Spring has arrived in Southern Nevada. The rays of light seem to be penetrating giving us the warmth that a " being" finds refreshing, invigorating and energizing. Mother Earth is giving us the entr�e to be out and about creating and imagining, "what if "?

What does "What if " mean for you, a friend, family member or those you work with on a daily basis? In reading a quote from Henry Ford, his "what if" might have been, "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success." To me, it means working with others - using ones imagination to be able to feel a change, see it, sense it, feel it and best of all redirect my focus to possibilities. No matter the descriptor or definition it is working and communicating with others. It is about us, all of us. 

This past week I have had the opportunity to read and review the fine work, Practicum's, of many of those that have joined us at Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Trainings somewhere throughout the world. The stories are touching, encouraging and most of all speak of individuals coming together with a common purpose and outcome, as Henry Ford stated, "...working together is success."    

~ Yours friends at the Company of Experts

When you find yourself in a state of questioning your leadership contribution, I believe it is worth looking at the early part of your journey.

Your memory might be scattered or faint. It might take time to remember anything at all. But I am sure there were secret daydreams, fairy encounters, heroes you admired, books you were fascinated by, a painful experience that triggered a quest, a silent promise to yourself, dreams of discovery, visions of being a saviour, empathy with suffering, an identification with heroes who represent deeper human values. Read Full Article>> 

CAN you remember the last time you were in a public space in America and didn't notice that half the people around you were bent over a digital screen, thumbing a connection to somewhere else?  

Most of us are well aware of the convenience that instant electronic access provides. Less has been said about the costs. Research that my colleagues and I have just completed, to be published in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science, suggests that one measurable toll may be on our biological capacity to connect with other people. Read Full Article>> 

'When we are elevated by other people, it causes us to feel better, to feel happier. It also causes us to behave more virtuously ourselves.'

"From a scientific standpoint, [positivity] creates an opportunity for elevation. When we are elevated by other people, it causes us to feel better, to feel happier," she says. "It also causes us to behave more virtuously ourselves. It broadens our minds to what is possible."

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis, has attracted attention for his theories in what has made people happy around the world and across the centuries. "Elevation is elicited by acts of virtue or moral beauty; it causes warm, open feelings in the chest; and it motivates people to behave more virtuously themselves," says Haidt. "It promotes more pro-social behaviors." Read Full Article>> 

It is said that roughly around 50-60% of an individual�s happiness is determined by biological factors and variance in circumstances. This still leaves a lion�s share to the person's own actions  

The study of - even search for - happiness and general well-being has been of relevance to people the world over for centuries, as indicated by the World Happiness Report.

So what makes people happy? To the surprise of many analysts and leaders who focus entirely on traditional economic indicators to gauge the well-being of certain peoples, recent data from Gallup shows that may be a flawed premise. Read Full Article>>  

Hospital leaders increasingly recognize the connection between their cultures and patient satisfaction, and realize that many roles and people in their organizations are not inherently patient-centric. Some medical specialists, for instance, deliberately objectify patients' conditions, thereby reducing their emotional involvement with the patient. They may believe that objectifying promotes better treatment decisions and protects physicians from the stress of making incorrect decisions or being unable to help a patient. Similarly, administrators have so many processes and procedures to follow that they might feel compelled to focus more on paperwork than on serving patients. There are many elements in hospitals that steer employees away from patient-centric attitudes and behaviors.

Changing hospitals to be more patient-centric requires a significant cultural change, made more difficult by the depth of current attitudes and behaviors and the complexity of hospital processes and financial pressures. For example, physicians are educated to think of themselves as experts in their specialties and are, therefore, often reluctant to adopt new attitudes and behaviors. Changing a hospital's culture is a difficult task. Read Full Article>>  

On Tuesday I'll be guest-hosting CNBC's Squawk Box, a program that bills itself as the show that "brings Wall Street to Main Street." As well as discussing Cyprus and a possible euro-crisis, we are going to discuss the growing trend in corporate America of taking steps -- meditation, yoga, mindfulness trainings -- to reduce stress and improve health and creativity.

One of my guests will be Mark Bertolini, CEO of the third-largest health insurer in the country with 30,000 employees insuring 17 million people. In 2010, Aetna partnered with Duke University's School of Medicine and found that regular yoga substantially decreased stress levels and health care costs. Following this, Bertolini made yoga available to all Aetna employees nationwide and has a much bigger mission: to make sure there is research available to facilitate private as well as state and federal coverage of yoga and mind-body therapies. Read Full Article>> 

Thought-provoking article, Are you collecting bricks along life's path to build future experiences upon?  

When I was younger I remember visiting my grandparents home, an old, red bricked building with just one floor.

The story was that my grandfather had built the home himself decades ago, by hand, brick by brick. He wanted to live near some land that had housed his orchard of apples, grapes, apricots, and - most understated - honey bees. So he bought up the nearby lot and built a home for his young family. Read Full Article>> 

Do you have questions about Appreciative Inquiry and its applications? The Center for Appreciative Inquiry invites you to participate in their monthly tweet chats where Appreciative Inquiry Practitioners will be online and available to answer your questions, suggest readings, and provide additional resources to help you as you continue your AI journey. 

Upcoming #AIChat Information:

Topic: Defining the Affirmative Topic    

5 Lessons in Learning and Leadership http://fb.me/EOq4x3VH  

What happens to you at the neurochemical level when a story gets your full attention? Great video explains... http://fb.me/2bmq0aRzL  

Webinar video explains how you can utilize Appreciative Inquiry to define a corporate Social Media strategy http://fb.me/13Utecmtx  

A co-creative photo project that focuses on the positive shift of attention & joy. TY 4 sharing @kcoachconsult http://fb.me/2ofcqk9W5  

Whole Systems Healing - Interview with Diana Whitney  

Description: An interview with Diana Whitney about Whole Systems Healing and Appreciative Inquiry.

Appreciative Inquiry in the Working Place 

Description: Prof. John Hayes discusses Appreciative Inquiry and its use in the workplace.  

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Description: An interesting look at what motivates us as told through a short animated drawing.

Using AI with Young Employees with High Staff Turnover

I'm working with a department where they have young and non-college degree (high school mainly) employees. The company is struggling about the high turnover about this level employees and they need help about this. Help! 

We invite you to join our LinkedIn Group called "Discovering Appreciative Inquiry". It is an open group that allows participants to ask questions and share stories in regards to AI. All are welcome!

To view a list of our webinar recordings, please click here.