MSOD 618

Practicum 2: International Organization Development and Large Scale

Change
Amanda Perkey

REFLECTION PAPER COSTA RICA PRACTICUM

I experienced the power of Appreciative Inquiry with Prodigious Digital in Costa
Rica. Going into the pre-intervention session I made a commitment to let it evolve and
learn as much as I could from the process while applying the OD skills acquired from the
past year. As with previous sessions I tried to suspend any expectations knowing my
biggest learning spurts have come from stretching myself outside my comfort zone. As
Dr. Mangiofico stated numerous times, the comfort zone is not a cost free zone.
Overall, the appreciative inquiry intervention with Prodigious unfolded naturally from the
beginning. The language barrier was minimum if non-existent, we are all in a similar age
range and there was a significant amount of positive energy flowing between my group
and our client group. Additionally, our client had participated in the MSOD AI
experience the previous year and was exceptionally eager to have the experience for a
second time. The entire AI intervention was a collaboration between our group and the
client group we listened, they talked, we asked questions to dig deeper and ultimately
arrived at decisions together. I was proud of our team that we never settled for the
obvious answer and challenged each other and the client to go deeper to ultimately move
toward change. As a group if we were stuck, we made sure to ask questions, support each
other and lean on Chris Little, our faculty consultant, for guidance. Additionally, I was
proud of our synergy as a team with the client group. In the moment, we were able to
make decisions collectively as a group and go with the flow as the client was progressing.
It was one experience to go through an AI intervention as a cohort prior to meeting the
client and another to be the one facilitating the process. It was eye opening to witness the
employees of Prodigious do the work themselves as individuals and as a unit.
Throughout the process I observed the layers slowly being peeled away as the employees

accepted the process and truly engaged with one another. I am a believer that AI
principles hold and my role was to facilitate the process but the work is in the people.
Inherently, the space we created and held for the employees at Prodigious evolved into
what they made out of the experience. Professionally, it was a wonderful experience to
witness change in others. The flow of the AI intervention felt natural. At first I was
resistant and didnt know if anything would happen. The client proved to me that we all
have what it takes inside of us. We simply need to be listened to and care for in order to
move toward change.
I left France with a more holistic point of view in order to adapt to situations,
other people and myself. I took the mantras Miriam presented at beginning - It Will All
Be OK and It Is Not Necessary To React - to heart and applied them everyday. So much
of my expectations were built on doing something so perfectly. My point of view had
changed. It doesn't have to be perfect. It can be right for the client based on research and
no prior experience simply by working together, asking questions, drilling deeper toward
the issue, remembering the business reason for making change and following my
intuition. Following the AI intervention and the multiple days at La Carpio,
understanding complexity and dialogue and stretching outside my comfort zone my
practice point of view has blended and expanded to include the true notion and practice
of selfless facilitation. Witnessing raw emotion, life and change in front of my eyes took
the focus off of me and transcended my heart and mind toward seeing change in others.