Three administrators at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, gave the presentation on Appreciative Inquiry at the annual conference of The Chair Academy held in Jacksonville, Fla.
Meredith Tulli, executive director of Human Resources; Jennifer Weaver, dean of the Gettysburg Campus, and David J. Morrison, executive assistant to the president, shared HACC's success in how the college adapted the process to build enthusiasm and support for key goals of the college strategic plan.
Whether within an individual campus or department, within the confines of a specific project or initiative, or in the context of a major, multi-year goal, AI has proven to be an adaptable, user-friendly and energizing tool that rarely fails to draw diverse constituents to positive consensus and shared vision, notes Morrison.
HACC's AI program evolved from a one-day retreat at the Gettysburg Campus initiated by Weaver into a year-round college-wide tool for problem-solving and project implementation.
The team of Weaver, Tulli and Morrison told a packed audience how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can set bold initiatives free of "control freak" involvement, and how a positive focus on a single goal can shed new insights and identify new strategies for achieving other goals.
The team also shared HACC's CORE Awards Program, which recognizes employees who go above and beyond the requirements of their jobs. The project is one result developed through the AI technique. CORE provides awards to employees who demonstrate outstanding customer service and communication; ownership; respect, recognition and responsiveness; and excellence in the workplace.
HACC's success in adapting AI to the college's strategic planning was noted earlier in "Appreciative Inquiry in the Community College-Early Stories of Success," a League of Innovation publication in 2004.
Tulli, who has been executive director of Human Resources at HACC since August 1999, is responsible for the policies and procedures relating to all phases of human resources management for all HACC campuses and centers.
Weaver, who has led the Gettysburg campus since its inception in 1990, directs the overall programs and services at the regional campus, including budget development, operations and planning, student support and community partnerships.
Morrison, executive assistant to the president at HACC since July 2002, is responsible for policy and planning, including serving as chairman of the College-wide Strategic Planning Committee. He also administers special assignments for the board of trustees and the president's cabinet, and organizes certain college-wide events.
For more information on how Appreciative Inquiry can succeed in your workplace, contact Morrison at the email address below.