Teach your managers to ask questions that lead to better morale and better outcomes with Cheri Torres

Cheri Torres, co-author of Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement

Cheri Torres and Bill Ringle discuss the finer points of using questions to direct focus for better relationships and better outcomes using appreciative inquiry for small business leaders.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth.

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Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview

When you focus on the problem or ask people what they did wrong, it shifts more energy into protective-defensive mechanisms and people lose (temporarily) their ability to be creative and productive.It is important to learn positive framing and asking generative questions in dealing with a difficult situation.The appreciative inquiry had been equated with the 5D methodology: Define, Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny/Deploy. It has so many more applications.

Interview Insights

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Cheri shares her inspirations and how it inspired her. [01:20]

What led you to a field of study that lead you to appreciative inquiry? [4:30]

Why do we want to want people to think about what they did well rather than correcting mistakes they made? [7:32]

What do you look for to tell the conversation is negative, neutral or a positive conversation? [10:06]

Cheri gives small business owners recommendation on how they can implement appreciative inquiry [12:08]

Can you give an example of an actual company...[21:30]

Why do think people automatically think about their shortcomings? [27:36]

Do you have an example wherein you use AI in a different way? [29:03]

Can you talk to us through the differences between low and high performance teams? [36:09]Recap [41:02]

Expert Bio

Cheri Torres, Ph.D. is CEO at Collaborative by Design (cheritorres.com).

Her mission is to give people simple communication practices that empower them to design organizations and communities that flourish. She partners with people to catalyze positive change in workplaces and communities. The practices she introduces give leaders and teams the power to strengthen relationships, expand possibilities, and increase productivity and engagement through everyday conversation. These practices are grounded in neuroscience, positive psychology, and Appreciative Inquiry..

She’s written numerous books and articles; her most recent book is a Berrett Koehler bestseller, Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement.

She’s been featured in leading media sources including Fast Company, Forbes, HR Magazine, SmartBrief, Training Industry, and Training Magazine. She’s accumulated a Ph.D. in Collaborative Learning, an MBA, Masters in Transpersonal Psychology, and Level II certification in Spiral Dynamics Integral.

Contact Info for Cheri Torres

Web address: https://conversationsworthhaving.today/

Travels from: Asheville, NC

Social  Media Links:

​Books Authored by Cheri Torres

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement