Appreciative Inquiry has been global from the beginning. As it has expanded, the languages that materials related to AI appear in have expanded as well. While there have been articles written for AI Practitioner about Ibero-America, they have been in English. This is the first issue to have the articles on the issue topic, Developing Appreciative Teams, published both in Spanish and English, thanks in great part to the dedicated efforts and translating and editorial skills of the editors, Ignacio Pavez and Federico Varona. In this newsletter: As the editors say in the Introduction to the issue, the appreciative approach has been underrepresented in Ibero-America in comparison with the knowledge that has been generated in North America and Europe, as shown by the dearth of interventions and publications. With this issue, they go on to say, we hope to make a start in rectifying that situation. The first article describes an appreciative embodiment approach to developing appreciative teams called Biodanza which has been used with groups as diverse as university administrators and students, sports teams, private companies and schools. Ferdinando Caballero describes his most generative team experience with a team that, over several years, had explored the Himalayas. In 2010, the team found itself coping with an emergency: flash floods had destroyed roads and they had to find a way through a region in crisis using only their own resourcefulness. For this issue and this topic, the idea of the appreciative dance seems particularly appropriate. In his article, Mohanad A. H. Al-Madi uses dance as a metaphor for creating generative teams. Our Appreciative Resource in this issue, written by Sandra Adkins, is of Thriving Women Thriving World, which she describes as ‘less a book for reading and more a book for doing’. I’d like to thank Saskia Tjepkema for peer-reviewing an article for this issue. Shelagh Aitken Managing Editor, AI Practitioner Go To The Issue Introduction to Developing Appreciative Teams by Ignacio Pavez and Federico Varona As the editors of this issue, we fully believe in the potential of the appreciative approach to create more appreciative, creative, effective, vibrant and thriving human systems in all cultures, including the Spanish-speaking cultures of Latin America and Spain. Providing content in Spanish can offer specific tools with which to generate more resilient and flourishing human and ecological systems. Read more Biodanza in the Development of High-Performance Teams by Felipe Losada and Gittith Sánchez Every day in our bodies we feel pleasant or unpleasant sensations, agitation, or calm, which influence the connections we have with other people who form part of a team. Practising the ‘Biodanza’ human integration system increases the connections within a team, which is reflected in increased positivity and reduced negativity of affect as measured with the PANAS test, indicators that characterise high-performance teams according to the Meta Learning model. The body and the integrative experiences are the protagonists in this process. Read more Generative Teams by Fernando Caballero By shifting our attention from a traditional focus on individual performance to recognising and appreciating the unique entity of the team – the ‘we’ – we increase our ability to discover and harness its inherent intelligence, strengths and all of its generative potential. In order to achieve this shift, this article proposes using as a catalyst the integration of a systemic view of the team with a generative state of mind, and the continue monitoring of the impact of this integration through a two-dimensional model that enhances the team’s productivity and positivity. Read more The Appreciative Dance by Mohanad A. H. Al-Madi In a highly changeable environment, leaders face the challenge of helping their teams embrace plans for change in order to remain competitive. The aim of this article is to help teams meet this challenge by asking questions and engaging in dialogues that enable them to find meaning and to motivate them to change together, using their strengths to achieve shared goals. Read more Join the conversation at the Taos Institute’s Education as Relating Virtual Conference: Shredding industrial practices Sharing resources and practices NOVEMBER 4–6 2021 10 AM – 2PM EST/ 1500 - 1900 GMT APPRECIATIVE RESOURCES Thriving Women Thriving World: An Invitation to Dialogue, Healing, and Inspired Actions Appreciative Resources by Sandra Adkins Thriving Women Thriving World is less a book for reading than it is a book for doing. The text is designed guide us through the challenges of the #MeToo movement and the variety of struggles gender bias and discrimination have created more broadly, applying the approaches of Appreciative Inquiry to co-create a future where all women can thrive. Read more
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