(IN PERSON) Intro to Appreciative Inquiry: A Beginner's Guide to Strength-Focused Change

Through engaging discussions and practical activities, you will learn about the 5-D cycle (Define, Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny) as a framework to foster meaningful, strength-based organizational change. By identifying and leveraging individual and collective strengths, you’ll explore ways to promote growth, innovation, and collaboration.

Whether you’re a team leader, facilitator, or someone looking to inspire positive progress in your workplace or community, this course equips you with tools to:

• Facilitate collaborative discussions that align teams around shared visions and goals.

• Create an environment where strengths are recognized, valued, and utilized to drive success.

• Build momentum for lasting change through appreciation, strengths-focused strategies.

No prior experience is required—just a curiosity to shift the focus from “what’s broken” to “what’s possible.”

What You Will Learn:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the core principles of Appreciative Inquiry and its role in fostering positive change.
• Apply the 5-D cycle to drive meaningful, strength-based organizational change.
• Identify and leverage strengths to promote individual and organizational growth.
• Facilitate collaborative discussions to align teams around shared visions and goals.

Course Dates/Time/Format:

Tuesday May 6, 2025: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm ET

In Person at Champlain College in Burlington, VT.

This workshop will be offered in a learning space at Champlain College. It will involve delivered content as well as opportunities for interaction and practice. One 30-minute break is built in, and coffee and lunch are provided. Participants will go home with a short workbook of Appreciative Inquiry Activities they can use to further practice their skills beyond the workshop

Who Should Attend:

Anyone seeking to inspire change, including managers, team leaders, facilitators, HR professionals, community organizers, and individuals curious about strength-based approaches to development.

Instructor:

Dr. Lindsey Godwin is a professor, practitioner, and possibilitizer dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unlock their potential through strength-based change.

She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University, where she studied with the pioneers of Appreciative Inquiry, and an M.S. in Conflict Resolution from George Mason University. Lindsey serves as the Robert P. Stiller Endowed Chair of Management at Champlain College, Academic Director of the David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry, and Managing Editor of AI Practitioner.

A sought-after speaker and consultant, her work has been shared globally through publications, presentations, and collaborations.