Appreciative Inquiry, the Golden Circle, and Bread & Butter (and Other Comparable Metaphors)

Simon Sinek's conception of a Golden Circle explains the motivations for change.

The primary motivator for change should be why the change should occur (inspiration for change). Why, in turn, motivates how the change should occur (process for change). How, in turn, motivates what change should occur (product of change).

In other words, motivations should move from the inside of the circle to the outside: why, then how, then what. (Typically, and ineffectively, people try to motivate in the opposite direction: what, then how, then why.)

While Appreciative Inquiry doesn't have a tidy diagram like the Golden Circle, I've seen a nice little triangle, explained by Paula Gunder and Christina Goff from Los Medanos College (and courtesy of the Basic Skills Initiative Leadership Institute) that gets at some of the key qualities of Appreciative Inquiry.

The bottom layer (or foundation) of the triangle is based upon relationships between people. Within relationships people identify the possible changes that the future holds (the next layer up from the bottom). Possibilities, in turn, allow people to formulate plans for action (the third layer up). And plans, in turn, lead to actions carried out by those people (the top of the pyramid).

The wider the layer, the more important it is. Relationships are the largest portion of the pyramid. They require more time, resources, and consideration, to cultivate. In other words, relationships are a fundamental part of the pyramid. Actions, on the other hand, are the top of the pyramid. That doesn't mean they're the least important part (they are, after all, the endpoint or the product of the change the pyramid represents). But they do require less time, resources, and consideration than the lower layers of the pyramid.

The = (equal sign) is the wrong symbol for this relationship because (of course) Appreciative Inquiry and the Golden Circle are not the same thing. But they are comparable. They are analogous to each other. And they are complimentary.

They are peas in a pod.

They are birds of a feather.

They see eye to eye.

Pick your favorite metaphor.

The analogy suggests that relationships should be the primary motivation for making change (i.e., why). Out of those relationships people will recognize possibilities and formulate plans (i.e., how). Actions, then, are merely the relationships, possibilities, and plans manifest in the doing (i.e., what).

The Golden Circle and Appreciative Inquiry. Different ideas expressed in different language. Yet each one gives meaning and clarity to the other.

The Difference between Knowing That and Knowing How

The other day I found this page on "Principles of Effective Practice for Professional Development" from the Center for Teaching and Learning at LaGuardia Community College.

I'm especially intrigued by the sixth principle in the list:

Create a Supportive Professional Community. Teaching is a challenging profession. Innovation involves risk-taking. Establish a climate of support and thoughtful reflection, generating safe spaces, where [faculty] can talk about and learn from what doesn't work, as well as what does.

As an advocate of developing professional community as a part of professional learning, I completely agree. That it's important to create professional community is critical to the success of professional development programming.

The next question, however, is: How do you create professional community? And who knows how to create it?

In a college course it's relatively easy to build a syllabus as compared to fostering a climate of safety and community. It's relatively easy to organize topics into a course calendar; it's more difficult to create spaces where students can take the risks inherent in learning.

Professional development for educators is similar, and for similar reasons. Enhancing educators' competencies is a matter of exchanging information. That's relatively easy. Creating community, on the other hand, is a matter of cultivating relationships between people. That's much more difficult.

Knowing that we should build community is a good first step; knowing how to build community is the next step. LaGuardia Community College has shown us a path. Now let's all take the next steps together.