1. The Design Phase of AI Creating Sustainability
By
Infusing Your Organization’s Social Architecture with the Power of the Dream
By crafting the organization's social architecture, we define the basic infrastructure
In the design phase, attention turns to creating the ideal organization in order to achieve its dreams.
The Design Phase involves the creation of the social architecture of the organization; and the generation of
provocative propositions that embody the organizational dream in ongoing activities so that everything about
organizing reflects and is responsive to the dream - the organization's greatest potential.
“Both the opportunity and the challenge to bring the dream alive through innovations in the social
architecture are significant. Along with the questions we ask and the stories we tell about ourselves,
the organizations Social Architecture institutionalizes our dreams. Much more than the boxes on the
organization chart, it includes the work of the organization, the roles , tools and rules, the systems
and structures - all the formal and informal mechanisms which sustain our daily interactions. When
we align the social architecture in ways which support the emergence of the organizations positive
core, the benefits to society, the company and the individuals are enormous. “ - Bernard J Mohr
“ Organizational transformation is much more than the cumulative critical mass of personal
transformation. It requires macro level changes - in the very fabric of organizing - the social
architecture”. - Diana Whitney
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2. Bridging from Dream to Delivery:Using the Design Phase of AI to Create Sustainability
The Discovery and Dream phases of Appreciative Inquiry begin the shift towards a new way of
working.
Energy for change is unleashed. A grounded vision (I.e the Dream.) of the desired future is
created.
The Design phase of AI allows us to translate the Dream into organizational reality - to find ways of
using the organizations infrastructure to bring the dream into being
MISSION
VALUES VISION
Translating the Dream
into Social Architecture
(Design)
• Education
• Structure
• Business processes
• Policies
• Communication
• Technology
• Alliances & Partnership
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3. VALUES IDEAS ABOUT THE FUTURE
• Unity of purpose We want to be the most knowledgeable
• Commitment to each other - team spirit team of teachers since we want to be
• Professionalism - embedded the pioneers in the field. To achieve this
knowledge we need training and time that will
• Dignity, diversity and respect result in excellence due to our research
in different aspects of the profession.
• Social & human capital
• Adventurous & pioneering
• Joy and fulfillment IDEAS ABOUT THE FUTURE
•Networking
–within 4D
–within our community
–within the international
community
IDEAS ABOUT OUR MISSION •Specialization
Create opportunities for people – all –researcher
our stakeholders – to develop in a –communicator
confident, supportive and –translator
empowering atmosphere –material developer
–course designer
–foreign link
P3

4. Using the Design Phase of AI to Create Sustainability - Working Definitions
1. Redesign of the organizational architecture involves thinking creatively about all elements, we will include:
•Education
•Alliances & Partnership
•Structure
•Business processes
•Policies
•Communication
•Technology
... to achieve and sustain significant breakthroughs in performance, engagement and quality of worklife.
2. Deciding on and implementing the architectural changes required to bring the “dream”, the“new organization”
into being is a key part of the AI process - and consequently the issue of “who” is involved in the design phase
and the “how” of the design phase are of critical importance. Passion and participation are the keys.
3. Design of the organizational architecture can be done at both the strategic and operational levels:
a. Strategic organization design is primarily strategy driven, focusing on the top three elements of the
organization and involving key decisions. Strategic design aims to create an organizational architecture which
facilitates strategy implementation and increases organizational flexibility and capability while taking into
consideration the expressed values and beliefs developed during the Dream phase of the AI process
b. Operational design, (done within the context of strategic design decisions), involves the design of jobs/roles,
authorities at both the individual and group levels, work flows, information flows and human resource management
systems. The goal of operational design is to translate the “dream” into the nuts and bolts of daily organization life
(I.e.- jobs, roles, reporting relationships, technology, authority, work flow etc ) which maximize efficient process
functioning and individual quality of worklife.
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5. We will be working on two Approaches to the Design Phase
I. The Framework Approach
We will be working on the strategic design on the following topics:
•Education
•Alliances and Partnerships
•Structure
We will be working on the operational design on the following topics:
•Business Processes
•Policies
•Communication
•Technology
II. The Requests, Offers and Commitments Approach. Each participant is given the opportunity to
publicly state a simple commitment, make an offer or articulate a request.
•Simple Commitments describes actions that can be easily taken, typically within one to two weeks and are
within the existing authority and resources available to the person making the commitment.
•Offers may be made in response to a request for collaboration. Offers can come in any shape or form -
specific is better.
•Requests are the other side of offers - but focused on what one person or group needs from another person or
group.
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