Page 66 - Appreciative Leadership

The Wisdom of Inquiry 39

When we invite groups to flip from problem talk to an apprecia-

tive alternative, The Flip often comes easily. And once they fl ip their

thinking and inquiry from habitual problems to affi rmative topics,
positive change occurs in a myriad of remarkable ways, as seen in the
following examples:

• A Mexican manufacturing company, plagued by a culture in
which women mainly worked on the front lines and wielded little

infl uence, flipped its attention from sexual harassment to positive
cross-gender relationships. In so doing, it came to be acknowl-
edged by the Catalyst Foundation in 1997 as the best company in
Mexico for women to work in. 3
• A major hospital system was faced with countless challenges in
the areas of nurse staffing and workload. When they fl ipped their

attention from nursing turnover to explore why nurses stayed in

their system, their statistics after one year were stunning: nurse
retention increased by 13 percent; vacancy rates decreased by
30 percent; nurses’ rating the hospital as a good place to work
increased by 16 percent; and patient satisfaction with nursing (as
measured by the Press Ganey survey) increased by 20 points. 4

• A global high-tech giant was challenged by radically increased
competition. When they flipped their attention from their dimin-

ishing market share to forging a culture that would ensure their
ongoing leadership, employees were inspired and motivated to
action. Business revenues rose from $26 million to $30 million over
a three-year period, in the face of intensely increased competition.
• Faced with a projected $70 million budget shortfall, a municipal
government flipped its attention to explore what it would take for

it to thrive in challenging times. In the process, they increased
employee commitment to controversial cost-saving initiatives,
developed a new incentive retirement program, and generated
grassroots ideas that enabled them to consolidate services and
facilities.