Author/Editor:
David Cooperrider
Language:
English
Industry:
Education, For-profit Business (Corporate), Non-profit Business
Downloadable Files:
Resource Type
Article
“The Gift of New Eyes” was just published in the 2017 book series on Research in Organization Development and Change. Following the tradition of authors such as Carl Rogers who have re-issued their favorite works but have also added brief reflections on key points of emphasis, clarification, or editorial commentary, I offer here both the early 1987 article by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva in its entirety, but also with contemporary reflections embedded. To be sure my comments will be brief and serve predominantly to add points of emphasis to ideas we may have too hurriedly introduced. And my comments placed in indented and italicized format along the way are informed by 30 years of new human science insight (e.g., the proliferation of research in Positive Psychology) and will emphasize key ideas that we may have not emphasized enough. For example Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life talks about the “miracle of life” and “mystery of social existence” as a root metaphor for an applied and creative human science that is more powerful than “the world as a problem-to-be-solved” if our knowledge-interest is to inspire our imaginative capacities. Reading the world gratefully so to speak that is, embracing the sacredness or miracle of life on this planet for its intimations of something more and for what’s next or possible is a fundamental part of the call for an appreciative inquiry of valuing those things of value worth valuing. It’s also a key to the spirit of inquiry that is moving from edges of the known to the unknown (mystery) in ways that opens minds, ignites genuine curiosity and, and inspires fresh images of possibility.