Our residents are enjoying their new Chair Chi sessions and are very enthusiastic - they look forward to exercises on a Thursday and are seen performing some of the skills when walking up the corridor! Gives variety to aged care exercise program.
The workshop ‘worked’ for me as it’s left me feeling like I want to know and do more. I understand this means some self-study but I would love the opportunity to reflect on what I’ve learned, access some of the resources, then come back for another few days focusing on ‘being’ a practitioner of Appreciative Inquiry. Then to keep the learning going by having experienced practitioner workshops to share our stories, build our strengths etc. Thanks for creating the program and for giving of your time, energy and multiple intelligences!
This workshop was, by far, one of the most inspirational, thoughtful, action-provoking workshops I have attended for many years - and I've attended many! Two days were not enough - we could have spent the whole week working on the many aspects that were obviously not covered in the timeframe allowed! As a Community Development Trainer and Facilitator, I have been an AI convert for many years and utilise it in professional development workshops that I deliver throughout Australia and for framing generative questions. But this particular course by Sue and Chris gave me a deeper meaning and understanding of AI as a way of viewing my work, family, colleagues and life through a thoroughly more appreciative lens! I cannot recommend the Essence of Appreciative Inquiry highly enough and I'm sure if I did the 2 days again, I would gain bucket-loads more from each workshop!
Really enjoyed the shared wisdom of the group. The handout & references are great to support further learning. Succinct, clear information. Plenty of time to discuss and share. Thank you for a great two days. It was a great overview into AI. Warm, friendly and welcoming.
I appreciated the interesting differences you brought to the process as co-facilitators. The balance between levity and ‘seriosity’ made the day pass pretty quickly. I think you’re offering a nice easing into AI – many thanks for your generosity … live long and prosper!
Thank you for an informative workshop. I loved the powerpoint slides supporting the cards. The exercises were just enough and very effective/challenging. I feel very lucky attending a ‘masterclass’. The cards are fabulous – big, colourful and informative. Thank you Sue and Chris – your personal stories and examples were the epitome of the philosophy of AI in action – being lived.
Great day of learning an alternative approach that can focus on a positive way of interacting and sharing in an informal way. I will be using some of what I've learned when in need of client input in services that we are providing, as well as with members of my team in times of planning and evaluating.
Very informative, well presented. Learnt a lot. Really like the framework – feel it provides a great approach to empower people to work to bring out & develop the best in themselves and in their organisations. You could not consult/teach AI without walking the talk. Most definitely would recommend!
Really enjoyed today, particularly valuable for me was your explanation of “provocative propositions”. Best ever! Great to have a practitioner speaking of real experiences. Thank you for a great day. I'd recommend this workshop for anybody who is interested in organisational development, working with community or themselves. Great introduction.
Thoroughly enjoyed the course! I know the residents where I work will like the gentle but strengthening exercises as a change from mainstream exercise videos and DVDs. I’ll practice myself so I can revitalise my chi and help myself to focus.
Enjoyed the day – thank you. You made it very easy to learn with the experiential training. Very applicable for my position.
It was very informative, in a relaxed environment and still in a small group to feel comfortable. The instructions are given in a professional way and I like the way that all participants are “teaching” each other.
Thank you so much for today!! It was a very interesting and uplifting day. I learnt valuable skills that will be able to apply when working with my residents in the future. Chair Chi will be part of my exercise program. ... everybody in this course today picked up something different. Next time I’m sure I will hear something different again.
Really enjoyed the shared wisdom of the group. The handout & references are great to support further learning. Succinct, clear information. Plenty of time to discuss and share. Thank you for a great two days. It was a great overview into AI. Warm, friendly and welcoming.
I appreciated the interesting differences you brought to the process as co-facilitators. The balance between levity and ‘seriosity’ made the day pass pretty quickly. I think you’re offering a nice easing into AI – many thanks for your generosity … live long and prosper!
I think that it made me look at where I am in terms of my thinking within the community. The Tai Chi was great. Thank you for a great two days.
The best thing about the Essence of Appreciative Inquiry workshop was a greater appreciation of the power of AI. The workbook is excellent – it provides a valuable resource. It has been a very worthwhile experience, most stimulating. I commend you and Chris on the way in which you presented the material and enabled us to have such a positive experience. Very well done.
I would like to thank you for facilitating the HACC Business Planning Day. There was a great deal of positive feedback about the proceedings and how well you kept things “on Track” which assisted us to achieve more on the day.
Thank you so much, Sue and Chris. Your gracious facilitation and your sensitivity to us has enabled our spirits to look and see beyond our own horizons!
A number of club members approached me after the meeting and expressed their appreciation. They indicated that the presentation was both personally beneficial, and beneficial to the club. This is an ideal combination to make our meetings enjoyable and encourage attendance. Thank you for the time taken.
Sue used Appreciative Inquiry methods to draw out ideas for the project from a broad stakeholder group. The shared conversation techniques Sue adopted, the open communication and design ideas that came out of the session were a great success. I have found her to be an enthusiastic and professional facilitator who is able to draw out ideas and establish open and positive communication between stakeholders. I look forward to working with Sue in the facilitation of our future design projects.
Colleagues shared experiences, refocussed negative energy and explored leadership qualities. It was fun, challenging and informative ... The interaction created was a great way to set the context of the Program at the start and a great way to finish off.
The session was very positive and staff really enjoyed the opportunity to interact with others in a fun, social atmosphere while learning some useful strategies for managing stressful situations in the workplace.
The best thing about these sessions was the way you both combined your talents and messages. It tapped into deeper dimensions than many other [professional development sessions] I've attended.
Staff enjoyed the practical and hands on approach that Sue & Chris used. It made staff reflect on their current practices and gave them things to consider for the future. One small thing that made a big difference was that they were able to deliver a presentation created around our needs at the time.
This was a very worthwhile session - well presented, thoughtful and inspiring content and professionally hosted. Really appreciated the combination of 'more than talk' and the Tai Chi activities. Many thanks!
Your advice on including laughter in our daily business lives not only brought a smile to our faces but reinforced the importance of taking time out of our busy schedules to get the most out of ourselves.
The best thing was learning how to deal with suppliers.
One thing I'll use straight away is focus on my business goals and put them on paper rather than leave them on a verbal basis. I'd highly recommend this workshop to others because many business owners are not aware about setting goals and more importantly looking at the values which are the main reason for the existence of their business.
Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. The residents and staff thoroughly enjoyed your delivery of Chair Chi and would love to have you back again. Your attitude towards the residents was impressive and you interacted with them brilliantly, they responded and participated well and definitely benefited from you. Once again thank you Chris and I will certainly recommend you to other facilities.
Thank you for your session with us. Very positive comments from all the staff. It was very relaxing - nice to do a shared PL [Professional Learning]. The power of collegiate activities is amazing. Great to do something different for health and stress release. It was terrific and so many staff members said how they slept soundly that night.
Chair Chi is a great success at St. John’s Park Hostel, with at least 10 residents participating per session. Our residents continue to talk about the sessions happily afterwards. Our residents have said that they are keen for this activity to continue as part of St. John’s leisure program, as they say they are more relaxed following the session.
I found the Chair Chi to be a worthwhile class. At first I wasn't sure what it would be like, Chris showed us good strengthening exercises. It was also a good form of relaxation. Thanks.