Do Your Questions Spark Positive Change? with Ronald Fry

Today we're talking to Ron Fry, who's a professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University and former chairman of the Department of Organizational Behaviour, which has been consistently ranked one of the best in the world by the Financial Times.

With 11 books and over 45 articles and chapters, Ron is widely published in the areas of organizational development, appreciative inquiry, team building, change management, executive development, and the role and function of the CEO. He's a co-creator of the appreciative inquiry theory and method and continues to both apply and study the applications of AI in organizations all over the world.

In this episode, we discuss the simple questions that leaders can ask to help their people not just survive, but thrive, through organizational change experiences.

Connect with Ronald Fry: 

https://weatherhead.case.edu/faculty/ronald-fry

You’ll Learn: [02:03] - Ron explains the three most important evidence-based insights every leader should know in order to implement change effectively in their workplace. [04:57] - Ron shares why the questions we ask as leaders set changes in motion and how we can be more intentional about the questions we choose. [09:14] - Ron outlines how creating opportunities to build new connections inside and outside of our organizations can power our change efforts. [12:38] -  Ron explains how Appreciative Inquiry can build rapid trust in workplaces to help people work together to make their hopes for a change a reality. [17:39] -  Ron outlines why stability and change have an interconnected and interdependent relationship, and why stability is as important for our success as change is in workplaces. [24:07] -  Ron challenges our language about change in workplaces, and provides insights on why we need to think of change as a verb. [27:23] -  Ron shares his tips for helping people to flourish through change in workplaces. [31:18] -  Ron explains what it takes to build a positive institution and if this is possible in any workplace. [32:07] - Ron completes the Lightning round. Your Resources: MPPW Podcast on Facebook Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity by Ronald Fry & Frank Barrett The Universality of the Heliotropic Effect - TEDx talk with Kim Cameron Paul Zak on Youtube Thanks for listening! 

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

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Until next time, take care!  Thank you Ron!