Mental models, those images, assumptions, and stories of ourselves, other people, and the way things work that we carry around inside, can get in the way of our ability to plan for the future and make good decisions. These mental models bring with them blinders that can quickly grow out of date in our ever-changing world.

In this newsletter we will explore two techniques to break our mental models: Appreciative inquiry (AI) and scenario planning.

Instead of looking at the world as a set of problems to be solved, AI is an act of exploration and discovery, opening up potentials and possibilities. AI is based on the affirmation of past and present strengths, successes and potentials. AI is both a philosophy of life and a methodology for generating change and planning for the future. Our focus here is on AI's methodology -- to help us break mental models.

How does AI break mental models and open individuals and their organizations up to more creative planning?

According to AI experts, looking at problems just causes further problems. It leads to defensive posturing, finger pointing, and limits the scope of the solution. Paying attention to problems simply underlines and reinforces their existence.

Instead, AI opens up our thinking by focusing us on what has worked to date, or "what already is," in order to imagine what "could be" in the future and then define "what will be."

AI is based upon the principle, described by one of its founders, David Cooperrider, that "when an artist sits in front of a landscape, the imagination is kindled not by searching for 'what is wrong with this landscape' but by a special ability to be inspired by those things of value worth valuing."

Cooperrider and co-author Diana Whitney, go on to say: "Appreciation draws our eye toward life, stirs our feelings, sets in motion our curiosity, and provides inspiration to the envisioning mind."

AI is also based on the belief, according to author Steve Phillips, that individuals and organizations already have most of the answers because they possess an "excellent collection" of experiences, practices and perspectives. Therefore, paying attention to these experiences and perspectives of what works will get us more of what works and will open up "amazing possibilities to be explored rather than problems to be solved."

As it has evolved, AI involves five steps:

1. Definition of the focus of the work. What are we exploring or inquiring into?

2. Discovery -- through the use of an interview protocol, to explore the factors that contribute to optimum performance and best individual experiences.

3. Dreaming of what could be if the exceptional moments identified in the Discovery phase became normal practice.

4. Designing what specifically will be different in the future.

5. Delivering those results through a plan to move forward.

AI is not only an incredibly useful tool for strategic planning, change management, and resolving challenges. It is also applicable as a good coaching practice. Leaders who use probing questions in an appreciative mode that generates collaborative learning will see long-lasting behavior changes.

By the end of the summer, you will be able to access a framework on my website to help you apply this information to your leadership challenges. Check out my website in late August!

Another technique for breaking mental models is scenario planning.

Scenario planning is a process used to stimulate imaginative, creative thinking to better prepare an organization for the future. Scenario planning is different from traditional strategic and contingency planning. It does not assume that there is one best answer to a strategic question or one best way to deal with a single uncertainty.

Instead, it forces leaders to consider multiple possibilities and multiple uncertainties. For these reasons, Scenario Planning is particularly useful in situations where leaders need to break mental models about the future.

As Professor David Garvin and I explained in our "Note on Scenario Planning," there are several steps involved in a successful scenario planning exercise.

These steps include:

1. Identifying the area of concern. Examples of issues that Scenario Planning can be useful in addressing are big questions, such as: "How do we position our organization to deal with the growing complexity of healthcare issues?" or "How do we grow our moving and storage business?"

2. Researching the key themes and trends that are likely to play a major role in shaping the future. These forces include changes in demographics, economic conditions, consumer demands, governmental regulations, prevailing cultural or personal values, industry structure, global trade flows, political or legal environment, and technology.

In the moving and storage example, such forces could be changes in regulations, demographic shifts to the U.S. southwest, changes in values regarding home and family, the aging population, and a growing concern for personal privacy.

3. Defining the critical drivers that are most likely to significantly change the way the future unfolds. These drivers should be those that are most important to the question at hand and most uncertain.

In the example, they might be the direction of the economy and attitudes toward the family and personal privacy.

4. Creating scenarios around those critical drivers. Scenarios are alternative hypotheses about how the world might unfold, specifically designed to highlight risks and opportunities facing the organization. Effective scenarios challenge the thinking of participants by instilling a deeper appreciation of the many factors that could shape the future. Different future scenarios in our example could be a growing U.S. economy with a return to community values, or a growing U.S. economy with a preference for individualism.

5. Finally identifying the implications of each alternative future on the organization, in terms of strategies, options, and early warning signals, to better prepare the organization to deal with the alternative futures that could unfold. For example, entering the file destruction business, developing alliances with retirement communities, staying on top of demographic trends, etc.

There is a lot more behind scenario planning than is described in this brief introduction. But I urge you to explore the topic further since by opening up managers' mindsets and breaking prevailing mental models, scenario planning heightens sensitivity to change and awareness of possible futures. Scenario planning experts believe, in fact, that the accuracy of the scenarios is less important that the conversations they generate.

A reader called my attention to some comments on CEOExpress.com about the book, "Breakthrough Creativity:"

The reviewer writes, "There are so many excellent books on the (sometimes elusive) subject of creativity and this is one of the best....

"One of the most important components of "breakthrough creativity" is the realization that creativity is not just a "thinking" phenomenon. It can also be manifested in being a nurturing team leader, connecting differently with associates, strengthening relationships with clients, etc. Levesque's identification and exploration of this component sets her apart from de Bono, von Oech, and others whose work I also admire.

"[Many authors, including] Goleman, and countless others have expanded and enriched our understanding of 'human capital.' With this book, Levesque makes her own unique and substantial contribution to a collaborative exploration of unfulfilled humanity."

My colleague Peter Schmidt, who is licensed to use the Eight Creative Talents in Europe, has recently founded a new consulting practice with consultants Rolf Happel and Marcus Gottschalk: Innovation-Europe. The mission of this new consultancy is to provide exceptional services for enhancing the innovation of a company's product development process and for creating a distinctive company culture for innovation.

Stay tuned for the next issue, which will complete the article on strategic planning and the eight creative talents begun in the last issue. It will also have articles about intuition and the eight creative talents and more information about appreciative inquiry.