AI Experiment

Lynne Forbes-Zeller

Pepperdine University

MSOD 618 – Organization Development and Large Scale Change

Dr. Gary Mangiofico

 AI Experiment

Appreciating Exercise

I chose number one for my Appreciating Exercise and used a daily Gratitude

Journal for my personal and professional experiment. During this exercise, I noticed my

natural inclination is to focus on tasks and problem-solving. This narrow focus keeps me

in a hyper-focused state of reality which eliminates key elements I would like more of in

my life. I also miss out on a lot of joy by not living fully in what is present in my life. I am

not suggesting that I step away from responsibilities but offering myself a healthier

happier way of living.

This exercise helped me celebrate what is present in my life. I noticed when I

focus on the positive, positive emotions are more present and they brought more

feelings of wellbeing, more joy, and less stress.

Imagining Exercise

I chose number seven for my personal and professional experiments, Surfacing

Assumptions. The exercise asks me to think about something I really desire in my life.

My personal choice is optimal health and fitness. The key entries from my Personal

Imagining exercise journal focused on desiring excellent health, being physically fit, and

looking my best.

My Professional Imagining exercise journal topic is having a greater

understanding and involvement in life sciences. I am very interested in functional

medicine, human biology, and incorporating physical wellbeing into my OD practice. I

would like to establish a network of individuals working in organizations focused on well-

being or that own a business that supports human well-being.

 Through the lens of AI, I learned that I will move more confidently to achieve this

goal and have these elements in my future. I clarified that I have strong connection to

the healing sciences and feel this needs to be a part of my future focus even if only on a

voluntary basis. During these experiments, I learned more about myself and became

more self-aware about my professional interests in wellbeing and healing.

At the core of my belief is that we live in a complex network of energy, this

energy fuels and connects everyone and all living things. By understanding and

applying the energy as medicine concept, I can powerfully help heal the planet,

individual lives and support the personal potential for health, happiness, and meaning.

The exercise helped me to focus more on what is important to me and provided a clear

understanding of how healing and health complement my OD journey.

Acting Exercise

I chose number nine, Acknowledging the Good, for my personal and professional

experiment. Exercise nine calls for building positive feelings in relationships. I chose my

neighbor Charlie for the personal experiment and Shali for the professional.

Charlie is a cantankerous neighbor that has mental health issues and poor

physical health. His wife has been a chain smoker for most of her life and is also in poor

health. In short, Charlie is challenging to deal with; he enjoys telling lies and then telling

you he lied. Well, you can see that there is work involved to keep our relationship on the

positive side. Shali, my professional contact, is both a colleague and a dear friend. We

do not have an active project currently. I used this exercise to call her and act like I

needed more information on our last project. She doesn’t make it easy to get to know

her. I have witnessed Shali be abrupt with people, she is often misunderstood. Having
worked closely with her, I know she is a very talented, hardworking, and a very caring

person. Over the phone, I encouraged her and shared how she is inspiring to me.

Through the lens of AI, I reframed my mindset, instead of avoiding him. By doing

so, I learned I could transform the relationship. I chose to build positive feelings, and by

doing so, my perspective about Charlie changed. I became more forgiving and I gained

greater understanding and compassion for his condition and the struggles he deals with

daily to address both his and his wife’s health.

My experiment with Shali delivered a surprise. As a result of building a more

positive dynamic relationship, I received ten-fold in return. I believe this happened

because we co-created our future. As a result of AI, I viewed my relationship with Shali

differently. I saw the greater whole and interconnectedness between the two of us

instead of two separate individuals. I felt very honored; this experiment was very

rewarding.

Reference

Kelm, J. B. (2005). Appreciative Living: The principles of appreciative inquiry in personal

life (3rd ed.). Charleston, NC: Venet.