Unlikely Connections Renew Organizations

Question: How do we sustain a culture of connectivity?

GHENT, Belgium – Ilja Heitlager gets goosebumps every time he sees a video documenting the surprising connection and energy an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) summit ignited in his company earlier this year.

Sharing this response during the fifth World Appreciative Inquiry Conference this week, Ilja said his workplace, the IT firm Schuberg Philis hadn’t imagined this kind of response. In fact, it took three years for them to muster up the courage to do it. They had many fears around engaging front-line technicians in contemplating the future of the organization.

But the results suggest the gathering was more than worth it; 16 innovative, new projects and a greener company, being the least of these.

“The most important thing is that people have energy again, the same as when we first started out as a company. And we feel all this affection for each other,” Ilja said. The company has also begun sharing its story and new focus with other organizations in the field, in the hopes of inspiring others.

In a different field and miles away, an Indian micro-finance firm is also disrupting their industry with their revolutionary take on a new source of wealth — generative connections between unlikely people. Read Full Article>>

Author: Michelle Strutzenberger with Axiom News on April 26, 2012