[MUSIC] Lots, and lots of people are writing about the power of questions, and in several of our sessions this far, we've come to this point where again, we're not trying to just sound redundant. The power of the question is, an amazing tool for the leader to really grasp, and wear. That our questions are fateful, as we ask therefore we go. So, for me personally, I really felt this, I experienced it. Not at the beginning of working with appreciative inquiry, not in the early co-creation stages here in our department, but after about a decade, it was at my dinner table, at my home with my youngest son. His older brother had graduated high school, gone off to university. So now, he was with his Mom, and Dad, for the first time, as a trio. And, I recognized over a period of time, that sort of voice in your head telling me, you know, if you're really honest the quality of exchange at the dinner table is not really that great. It's kind of routine, for the most part, it's kind of like, it's not that quality time that you espouse, or that I espoused, as a parent, or that my wife, and I we wanted to make sure dinners were a quality time for the family. And at a certain point, I realized driving to, and from work this inner conversation would come up over, and over again. It's not really what you say you want it to be. And, I looked at it, and what I saw quickly was a pattern. So the pattern which may resonate with many of you, my wife, or I would start the dinner conversation, by turning to my son, and saying, so, how did your day go? And the at that time anyway the teenage boy response was no biggie. What did you say? No biggie, no big deal. And from there the conversation sort of leveled out. None of us were very much prone to sharing anything particularly exciting, or interesting, it was just kind of checking in, sort of just blah. And that was really what came to me at some point, and when I realized that the power of that question, how did your day go, was possibly creating the entire tone, for the rest of the conversation, or the rest of the dinnertime. And then, I thought, well hey appreciative inquiry the power of the question, make it an intentionally positive question. So, one night I said, instead of, how did your day go? I intentionally said, so what was the best thing that happened to you today? And for a moment, he kind of thought that was a pretty weird question, and he acted like, what's with you, and are you really interested? And I said yes, I just want to know one thing that stood out. I think my memory was he asked me well, you mean in class, right? And I said no, just anything, but that change in the question, from how did your day go? To what was the best thing that happened to you today? Just like that navy pharmacist's assistant, asking the intentionally positive question, change the demeanor of the dinner table. And today, he's 32 years old, that son, and he still remembers that sort of shift, when he lives far away, but when we talk on the phone, if I don't bring it up, or my wife doesn't bring it up, he'll kid us about it. Aren't you going to ask me about my high point experience since the last time we talked? So, I'm saying this story to set you up for, I want to invite you to experiment two different contexts that you choose. So you can choose the dinner table, or choose the next meeting that you're responsible for. And simply start the conversation by asking for, or soliciting, quick positive stories about the best thing that's happened, since the last dinner, or since the last time you met. Then, if you have an agenda for your meeting, go to it, but just allow five minutes, or so right at the front, intentionally sharing best moment, most funny experience, whatever. Something positive, over some past time period. I honestly believe, if you haven't intuitively done this you're going to be surprised. You will be able to see visibly, tangibly, a shift in energy, a shift in attention, to the work agenda, if you choose the work meeting, as a place to try this. A shift in focus, interest in each other. A positive shift in energy, and emotion, and engagement simply from asking for short stories. If you're in a meeting you should go first to model the way, and if somebody says, I can't think of anything. Allow them to pass but tell them you'll come back to them, after they hear a few examples from others they will certainly be able to have their own example. So again, our tip to end this session, choose a meeting, or a dinner setting, or some setting like that, and begin in a different manner. Begin with some story sharing, as opposed to just diving in to some issue, or some other type of question, and see, if that positive story sharing, see what kind of impact it has on you, and your perception of the meeting, or the dinner table. [MUSIC]