HumanArts :: more facilitation

Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Using the powerful process of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), attention is placed on positive discovery rather than problems to solve. The conditions that have created success in the past are integrated into the organization’s future plans and practices to build momentum and insure accelerated results. This innovative method is highly effective in building and energizing teams, refocusing efforts and plans, and supporting large systems change. The goal is to engage people within an organization to participate in a collaborative process that typically includes five basic steps:

Developed by David Cooperrider and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University in the 1980's, AI is based on the theory of social constructionism, a theory that suggests that we create our future by the language we use to describe it and the images we hold about it. The more people talk about what is “right,” and envision a positive future, the more organizations grow in that direction.

Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)
Another major tool that supports HumanArts' approach is the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), a highly validated whole brain assessment that creates understanding of the mental preference and diversity of individuals and groups. After 25 years of application, and over a million surveys conducted, the HBDI has gained worldwide recognition as the most effective assessment for measuring right-brained or left-brained thinking and for conceptual and experiential thinking. This broadly applicable tool is based on a metaphoric model that serves to facilitate leadership and team development, strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, creativity, and change.

Building on the whole brain model, HumanArts expands the creative capacity of organizations, helping groups “see” the truth and “envision” new futures through the use of visual art activities. Crafting team collages or building collaborative sculptures breaks through the language barriers that inhibit the flow of ideas. Insight and vision spring forth from the symbolic language of the right brain. Curiosity abounds. Creativity awakens. The whole brainpower of a team is exercised far beyond the limits of traditional facilitation methods.