According to the last survey of BVA-Gallup International, the French would be the world champions of pessimism. We would be even more pessimistic than the inhabitants of the countries in war like Iraq or Afghanistan!

« If pessimism is a mood, optimism is a will. » Alain

And if “being optimistic” could be a choice ?

On the steps of Alain, I invite us all to look at the year 2010 and consider on our successes. It is as an invitation to see the glass half full instead of seeing it half empty !

I invite us to pursue the following approach:

Pair off with a person with whom you enjoy being, a person with whom you worked during 2010 and start interviewing your partner on the following questions and then switch to get interviewed as soon as she/he has finished.

1) Best experience. Tell me about the best times you have had with your organization or group or community… Recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, or most excited about your involvement. What made it an exciting experience? Who was involved? Describe the event in detail.

2) Values. What are the things you value deeply ; specifically, the things you value about yourself, your work, your organization, your community…

a. Yourself: without being humble, what do you value most about yourself – as a human being, a friend, a parent, a citizen, and so on?

b. Your work. When you are feeling best about your work, what do you value about it?

c. Your organization, Group or Community. What do you value about your organization (or group or community) ? What is the single most important thing that it has contributed to your life ?

3) Core values. What do you think is the core value or your organization, Group, Community ? What is that, if it did not exist, would make it totally different from the way it currently is ?

4) Three wishes. If you had three wishes for yourself, your organization, group, community for this new year 2011, what would they be ?

If you enjoyed this experience of interviewing about the positive core and being interviewed on your peak memories of 2011, why not propose others to start doing the same ?
You will see that being optimistic is also being realistic (your stories are true stories). Who among us can’t select at least one success in 2010 and think that they took an active role in it ?
I invite you to take one moment to reflect and share on these four questions with your friends, your spouse, your associates, your employer, your customers, your …..
I wish you an excellent year 2011!!
Appreciatively yours,

Bernard Tollec – Managing Director – Involve Consulting

PS: this is the beginning of the « Appreciative Inquiry » approach in which INVOLVE CONSULTING is today an expert (you’ll have more information in the coming weeks on our new internet site which will be translated in English.