If just one question could change your perspective?

Sometimes, it only takes one question to change our perspective.

Last week, two executives I coach came to me, exhausted, saying, “Help, I’m feeling down, give me some tools to get out of this quickly!” This request reminded me why I love using Appreciative Inquiry daily, especially in moments of doubt. Let me share this approach with you, as a remedy shared in confidence.

The magic of appreciative inquiry

Imagine you’re overwhelmed, the weight of the everyday pulling you down. Then, someone asks you a simple but powerful question: “What are you proud of creating over the past 12 months?” It’s not just a question; it’s an invitation to travel through your own successes. Suddenly, it’s not the weight you feel, but the strength of what you’ve initiated.

The first time I used this question, I saw tired eyes light up again. It’s the very heart of Appreciative Inquiry: focusing on our resources, our successes, and building from there.

Questions that awaken

After acknowledging your successes, the next step is just as revealing. You might ask yourself: “What have I not yet accomplished that I want to create?” It’s a question of movement, of aspiration, gently pushing you forward. Even if it’s just a small step, it’s in the direction of something better, greater. And that’s the beginning of action.

How to Integrate this into your daily life

How can you apply these reflections in your daily leadership? You can integrate them into your rituals, your meetings, making them moments of connection with your teams, where everyone can celebrate and plan. This creates an environment where not only you, but your entire team, can feel valued and inspired.

Appreciative Inquiry isn’t just a method; it’s a travel companion for any leader. It invites you to see the world not as a set of challenges but as a chessboard of possibilities. And if every encounter, every little question, could be the spark of your next big project?

So, are you ready to let these questions transform the way you lead and live? If you are interested, I have created a set of powerful questions inspired by Appreciative Inquiry, and I am offering them to you upon request to animate your daily leadership.

Le 10 mars 2025 par Hélène Benier

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