The power of questions to connect to highpoint moments from our past and our future dreams
Powerful questions can accelerate group coherence and amplify group performance. By connecting with, and sharing highpoint moments from the past people can see and experience the best in one another.
For example we can reflect on the following question:
“Identify a time when you were part of an amazing, creative, endeavor where you felt inspired and alive. A time when your efforts made a real difference. What was that situation? What happened? How did you participate? How did it make you feel?”
Now turn to the person next to you and share each of your experiences with one another.
Such sharing changes the climate and energy of the group. We step into our best, most creative selves and share from that place. All of the sudden, the room is alive. Everyone is showing up as the amazing people they are when they are at their best.
We can also step into the future we dream of:
“Imagine that after today’s meeting, like Rip Van Winkle, you fall into a deep sleep. You wake up and it is 10 years from today. You look around and you are amazed by what you see. You cannot believe your eyes. All the possibilities and hopes we have been exploring have come to pass. What you see? How did we get there.”
Now share each of your visions with those at the table with you. Now build on the best of each other’s ideas and construct a shared vision.
During such a visioning exercise you can feel the energy of the room shifting as people connect viscerally to their deepest aspirations and dreams.
When we explore questions that connect to highpoint moments from the past and the future we dream of using both our minds and our emotions we are transported to these situations. We feel alive and inspired. This has a deep and positive impact on us and our groups. We are connected to our inspiration, our creativity, and to each other. And we find oursleves operating together as a high performing team.
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