Page 133 - Appreciative Leadership

106 Appreciative Leadership

• Create a “Why you would want my job” campaign that enables
elders to participate in recruiting new employees.

During an Appreciative Inquiry Summit, focused on the compa-
ny’s culture, Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Division set aside time
for its elders—people with 10 or more years of service—to speak. Th ey
were invited to share stories from their past that illustrated the com-
pany at its best, that provided insight into unique strengths and skills,

and that needed to be remembered going forward. The stories were
rich and engaging—so much so that they were later assembled into a
video presentation that was aired during new hire orientations. Th e

film became an oral record of the company’s history and strengths—
an inspiration for future generations of employees.
Elders are the keepers of the stories. They are the ancestors on

whose shoulders the future will stand. Recognizing the wisdom of
elders, Appreciative Leadership actively includes those with season-
ing, experience, and maturity.

Two Dimensions of Inclusion

Inclusion is two dimensional: wide and deep. Widening is the prac-
tice of extending the reach of your social network, to include more
and different people in dialogue, decision making, and collaborative

action. There are times when, in order to be effective, you need to

widen your network of knowledge, perspective, and commitment—

by finding ways to reach out and include more stakeholders.
This was the case for leaders in the city of Longmont,

Colorado, as they began designing a long-range planning process.
The community had a large and growing Latino population. Th e

group leading the process was all Anglo. Recognizing the impor-
tance of engaging all segments of the community, the group invited
Carmen—a well-respected, and highly skilled member of the Latino
community—to join them. Because of her relationships, her cultural
sensitivity, and her ability to adapt the process to meet the logistical