Deat LaCour, I/O Psychology
dllacour@peoplepc.com
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Goals
 Analyze and appraise differing philosophical
approaches toward inclusion
 Judge the experience of “maximizing strengths vs.
minimizing negative behaviors” through the
application of experiential learning
 Compare and contrast A.I. as a diversity/inclusion
alternative intervention
 Have fun
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Ground rules
 Co-researcher & Creator
 Listen, listen, listen
 All ideas are valid
 Contribute creativity, experience and ideas
 Question, comments, feelings
 Tell lots of stories
 _______________________
 _______________________
The Case for considering the
Question
 Diversity fatigue
 Changing client interest
 Changing attitudes across generations
 Trend for trends
 The future of diversity work
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Methods
Problem solving
Asset / Strength focus
Managing Diversity
Conflict resolution
Cross cultural miscommunication
Cultural missteps
Implicit Associations Testing
Positive organizational Scholarship
Positive Deviance
Appreciative inquiry
Positive psychology
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Appreciative interviewing is about sharing
stories and discovering the meaning of these
stories for the person being interviewed, as
well as the interviewer. It is an exploration
together of the phenomena that give you
satisfaction, a feeling of excitement, a sense of
creativity
•Read the questions to your story teller
•Seek the stories richness
•Listen, listen, listen
• Ask encouraging questions
•Excitement and joy as they share
•Focus on your storyteller
Relate not only the factual information but also share
your feelings of excitement, success and happiness.
Comparing-ethos
Problem solving focus
Asset or strength focus
Negative event directed
Positive research directed
Deficit methods
Positivist methods-story sharing
Problem finding
Build on successes or experiences of
success
Focused on dysfunction (social or intra- Rebuild relationships, create a
psychic)
collaborative vision and tap into
passion and generative core
Existing knowledge base
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Foundational beliefs
Problem Solving focus
Asset / Strength focus
Learning driven-produce evidence to
convince
Social Construction-language produces
reality
Cognition as path to behavior change
Affect as path to behavior change
Implicit model: Unconscious unknown
Implicit model: Glass half full
Knowing decreases unwanted behavior
Positive image increases positive action
Subject matter experts
Participant driven
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Diversity & Inclusion arenas
Coaching and Mentoring
Cross-Cultural Communication
Cultural Competency
Customer Service
Leadership Development
Business case development
Recruiting, Interviewing
Hiring , Retention
Absenteeism
Strategic Planning
Training Diversity
Multicultural Conflict
Organizational Culture Change
Preventing Sexual Harassment
Managing Diverse Workforce
Diversity R.O.I.
Discovery
“What gives life?”
The best of what is.
Appreciating
Destiny
“How to empower,
learn, and improvise?”
Sustaining
Affirmative
Topic
Design
“What should be –
the ideal?”
Co-constructing
Dream
“What might be?”
Envisioning
Results/Impact
Problem solving tenets
 Fix or correct unwanted thinking or behavior
 Enhance participants' competencies
 Enhance participants skills or abilities
 Increase awareness of things unconscious or hidden.
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Asset based tenets
 Constructionist Principles & theory of social construction.
 Support for participation at all levels
 Commitment to change as an ongoing process, not a one-
time event
 Leadership belief in the positive core as viable change
driver
 Structures/resources to encourage sharing of "good news
stories"
 We construct realities based on our previous experience
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Drawbacks to Problem solving
methods
 Diversity fatigue
 Shifting attitudinal trends
 Changing approaches to diversity
 Decreasing interest
 Limited or challenged empirical support
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
Drawbacks to Asset / Strength
methods
 Predictable, linear process and outcomes are required
 Problem-identification/problem-solving is the
preferred method for change
 There is lack of support for passionate dreaming and
inspired self-initiative
 Degree of leadership support
 Limited or challenged empirical support
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
PROBLEM SOLVING VS. ASSET FOCUS
Problem solving
(deficit based change)
“Felt Need”
Identify problem
Appreciative inquiry
(strength based innovation)
“Valuing the best of what is”
Appreciate
Basic Assumptions
What we focus on
becomes our reality
Reality is created in the
moment, and there are
multiple realities
Conduct root cause analysis
Imagine (What might be)
Analyze Possible Solutions
Dialogue and design
(What should be)
Develop action plan (Treatment)
Create (What will be)
Basic assumption:
“problem-to-be solved”
Basic assumption: “mystery”
organization is a web of strengths
linked to infinite capacity, infinite
imagination… alive
In every ongoing
team/group/
organisation . . . Something(s) work
People have
more confidence and comfort
to journey to the future (the
unknown) when they carry
forward parts of the past (the
known)
The mode and language
of inquiry effects the
org. being observed
Where we’ve been
 Analyze and appraise differing philosophical
approaches toward inclusion
 Judge the experience of “maximizing strengths vs.
minimizing negative behaviors” through the
application of experiential learning
 Compare and contrast A.I. as a diversity/inclusion
alternative intervention
D. LaCour & Associates
6/3/09
5821 Waycross rd
Baltimore, Md. 21206
202-489-9344
dllacour@peoplepc.com
dlacour@ntl.org