Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity^®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.  You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)

INTEGRITY IDEA: Implement Human AI

Although “Implement Human AI” may sound like an oxymoron, we recently learned about a type of “AI” that appears to be both humanizing and consistent with the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. It doesn’t involve powerful computer chips, large data centers, massive energy consumption, or the threat of robots eliminating jobs and taking over the world.  This “AI” is a collaborative model for change leadership called “Appreciative Inquiry”.

“Implement Human AI” is about faithful leaders undertaking an Appreciative Inquiry process in their organization in order to: improve employee engagement and promote Biblical flourishing; obtain buy-in for, or identify how the organization has been living out, its Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture; identify ways, and energize its stakeholders, to pursue more effectively its Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture; grow gratitude; dismantle “silos” that are barriers to information and wisdom “flow”; and encourage Biblical EQ.

Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process.  Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY.

We believe “Implement Human AI” fall into the “if it fits” category.  It is just one methodology that can be used in the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing.

What Is Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry is not new (just new to us)–it was developed in the 1980’s at Case Western Reserve University.  In case we aren’t the only ones unfamiliar with it, Appreciative Inquiry has been described as a “collaborative, strength-based approach to facilitating positive change and building capacity in organizations, groups, and communities.”

There are many resources available on Appreciative Inquiry, and it has been adapted and enhanced by various scholars and practitioners since its development.  Our brief description is based on the book Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in Change by David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney.  We think the Appreciative Inquiry DNA is captured by a quote from that book: “The image of the future guides the current behavior of any organization.”

Appreciative Inquiry celebrates the human element of organizations.

Organizations are centers of vital connections and life-giving potentials: relationships, partnerships, alliances, and ever-expanding webs of knowledge and action that are capable of harnessing the power of combinations of strengths.

Appreciative Inquiry focuses on identifying and building upon what gives life to an organization.

Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative, coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives life to an organization or a community when it is most effective and most capable in economic, ecological, and human terms.

As described by Cooperrider and Whitney, the Appreciative Inquiry process involves four steps called the 4-D Cycle (others have added a fifth “Design” step at the beginning):

• Discovery: Mobilizing the whole system by engaging all stakeholders in the articulation of strengths and best practices. Identifying “The best of what has been and what is.”

• Dream: Creating a clear results-oriented vision in relation to discovered potential and in relation to questions of higher purpose, such as, “What is the world calling us to become?”

• Design: Creating possibility propositions of the ideal organization, articulating an organization design that people feel is capable of drawing upon and magnifying the positive core to realize the newly expressed dream. 

• Destiny: Strengthening the affirmative capability of the whole system, enabling it to build hope and sustain momentum for ongoing positive change and high performance.

Appreciative Inquiry ideally engages all stakeholders in the inquiry process.  For example, British Airways included all 1,200 North American employees when they implemented an Appreciative Inquiry exercise.  Although casting a broad net, Appreciative Inquiry requires a commitment from leaders to be engaged and open:

Leadership must be present throughout the process, asking powerful, positive, value-based questions, expecting the best, and being truly curious about the hopes and dreams of organizational members.

The authors identify six “freedoms” on which Appreciative Inquiry is built:

• Freedom to be known in relationship

• Freedom to be heard

• Freedom to dream in community

• Freedom to choose to contribute

• Freedom to act with support

• Freedom to be positive

Human AI and Faithful Integrity

While secular in its origin and practice, this “human” AI reflects many of the Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities we have been advocating in our posts for the pursuit by faithful leaders of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing.  It’s positive focus on an organization’s “best” and what “gives life” to the humans who make up the organization is reminiscent of Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Human AI and Integriosity^®,When we first learned about Appreciative Inquiry, we were struck by the similarities of Discovery/Dream/Design/Destiny to the four stages in the Integriosity process: RENEW, RE-IMAGINE, RE-ALIGN and RESTORE.   Both are about learning, imagining, implementing and realizing.  Appreciative Inquiry builds on the “positive core” revealed in the Discovery stage.  Integriosity builds on the Biblical truths about God’s purpose for work and business revealed in the RENEW stage.

Human AI and Biblical Flourishing.  Appreciative Inquiry’s focus on seeing organizations as collections of humans in relationship and seeking to tap into the very best that those humans have to offer aligns with one of the bigger WHY’s of business that we have been advocating–Humanize People.

God created humans to create organizations to organize humans to work together in relationship to create products and services that serve humanity.  God cares about people (God’s image-bearers); God cares about relationships (an attribute of Imago-Dei); and God cares about work (essential to living out Imago Dei). Pope John Paul II observed in his Laborem Exercens that:

Thus work bears a particular mark of man and humanity, the mark of a person operating within a community of persons.

When employees are flourishing at work, work will be seen as a blessing rather than a burden.  Employee “engagement” is a helpful proxy for assessing whether work is perceived as a burden or a blessing, and Michael Stallard’s “connection culture” (described in his book Connection Culture) is the best tool we know for understanding human engagement at work in an organization.

Stallard explains that a healthy work culture is a “culture of connection” in which humans feel connected to the organization, to their work and relationally to each other.  This aligns with managing an organization in a way that prioritizes relationships, community, human dignity and flourishing–it aligns with business a better way.  According to Stallard, a healthy culture of connection exists when people have:

• Vision:  When everyone in the organization is motivated by the mission, united by the values, and proud of the reputation.

• Value:  When everyone in the organization understands the needs of people, appreciates their positive unique contributions, and helps them achieve their potential.

• Voice:  When everyone in the organization seeks the ideas of others, shares their ideas and opinions honestly, and safeguards relational connections.

The Appreciative Inquiry process reinforces each of these elements of “connection”, which should lead to greater engagement and greater Biblical flourishing.

Human AI and a Bigger WHY.  Appreciative Inquiry describes the Dream stage as exploring and creating a vision around “questions of higher purpose.”  Integriosity calls faithful leaders to the explore and create a vision around the bigger WHYs of Humanizing People, Beautifying the World and Glorifying God.

Human AI and Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture.  In discussing the implementation of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture, we have stressed the importance of buy-in at the top as well as buy-in throughout the organization.

In order for a Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values to define and drive behavior toward faithful integrity, they must become the organization’s Re-Imagined Culture, and in order for a Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values to become the Re-Imagined Culture, they must have commitment from the top, buy-in at all levels and constant reinforcement throughout the organization and to all its stakeholders.

In post #074 (Re-Imagined Purpose–Vision), we discussed the importance of remembering God’s answer to Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2:

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”

People will not “run” with a vision unless they are inspired by it and feel ownership of it.  In his book Connection Culture, Michael Stallard argues that people rise to the occasion when they see their work as part of a bigger vision, feel valued as human beings, and feel they have a voice in how the organization pursues that bigger vision.

The Appreciative Inquiry process is built on facilitating broad buy-in through broad participation in which people feel part of the vision, feel valued, and are given a voice.

Human AI and Gratitude.  In post #263 (Integrity Idea 071: Grow Gratitude), we discussed the power of helping employees experience feelings of gratitude by focusing on the positive and recognizing the “other”.   We noted the firm Biblical foundations for gratitude (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 5:18) and Tyler VanderWeele’s (Director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University), description of gratitude as recognizing something “good” and realizing that someone or something else is responsible for the goodness.

The practice of gratitude involves seeing the good in things around us. When we fix our attention on these positive aspects of life, acknowledge that they are good, and realize that, in many cases, we are not their source, we can experience gratitude.

The core of Appreciative Inquiry is about focusing people on the positive–on stories of the organization at its “best”, which we believe will naturally lead to gratitude and an appreciation of the role of others.

Human AI and Silos.  We have dedicated several posts (e.g., post #198–Integrity Idea 035: Tear Down Those Walls) to the importance of identifying organizational “silos” that prevent the flow of information and wisdom that is needed for making the best decisions.

By creating a forum for all stakeholders to have a voice, Appreciative Inquiry can be a tool for tearing down silos and creating new pathways for information and wisdom flow.

Human AI and Biblical EQ.  In post #185 (Integrity Idea 030: Encourage “Biblical EQ”), we discussed the benefits of cultivating an organizational culture in which people understand the importance of, and are encouraged and supported in developing, “emotional intelligence” from a Biblical perspective.

Biblical EQ requires an understanding of the importance of healthy communication and interpersonal skills to the functioning of an organization of humans and to the interactions of those humans with all the people the organization touches.  It also recognizes the power of words to build up or tear down , the importance of “voice” to a culture of connection, and the importance of empathetic “listening” to giving someone a “voice”.

The Appreciative Inquiry “freedoms” to “be known in relationship” and “to be heard” stress the importance of creating a culture of “listening” that reflects core elements of Biblical EQ.  In the words of Cooperrider and Whitney:

Being heard . . . requires someone to listen with sincere curiosity, empathy, and compassion.

CONTINUUM: Practices

The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums.  There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture.  The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.

Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.

“Implement Human AI” is on the Practices Continuum. Practices reflect, and at the same time help shape and reinforce, an organization’s culture.

COVERT-OVERT RATING: Highly Covert

The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.

Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale.  Some can vary depending on how they are implemented.   “Implement Human AI” is Highly Covert (an action that would be taken by a secular company).  Appreciative Inquiry was developed for, and has principally been used, by secular organizations.

“Implement Human AI” can move to the overt end of the Continuum to the extent the leaders of the organization choose to design the process around the organization’s pursuit of Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities and choose to reflect and describe those beliefs, principles and priorities openly during the Appreciative Inquiry exercise.

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community

When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.

“Implement Human AI” will principally impact those included in the Appreciative Inquiry process.  Appreciative Inquiry is described as a collaborative process that is most effective when it engages all of an organization’s stakeholders–Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, and Community.

IMPLEMENTATION

We are admittedly new to Appreciative Inquiry.  Based on what we have learned, Appreciative Inquiry appears to be a powerful framework that is secular in its origin and practice but resonates with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.

While it can be adapted to help implement the overt pursuit of business a better way in alignment with the Kingdom of God, even in its most covert and secular form it appears to be a useful framework for improving worker engagement and cultivating and reinforcing an organizational culture that prioritizes relationships, community, human dignity and flourishing of all people.

We haven’t identified cases in which Appreciative Inquiry has been infused with Biblical principles for use in a faith-based business; however, it has been used in church and ministry contexts.  For example:

• A Research Project Presented to the Faculty of The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management Pepperdine University is titled “THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY-FOCUSED STRATEGIC PLANNING IN A BAPTIST CHURCH”.

• Another Research Project Presented to the Faculty of The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management Pepperdine University is titled “APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY AS A RESOURCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE IN A CHURCH MINISTRY”

• There is a book titled Appreciative Inquiry in the Catholic Church by Susan Star Paddock.

• Samuel Mahaffy published “From ‘Burden’ to ‘Blessing’: A Case Study of How an Appreciative Inquiry Visioning Process Energized a Faith-based Ministry Serving the Homeless and Led to a a New Funding Paradigm and Service-Delivery Model“

• The Christian Reformed Church in North America has developed a “Crossroads Discernment Toolkit” and provides Crossroads facilitators to help churches through an Appreciative Inquiry process.

Depending on where a faithful leader feels led by the Holy Spirit to land on the Covert/Overt Continuums, implementation of Appreciative Inquiry could be almost anywhere on the Continuums, depending on whether the leader infuses the Appreciative Inquiry with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities and how broadly and overtly the leader decides to share the Biblical focus and grounding of the process:

Highly Covert: An action that would be taken by a secular company.

Very Covert: An overtly faith-based action known only to the leader.

Covert: An overtly faith-based action known only to a select group within the organization.

Overt: An overtly faith-based action known generally within the organization.

Very Overt: An overtly faith-based action involving suppliers, vendors or customers

Highly Overt: An overtly faith-based action involving community, website, sales/marketing materials.

In planning a Biblical Appreciative Inquiry, here are some ideas for a faithful leader to consider at each of the four Human AI stages:

Discover.

• Submit the development of Discover questions to prayer by the faithful leader or a select group.

• Train people in Biblical EQ.

• Use this as an opportunity to “Recall Your Faithful Purpose”.

• Use this as an opportunity to “Identify Your Beauty”.

• Use this as an opportunity to “Set Some Ebenezers“.

• Begin each Discover session with prayer.

• Emphasize the importance of gratitude.

• Rather than using the Discover stage to identify the organization’s “positive core”, use it to reinforce, and identify “best practices” of, the “Biblical core” embodied in the organization’s Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture and its pursuit of bigger WHYs.

• Design questions focused on the “best” to elicit examples of the organization and its people living out the organizations Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture.

• Design questions focused on the “best” to elicit examples of the organization and its people living out Biblical principles such as the Golden Rule, the commandment to love your neighbor, Imago Dei, excellence, and the “First Things” embodied in Integrity (Righteousness and Kingdom) and Generosity (Love and Humility).

Design questions focused on the best to elicit examples of how the organization and its people maximize Biblical flourishing and Humanize People, Beautify the World and Glorify God, in and through their work.

Dream.

• Begin each Dream session with prayer.

• Ask people to Dream about how the organization and its people can better pursue its Re-Imagined Purpose, live out its Re-Imagined Values and cultivate its Re-Imagined Culture.

• Ask people to Dream about how the organization and its people can better Humanize People, Beautify the World and Glorify God in and through their work.

• Ask people to Dream about what God is calling the organization and its people to do in pursuing the “First Things” embodied in Integrity (Righteousness and Kingdom) and Generosity (Love and Humility) .

Design.

• Submit all Design ideas to prayer.

• Ensure that all Design ideas align with the organization’s Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture.

• Test all Design ideas against Biblical principles such as the Golden Rule, the commandment to love your neighbor, Imago Dei, excellence, and the “First Things” embodied in Integrity (Righteousness and Kingdom) and Generosity (Love and Humility).

Destiny.

• Incorporate regular prayer during implementation.

• Encourage “covenant” relationships within working groups.

• Regularly “Celebrate Impact” .

• Encourage practices that “Grow Gratitude”.

• Create a Team “Humanbook”.

• “Re-Imagine the Box” to encourage ongoing feedback and ideas.

• Develop a “Daniel Plan” for Decisions.

While Human AI will not be a good fit for all organizations, it appears to be a powerful framework for a faithful leader pursuing faithful integrity through alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities toward Biblical flourishing.

PERSONAL NOTE (from PM):  This post was inspired by Matthew Lee of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.  In a Zoom call a few weeks ago for a Flourishing@Work Community Cohort, Matt mentioned Appreciative Inquiry and recommended the book by Cooperrider and Whitney.  It would not have jumped to the top of my long “books to read” list without God’s intervention.  Two nights in a row, I woke up at 3:30am feeling prompted to read it.  I finished it the second night.  Thank you Matt (and Holy Spirit)!

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific practical actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Implement Human AI

Although “Implement Human AI” may sound like an oxymoron, we recently learned about a type of “AI” that appears to be both humanizing and consistent with the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. It doesn’t involve powerful computer chips, large data centers, massive energy consumption, or the threat of robots eliminating jobs and taking over the world.  This “AI” is a collaborative model for change leadership called “Appreciative Inquiry” that celebrates the human element of organizations.  “Implement Human AI” is about faith leaders undertaking an Appreciative Inquiry process in their organization in order to: improve employee engagement and promote Biblical flourishing; identify, evaluate and pursue more effectively its Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture; grow gratitude; dismantle “silos” that are barriers to information and wisdom “flow”; and encourage Biblical EQ. While secular in its origin and practice, this “human” AI resonates with many of the Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities we have been advocating in our posts.  We believe it can be adapted to help implement the overt pursuit of business a better way in alignment with the Kingdom of God; however, even in its most covert form it appears to be a useful framework for improving worker engagement and cultivating and reinforcing an organizational culture that prioritizes relationships, community, human dignity and flourishing of all people.

COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices

COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community

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Photo credit: Original image by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash
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