpful.

The emphasis on action and utilization has implications for the discovery approach. The consultant may be an expert on the subject, but that has little meaning if he or she cannot get their expertise used. Targeting their recommendations relevant to the project, condensing the data into a limited number of issues, and involving the client in interpreting the data in the discovery phase encourages change buy-in and creates action.

A problem analysis approach drills down to find the root cause of the issue and diagnose it, and by doing so, it changes the mindset. Block notes there has been an emergence of a different way of thinking. A strength-based approach focuses on what is working well, and by doing so, it also changes the mindset. Both approaches solve issues but use a different lens to view the solutions.

When a business finds opportunities to complement and support existing strengths, that strength will become its competitive advantage. The strength-based approach is a paradigm shift that focuses on possibilities and capacity, exploring what can be as opposed to what cannot. According to Peter Druker, “The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths in ways that makes a system's weaknesses irrelevant" (The Druker School, 2011).

This blog and infographic provides an overview of Appreciative Inquiry- Appreciative Inquiry - Processes, Applications and Examples (positivitystrategist.com)

References

“Appreciative Inquiry: A Conversation with David Cooperrider.” TheDruckerSchool, 1 Sept. 2011, youtu.be/3JDfr6KGV-k.

Block, P. (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass & Pfeiffer.

Stratton-Berkessel, R. (May 14, 2020).  Appreciative Inquiry - Processes, Applications, and Examples. https://positivitystrategist.com/appreciative-inquiry/

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Peter Block may have decided to put a greater emphasis on the importance of generating insight because he knew that ultimately Whole-System Discovery was essential for growth. Those individuals who begin the base formation of the bigger picture, so to speak, are your IT specialist, Engineers, since they are doing the data collection, analysis, and feedback (Block, 2011).      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoAKaTKAYA

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I liked this article because it broke down the concepts of appreciative inquiry into the 4-D and 5-D Cycle which refers to the various elements needed in appreciative inquiry.

Stratton-Berkessel, R. (2020, May 14) Appreciative Inquiry – Overview of Method, Principles, and Applications. Positivity Strategist. Retrieved from: https://positivitystrategist.com/appreciative-inquiry/

Explain the difference between a problem-centered approach compared to a strengths-based approach.

A problem centered approach focuses on the negative and fixing people, processes, and issues. A strengths-based approach focuses on what is going well, what are the positives, and how we can build on those positives to create even more success. People react better to positives. It affects their whole demeanor and willingness to engage, work harder and do better. If always focusing on the problems and negatives, this in turn will get into people’s heads and will demotivate them from doing better, and working harder, for fear that they have less of a chance to succeed. They may also spend too much time trying to fix or enhance weaknesses, most of which will never end up becoming strengths. In general, a strengths-based approach coupled with a growth mindset, is better and is a strong combination for positive focused success.

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A problem-centered approach is when one is focused on the problems at hand and works on solving those. Where as a strengths-based is when one is focused on the strengths at hand and aspirations of those.  Truly looking into the data and information given during the initial starting of a consulting project can lead to crucial information. Getting the trust and showing commitment to the clients involved in the issue, can lead to success because the clients will be more willing to open up towards the consultants. This will help find the root cause to the issue and help communicate any possible solutions to the clients. This will both keep the clients engaged and open to solutions the consultant may provide to them.

https://thinkinsights.net/consulting/asset-based-consulting/

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Discovery will help the consultant determine what is working and not working in the current state. This could mean interviewing enough associates to paint a proper picture of the culture, observing the department at different times of the day to see if processes are in proper working order, and learning technology, equipment, or other tools needed to complete a widget. Again, all that data, along with a consultant’s experience can help shape the elements in a department to operate in a more efficient and/or profitable way.

3. Share a useful resource in the third part of this discussion post that helps explain asset-based, strengths-based, or appreciative inquiry approaches to consultation. These can be articles, videos, podcasts, or other credible resources.  Explain the difference between a problem-centered approach compared to a strengths-based approach.   Read all posts.

I did a search on asset-based approach and discovered this link on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-key-aspects-asset-based-consulting-edwin-miller/

Strength-based approach: “Instead of looking at what is wrong, at deficiencies, we look at what is working…” (Block p. 159).

Problem-centered approach: focusing on the problems and create solutions solely based on those problems.

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According to Block (date), “The purpose, then, of discovery is to mobilize action on a problem. Action that will improve the organization’s functioning.  The purpose is not research.  Research is aimed at simply understanding something and treats the understanding itself as enough.  In most cases, internal consultants are evaluated on how well their expertise is utilized by the line organization.  External consultants, as well as seeing clients, evaluate them this way more and more.”

The research approach:

Interested in all factors that impact the problem at hand.

Being comprehensive and complete in the discovery phase is essential.

You can do research on your own.  The organization doesn’t have to be involved as part of the research team.

You try to eliminate bias and intuition of the researcher.  Heavy emphasis on objectivity and hard date.

Essentially neutral toward whether the organization approves of the outcomes of the study.

The action approach:

Interested in factors that are under the control of the client and affect the problem.

Completeness and comprehensiveness are not necessary.  They can be overwhelming at the point of deciding what to do.

The client’s involvement in the study is important at each stage.

Consultants are getting paid for their own bias and intuition – it is called judgement.  You use all the feelings and perceptions you have in addition to hard data.

Deeply concerned about the attitude of the client toward the outcome of the study.

These distinctions in approach may be overly polarized, but you must know that your objective is action, not understanding.  When your objective is action, you need to concentrate on four things beyond the technical considerations.  One is to keep simplifying and narrowing and reducing your study so it focuses more and more on the next steps the client can take.  Second is to use everyday language.  The words you use should help the transfer of information, not hinder it.  Third is to give a great deal of attention to your relationship with the client.  Include the client at every opportunity in deciding how to proceed.  Deal with resistance as it arises, even if it doesn’t have impact on your results.  Last is to treat data on how the client organization is functioning as valid and relevant information.  Also assess how the problem you are studying is being managed.  These four competencies affect how your expertise gets utilized.  They take your technical skill and problem-analyzing, problem-solving abilities as givens.  This action orientation makes the assumption that client readiness to accept your input is as important to discovery as the technical analysis of the problem to be solved (Block, 2011).

Here is a useful resource that explains the strengths-based approach to consultation.

http://www.dianekinsella.com/strengths-based-consulting.html

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Another important piece of generating insight is that it aligns with the whole systems approach that Block describes (2011). The consultant’s role is not to provide the insight, but to facilitate the team’s ability to generate insight. By involving the internal members of the organization in the formulation of that insight and then action plans, the ownership and responsibility stays with the organization. Actions are more likely to succeed when the doers are part of the development of the plan. They deeply understand why they are acting, they can adjust on the fly as needed long after the consultant’s contract has ended, and they will be eager to measure their own success.

I was very interested in the story of the Sternin’s work in Vietnam and their gift based approach called “positive deviancy.” I found this youtube video of Monique Sternin’s TEDxTalk on the subject, which tells the story succinctly, in her own words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8J4fc3XyV4

The Sternin’s realized that they could not import western solutions to remote villages in Vietnam. Instead of looking at the reasons for the children who were malnourished and their parents, the Sternins focused on finding “existing solutions and the people who have them”, which in their case were very poor families, whose children were not malnourished (TedXTalks, 2014). This is what the strengths based approach does, finds what is working now within the organization or community and lets those internal members find ways to replicate their success with their neighbors or colleagues.

Alternatively, with a problem centered approach, the Sternins might have focused on the families and children with malnourishment who do not eat the locally available protein because it is considered taboo, and they might never land on the cheap, accessible solution already working in the home next door.

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Generating insight can allow the consultant and client to work together and help the consultant explain the issues.  It allows the consultant/client relationship to build and create trust and provide the traction to create a strong partnership.  Insight can also provide information on what the organization is doing well (strengths-based approach) and allow the client/consultant to use these strengths to uncover what needs to be done to enhance and build-up on these strengths.  https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/250382/coaching-truly-strengths-based.aspx

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Block (date) states that the complex issues are very deep within the organization and appear once examining the consulting work. To no surprise, every organization is vastly different and situations will appear that data cannot always correlate to. The data may or may not allow for the organization to unfold and that is where more insight is needed to add context.
picked this article/website due to it being a “short guide” on appreciative inquiry model & process. They also have a eBook you can download if you make it past the login (worthy further explanations but I will leave that for you to decide)

https://cvdl.ben.edu/blog/what-is-appreciative-inquiry/

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The process of discovery is to help gain insight as to what is going on within the organization. Often the presenting problem is simply a symptom of an underlying issue, which requires the consultant to peel back the layers to get to the root cause. Block (2011) likely placed a greater emphasis on the importance of generating insight because it aids in redefining the problem and gaining a clearer picture of what is actually going on vs. simply taking the presenting problem at face value.

Utilizing a dialogic vs. diagnostic approach to gaining insight often leads to more positive outcomes in terms of client engagement and accountability. The dialogic approach “focuses more on possibilities than problems” (Block, 2011, p. 159) and how organizations can learn from what is working well to leverage their strengths. Rather than diagnose the problem as a third-party consultant, we can engage the “whole system” in a process of discovery that generates insight that can lead to more transformational change.

As indicated in the Appreciative Inquiry YouTube video by Jon Townsin (July 12, 2013), when we take a problem-based approach “after a while a deficit-based view saps energy, motivation, and goodwill from our people. The very qualities we need if we are to improve our organisations!” Whereas Block (2011) suggests that focusing on possibilities and capacities may be more effective at engaging people’s hearts and spirits than a problem-solving orientation (pp. 184-185). David Coopperider (YouTube, Sept 1, 2011) supports this idea in stating that “leading change is all about strengths. That’s all. It has nothing to do with weaknesses.”

Generating insight using a process such as Appreciative Inquiry has the potential to engage people to share ideas, which leads them to feel more invested in the process, and thus the outcome. It can lead an organization to act in different ways than simply being told “here is the problem, and how to fix it.” Employee engagement in organizational change processes and decision-making leads to greater commitment and enhanced performance as well, as we have learned through previous courses.

Marcus Buckingham (YouTube, November 29, 2017) supports this idea that focusing on and engaging strengths leads to more positive outcomes, such as higher productivity, higher customer satisfaction, and higher employee retention. If part of the process of discovery includes examining how teams are being managed and lead, then asking employees “At work, do you have an opportunity to use your strengths every day?” (Buckingham, November 29, 2017) could be quite useful to generating insight as to what may need to be changed or improved within the organization. As Block (2011) suggests, inquiring about the organization and employee’s experiences and actively listening to what they have to say can generate insight that will lead to action.

Block, P. (2011). Flawless Consulting, A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass & Pfeiffer.

Buckingham, M. (2017, November 29). Business Case for Strengths (short). YouTube. [VIDEO]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJHhoFMtm3E

TheDruckerSchool. (2011, September 1). Appreciative Inquiry: A Conversation with David Cooperrider. YouTube. [VIDEO]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JDfr6KGV-k

Townsin, J. (2013, July 12). Appreciative Inquiry. YouTube. [VIDEO]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzW22wwh1J4

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Block (2011) stated that the shift from problem to possibility grows out of the belief that dramatic change or transformation comes not from problems solving but from a more future-minded way of proceeding (p.160). This transformative mindset can build people to see new possibilities and momentum in focusing on the possibilities in what is really working within their environment. The problem with the problem-solving model is that it is based on the premise that organization improvement can be engineered and that a problem has a simple and effective prescription that is all-encompassing, that is not realistic, especially when human systems are involved (p.162). This is the effectiveness of the strength-based approach, in that, it realizes the complexities of human systems and requires more than a medical or cause and effect model to be successful. The potential of creating action and momentum with the engagement of the client and environment comes from the sustainable improvement of client internalization, make it their own, participates fully in the improvement effort, and builds their own capacity in the implementation of the change, that doesn’t come from the medical model that most consultants prescribe and many clients desire from a consultant-client relationship.

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I tend to process things I am learning for the first time with visuals.  So I found this YouTube video, that I linked below, by Jon Townsin that does a pretty good job putting things into a good visual representation of problem-centered vs. strengths-based.  What stood out to me the most was when you focus only on what is going wrong, organizations become just problems to be solved. This ends up sapping energy and motivation from the employees.  If you start with what works well and allow employees to share their successes, you can then ask questions like “How do we make this good thing better?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzW22wwh1J4

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A resource that I found was “Six questions that can lift your leadership, shape your strategy, and transform your organization,” Which is a small e-book that provides much background about Appreciative Inquiry and frames all of the questions in a way that allows for the participants to immerse themselves in AI. You can find the e-book below. Lastly, when thinking about a problem-centered approach compared to a strengths-based approach, the vital thing to remember is what is in focus. Is it the problem or the strength, to an extent, what is highlighted, what we are not doing, or what is it that we are doing? When focusing on what you are not doing, you tend to focus on things you do not have, such as resources or support. Whereas strengths, you can focus on what you are currently doing and allowing expansion off of that. As stated before, you are also entitled to create more buy-in and innovate to create solutions when you focus on what you are already doing.

https://mk0benucvdl8oe1t4v7i.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Six-nimble-questions.pdf

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I am attaching a recent article that I found through the library on Appreciative Inquiry, which focuses on engagement and self-determination rather than the traditional consultant as savior model. The author Kimberly Davis explains that her work measures the impact of AI and because it relies on self-reported data, it can be skewed when people report what they think they should say rather than how they truly feel. Davis (2021) advocates for real time pulse checks and visual analysis throughout the inquiry to gauge success. I felt that this aligned well with Block’s approaches to reading the room while navigating resistance. Davis (2021) also highlights ten behaviors that can keep the AI process positive including things like focusing the things that are within the control of the employee and highlighting good performance rather than trying to catch people doing wrong. I felt like those behaviors in particular were in the same spirit of Block’s generating insight.   AI Practitioner, February 2021 Davis: A Behavioral Approach to Appreciative Inquiry  More articles at www.aipractitioner.com 4

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Attached are two videos that speak more about appreciative inquiry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwGNZ63hj5k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR7cfUtm2P0

The difference between a problem-centered approach compared to a strengths-based approach is a focus on something that is working or positive rather than only the problem or deficit in the organization.  We can transform and grow from what is already working well and grow from there.  This encourages us to use a positive lens to move into the future and change into what we want to be rather than only solving things that are not working well.

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New, strength-based tools such as Appreciative Inquiry opened the door to a more broad understanding of the ways in which consultant's questions can inadvertantly guide the tenor of discussions, thereby also creating stress, anger and defensivenss.  Inquiry that is focused on gaps and poor performance breeds negativity and overwhelm... as the Grieten (2018) et al. article notes, "The field's deficit-based assumptions were holding back its generative capacity (p. 107).  The Heisenberg principal asserts that observing the physical world always has an impact on that world (p. 107).  It would follow that if we are only observing the negative and focus all of our energy on it, we are actually negatively impacting the organization just through the questioning.
Dialogic OD. (2014). YouTube.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyj15AfH3Q

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Truly understanding the organizational situation leads to better communication between consultant and client. More poignant questions will be presented and again this will lead to a more successful partnership. When consultants make sense out of data they can not only see what some of the organizational issues are they also see where the organization is doing well. They can highlight organizational strengths to show how the organization can improve in other areas.

A source that I am finding to be useful is an article from Forbes-

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/01/25/appreciative-inquiry-getting-more-of-the-good-stuff/?sh=5de380116fd9. I appreciate that the article was written after the pandemic began and takes the massive challenges of all organizations in account.

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When Block (date) included “making sense of it (through insight)” when talking about data collection, I think it’s because he recognizes that data alone isn’t always meaningful. It requires context and interpretation for data to have any meaningful value. For example, when collecting data on a company that’s struggling, you may find that they have 500 employees, and 20 of those employees make up the R&D department. It’s data for the company, but it becomes a lot more useful if you found out that the industry’s average R&D department for an organization that size is closer to 50. That could help clue you in to the idea that the understaffed department could be one of the reasons that the organization is struggling. Generating insight and understanding the information collected on an organization can help a consultant make informed decisions and present more accurate possibilities. With accurate insight, a consultant is likely to give more effective solutions to their clients.