The second session of the six-month course was attended by 35 ALSE OF LIFE Batch 117 participants at the City University of Hong Kong on May 14, 2023. The topic was Appreciative Inquiry (AI).
Anna Martinez, director of WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong, led the session. She is an experienced trainer, facilitator, coach, and people manager. Her expertise has been honed at HSBC, where she performed a variety of roles in a career that spanned 29 years.
In the session, Anna introduced the participants to the basic principles of Appreciative Inquiry. She explained AI is a strengths-based approach to change that focuses on identifying and building on what works well in the person, community, and society.
Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a positive approach to leadership development and organizational change. It is a way of being and seeing things using a different perspective. AI is both a worldview and a process of generating positive change in human systems. It benefits individuals, organizations, and communities.AI focuses on an Affirmative Topic, in this session: Living Resiliently in a Changing World. As the world slowly emerges from the pandemic, we see the need to examine how we can become more adaptive to the “new normal”; how we can use the strengths that enabled us to cope with the challenges of a global health challenge so that we can be more agile, more ready for the future.
AI helps review experiences when people are working at their best to achieve success. It draws from these examples of the positive core; the best of what people can imagine. It replaces the way people look at problems by seeing them as opportunities instead and applying what they are good at, leading to change and innovation.
The participants were invited to share their stories, discuss their dreams of a future of their choice and collaborated to design structures and plans on how to achieve these dreams.The participants in the session found it to be informative and helpful. They appreciated learning AI and discussed how they could use the tool to improve themselves, their families, and communities.
The following are some feedbacks that the participants provided:
a) I can apply my learnings to improve myself by persevering in achieving my goal in life and in my workplace. To be more positive in every situation or circumstances and in my community by sharing what I have learned in this session.
b) I can apply these learnings by not limiting my dreams. Always aim high and aim to achieve it. Be flexible always and we just ride the wave in the changing world.
c) Resilience- able to (stay) afloat in any situation in life.
d) Collaboration- being able to work with others, know what I want, and listen to what others want, and what help I could offer to others.
e) Words can change the world, being able to change life using positive words for others.
f) Appreciative inquiry, individual reflections, living resiliently in the changing world. It’s important to me because I dream of becoming a successful businesswoman when I retire as a domestic helper. I can apply this learning also to my future and to my children later. If I had enough funds, I would like to construct a park for older people in my community.
ALSE OF-LIFE is one of the
Executive Programs of the Ateneo School of Government and carries with it a
holistic, excellent, and value-driven brand of education. The ALSE OF-LIFE is a
collaboration of the Migration and Development Consortium (MDC) Members
composed of OFSPES (Overseas Filipinos’ Society for the Promotion of Economic Security),
SEDPI (Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc.), and Ugat Foundation.
In Hong Kong, ALSE OF-LIFE is organized by WIMLER Foundation HK and ALSE OF-LIFE HK Alumni Association with support from Southeast Asia Research Center of the City University of Hong Kong.
Some Pictures during the session:
.png)
