Appreciative Advising Workshop

Mini-Workbook & QuikGuide

Friday, August 14, 2020

Disarm: Recognizing the importance of first impressions and the need for creating a
safe, welcoming environment for students.

Definition:
• “To overcome or allay the suspicion, hostility or antagonism of”
• “To win the confidence of”
Key Features:
• Warm Welcome
• Safe and Comfortable Environment
• Appropriate Self-Disclosure
• Appropriate Nonverbal and Verbal Immediacy Behavior

Important Behaviors:
Nonverbal Immediacy Verbal Behaviors: Other Behaviors:
Behaviors:
Gestures Calling students by name Webpage has blurb about
Vocal Variety Use of Inclusive advisor
Smiling at students pronouns Sit in the chair your students sit
Relaxed body posture Unrelated small talk in in your office
Removal of distractions Feedback to students Decorate your physical or virtual
Eye contact Asking for student office in a personal way
Professional casual dress feedback Greet students at door
Use of own first name Warmly welcome students
online
Example Questions:
• So what has been the highlight of your day/week/semester/year for far?
• I was just reading an article in the student newspaper about _______, did you read it?
• Did you catch the [name a major event]?
Notes:

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 Discover: Utilize positive open-ended questions to draw out students’ interests,
strengths, and passions. Listen to each answer carefully before asking the next positive
Definition:
• “To see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of
(something previously unseen or unknown)”
• “To notice or realize”
• “To identify (a person) as a potentially prominent performer”
Key Features:
• Effective open-ended questioning
• Attending behavior and active listening
• Strengths-based story reconstruction

Important Behaviors:
• Ask positive open-ended questions and listen!
• Take mental notes of your student’s strengths, skills, passions, and accomplishments.
• Self-disclose personal stories when appropriate, but remember the session is about your
student.
• Get comfortable with silence; let students think is ok.
• Treat your students as if they are full of potential.
• Don’t judge; students who feel judged won’t share.
• Be mindful of diversity and multi-cultural issues.
• Be authentic.
• Affirm what your student is saying to convey—knowing that you understand will help
your student feel at ease.

Example Questions:
• Tell me about your favorite extracurricular activities. What so you enjoy about them?
• When you find yourself engaged in an activity that you enjoy and lose complete track of
time, what are you typically doing?
• What obstacle have you overcome and how did you do so?
• What college experience has surprised you the most?
• Tell me about your time commitments outside of class…
• What problem or issue facing campus/the world today, would you like to solve?
• What drew you to participate in [name of activity]?

Notes:

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 Appreciative Advising in the COVID-19 Era:
How to Optimize Virtual Student Interactions
https://www.fau.edu/education/centersandprograms/oae/pop-up-webinar/

Potential Discover Questions for Student Interactions

1. What is something you have learned about yourself during this process?

2. What are some coping strategies that you are using for this transition?

3. What concerns you the most when it comes to online courses?

4. What has been your best experience with online courses?

5. What are some of your expectations for online courses?

6. How do you feel so far about the transitions from an in-person class to an
online format?

7. How are you adjusting during this transition?

8. What are some of your needs?

9. Since transitioning to an online format, what has been the most surprising
thing about the class?

10. Tell me about how your experiences in-person class and your experiences in
the online format have been similar/different?

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 Dream: Help students formulate a vision of what they might become, and then assist
them in developing their life and career goals.

Definition:
• “An aspiration; goal; aim”
• “A condition or achievement that is longed for”

Key Features:
• Creating Powerful Images
• Framework for Dreaming
• Make Purposeful Connections between the Discover and Dream phases

Important Behaviors:
• Listen with intention
• Look for (in)congruency between the discover and dream phases—make connections
between students’ skills, passions, and accomplishments and their dreams and goals.
• Encourage students to be open to the possibilities.
• Remind students that there is more than one right answer.

Example Questions:
• If time, money, education, and fear were not obstacles, what would you really want to
do?
• What would you do if you knew you would not fail?
• Paint a picture of your ideal work environment.
• What is one thing you always wanted to do, but didn’t really think you could?
• If you could leave one notable mark on this world, what would it be?

Notes:

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 Design: Help students devise concrete, incremental, and achievable goals.

Definition:
• “To prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed)”

Key Features:
• Teach Students How to Make Decisions
• Positive Feedback and Encouragement
• Be Aware of the “Curse of Knowledge”
• Making Effective Referrals

Important Behaviors:
• Explain technical information in easy to understand language.
• Avoid confusing acronyms—although you may use them every day, your students may
not.
• Teach your students how to make decisions.
• Remember that your students are the ultimate decision makes—and they will have to
live with the consequences of their choices.
• Make effective referrals—you don’t have to know everything, but you should be well-
networked.
• Be positive! Students will appreciate your confidence in their ability to make and
execute decisions.

Example Questions:
• What baby step today can you take to bring you one step closer to your goal?
• What resources might you use to meet your goals?
• Who can help you reach your goals?
• What strengths can you use to achieve your goals?
• What challenges do you expect to encounter?
• What kind of experiences do you have and/or can you gain to help you reach your
goals?

Notes:

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 Deliver: Students follows through on their plans. The advisor is there for students when
they stumble, believe in them every step of the way, and help them continue to update and
refine their dreams as they go.

Definition:
• “To produce or achieve what is desired or expected”

Key Features:
• Motivate and Energize Students to be their Best
• Engender Academic Hope
• End the Conversation Well
• Follow-Up

Important Behaviors:
• Review what you have accomplished during your meeting with your student.
• Review the student’s responsibilities as well as yours, and the deadlines you have co-
established to meet them.
• Establish a communication plan—determine the best way to stay in contact.
• Encourage your student to contact you with any problem, questions, or concerns.
• Identify what motivates your student and discuss how they will intentionally seek out
those things that keep them going.
• Reiterate your confidence that the students can accomplish their goals.

Example Questions:
• What resources on campus are helping you achieve your goals?
• Since our last meeting, what concrete steps have you taken to meet your goals?
• What roadblocks have you encountered and how have you surmounted them?
• How will you know when you’ve achieved your goals? What is your measure of success?
• How will you celebrate the achievement of your goals?
• What is the most important lesson that you have learned since our last conversations?
• Have you (or do you need to) reevaluated your goals?
• What has been most helping in terms of motivating you to keep going?
Notes:

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 Don’t Settle: The advisor challenges the student to proactively raise the student’s
internal bar of self-expectations.

Definition of to Settle:
• “To discontinue moving and come to rest in one place”
• “To move downward; sink or descend, especially gradually”

Key Features:
• Support and Challenge
• Raising the Bar
• Virtuous Cycle
• Pocket of Greatness

Important Behaviors:
• Review your students’ accomplishments with them and celebrate what they have
achieved.
• Draw upon the rapport you have established to make sure that your students know that
you believe in them and support them.
• Engage that sense of support to challenge your students to envision ‘what is next?’
• Challenge your students to challenge themselves to set new goals.
• Help your students raise their internal bar of expectations, to believe that they are
capable of even more.

Example Questions:
• You have done great so far, but what is one thing you could do even better?
• What would happen if I challenged you to be the best you that you could possibly be?
What would you need to do differently?
• If you gave 110%, what do you think you could accomplish?
• What do you consider to be a reasonable challenge?
• What have you done really well? How could you further improve upon that?

Notes:

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 Daring Dreams Delivered Worksheet*

1. Write down your wildest and craziest dreams for your future:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Select one of the dreams above and write it succinctly in one sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Dream advice :
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Dream Checklist:
a. Is the dream really mine? Yes _____ No _____ Maybe _____
b. Does my dream benefit others? Yes _____ No _____ Maybe _____
c. How passionate am I about this dream?* (Circle one)
i. 10 – My passion is so hot that it sets other people on fire
ii. 9 – I cannot imagine my life without my dream
iii. 8 - I willingly sacrifice other important things for it
iv. 7 - I am fired up by it and often preoccupied with it
v. 6 – I enjoy it as one of many interests
vi. 5 – I can take it or leave it
vii. 4 – I prefer not to think about it
viii. 3 – I do out of my way to avoid it
ix. 2 – I’ve put it on my list of least favorite things
x. 1 – I would rather have a root canal without anesthesia
d. Name 2 people that you could enlist to help make this dream possible:
i. ___________________________ ii. _____________________________
e. List 2 challenges that you expect to face in trying to accomplish this goal?
i. ___________________________ ii. _____________________________
f. List 2 strategies you can use to deal with these challenges
i. ___________________________ ii. _____________________________
g. List 2 strengths that you will apply to help you achieve your dream
i. ___________________________ ii. _____________________________

5. Accountability Measure: 1 thing you can do in the next week to get one baby step closer to
making your dream a reality:
_________________________________________________________________________________

*Based on Shoes Johnson’s Dream Activity as well as Maxwell, J. C. (2009). Put your dreams to the test. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. The
Passion Scale is quoted directly from p. 84 of Maxwell’s book. In addition, Heidi Halvorson’s work in the book Succeed is referenced during this
section (see http://www.heidigranthalvorson.com) as well as Marcus Buckingham’s Trombone Player Wanted.

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 YOUR PERSONAL PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
As the President and CEO of your life, you want to make the best decisions based on the very best information you
can acquire. Just as the President of the United States has a Cabinet to advise him/her on any subject relating to
the cabinet member’s expertise, you need to ensure that you surround yourself with people that are trustworthy
and have expertise in a wide variety of areas. As President, you appoint Cabinet members and you may dismiss
individual Cabinet members at any time.
Who is on YOUR Cabinet? Who are your role models? Who do you trust for advice on a variety of different topics?
The cabinet members serve as consultants and advisors, but you should take the best nuggets of information from
each person and create the best solution for you. Always remember that there is more than one right answer. You
as the President make your own decisions because you are the one that has to live with the ramifications and
consequences of your decisions.

Who is on YOUR Personal Presidential Cabinet?

Example Jane Smith Career advice and ethical dilemmas

Bloom, J. L. (2008) Moving On. Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook, 2nd edition

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 APPRECIATIVE ADVISING SKILLS RUBRIC (p. 1 of 3)
Evaluator Name: ______________________________________________
Person Being Evaluated: _________________________________________

Scale: Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Appreciative Mindset
Treats student as if he/she is full of potential 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
Actively seeks out the best in each student 1 2 3 4 5
Reframes through a positive lens 1 2 3 4 5
Truly enjoys working with students 1 2 3 4 5
Believes learning between students and 1 2 3 4 5
advisers is reciprocal
Verbal Immediacy Behaviors
Correctly calls the student by name early and 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
often
Uses inclusive pronouns (i.e. we, us) 1 2 3 4 5
Gives feedback to student 1 2 3 4 5
Explains meaning of acronyms 1 2 3 4 5
Tone of voice conveys that the adviser is 1 2 3 4 5
happy
Speaks at a comfortable pace 1 2 3 4 5
Appropriately paraphrases and summarizes 1 2 3 4 5
student comments
Identifies specific examples of the student’s 1 2 3 4 5
strengths and/or accomplishments
Non-verbal Immediacy Behaviors
Authentic Smile 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
Appropriate eye contact 1 2 3 4 5
Conveys enthusiasm throughout the meeting 1 2 3 4 5
Appropriate, open, and welcoming gestures 1 2 3 4 5
Relaxed, yet appropriate, body posture 1 2 3 4 5
Squarely faces student 1 2 3 4 5
Mirrors student’s non-verbal behavior as 1 2 3 4 5
appropriate

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 APPRECIATIVE ADVISING SKILLS RUBRIC (p. 2 of 3)
Scale: Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Disarm
Has perused the student’s file prior to the 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
appointment
Meets the student in the waiting area or at the 1 2 3 4 5
door (as appropriate)
Warmly greets the student 1 2 3 4 5
Clarifies how to pronounce the student’s name 1 2 3 4 5
(as appropriate)
Clarifies how the adviser prefers the student 1 2 3 4 5
address the adviser (e.g. by first name)
Engages in appropriate small talk with the 1 2 3 4 5
student
Explains that any notes the adviser takes will 1 2 3 4 5
be copied for and given to the student at the
end of the appointment
Discover
Asks positive, open-ended questions designed 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
to elicit student’s stories
Asks appropriate follow-up questions in 1 2 3 4 5
response to student’s stories
Gives student adequate time to respond to 1 2 3 4 5
questions
Summarizes/paraphrases student’s main 1 2 3 4 5
points
Positively reinforces student when the student 1 2 3 4 5
takes responsibility for past actions/mistakes
(as appropriate)
Dream
Asks good open-ended questions about the 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
student’s hopes and dreams for the future
Appropriately reacts to student’s dreams 1 2 3 4 5
Makes connections between student’s answers 1 2 3 4 5
to Discover questions and the answers to
Dream questions

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 APPRECIATIVE ADVISING SKILLS RUBRIC (p. 3 of 3)
Scale: Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Design
Partners with student to develop plan for 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
accomplishing student’s goals
Encourages and positively reinforces student 1 2 3 4 5
engagement in brainstorming options
Encourages student to create manageable 1 2 3 4 5
goals to achieve larger plan
Monitors student’s non-verbal behaviors to 1 2 3 4 5
make sure student has confidence in ability to
achieve the plan
Clarifies who is responsible for which pieces 1 2 3 4 5
of the plan.
Writes down goals and action steps 1 2 3 4 5
Provides appropriate campus & community 1 2 3 4 5
resources
Deliver
Brainstorms with the student how to meet 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
potential challenges that may occur in pursuit
of the plan
Encourages student about the student's ability 1 2 3 4 5
to carry out the co-created plan
Encourages student to return if the student 1 2 3 4 5
runs into roadblocks or decides to change
majors
Reviews what has been accomplished during 1 2 3 4 5
the appointment
Makes a copy of the notes that he/she has 1 2 3 4 5
taken to give to the student
Thanks student for coming in and encourages 1 2 3 4 5
the student to keep the adviser notified of
progress
Don't Settle
Turns mistakes into a “win-learn” process 1 2 3 4 5 Comments:
Appropriately challenges the student to raise 1 2 3 4 5
(or lower) own expectations, as appropriate
If student has not followed through, adviser 1 2 3 4 5
helps student refocus on designing a new plan
and regain positive momentum

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 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
LET’S PRACTICE!: CASE SCENARIOS
Directions: In small groups, discuss how you will advise the assigned student by applying the framework
and principles of Appreciative Advising. Which specific phases, principles, and advisor behaviors will you
work through when advising each student? What specific appreciative questions and language/phrasing
will you use? Develop a hashtag (#) to represent a take-home message about a key principle of
Appreciative Advising learned through the case study to present to the larger group.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Case 1 - First generation student and low income. You learn the student is working part-time to pay for
college and contribute to cover family expenses. The family also relies on the student for emotional
support which often distracts from concentrating fully on studies. The student is strongly motivated to
complete college and pursue a fulfilling career.

Case 2 – Through your advising conversation, an academically talented student discloses that they are
experiencing housing insecurity and/or food scarcity. Despite these challenges, the student has continued
to excel academically. The student desires to succeed and needs assistance to successfully navigate
these circumstances.

Case 3 –During an appointment, a student discloses they have been self-harming due to the stress of
their schedule and the state of life right now. Due to limited resources, there are no counseling agencies
close enough for the student to seek assistance from a mental health professional.

Case 4 – A student of color shares with you that a professor has made her feel uncomfortable in class.
When discussing matters pertaining to the Black community or any issue about race, the professor
specifically calls her out and asks for her opinion. She is the only Black student in the class and feels as
though she has no support from her classmates. What guidance do you provide?

Case 5 – A deciding student thinks all classes are a waste of time. In college to get a better job, the
student doesn’t have a set career path.

Case 6 – A first year student never had to study or work to achieve high grades in high school. The
student seems underprepared, is lost in class and feels dumb, but is actually quite smart and needs to
find the self-confidence to live up to their full potential.

Case 7 – You are working with a pre-med student who is failing a core science and struggling in others.
The student has always dreamed of becoming a physician and is expected to pursue this career path by
family. The student needs to earn strong grades to gain admission to medical school.

Case 8 – A student has enrolled to develop new skills to start a new career. Although excited to pursue
this new career path, this new student is underprepared for college level reading, writing, and math.

Case 9 – Create your own scenario.

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 Appreciative Resources

Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., & He, Y. (2008). The appreciative advising revolution. Champaign, IL:

Stipes Publishing.

Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., He, Y., & Konkle, E. (2013). Appreciative education. In P.C. Mather & E.

Hulme (Eds). Positive Psychology & Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education. New Directions

for Student Services, 143, 5-18. DOI: 10.1002/ss.20055

Bloom, J. L., He, Y., & Hutson, B. L. (2016). Appreciative advising: A theory-to-practice framework for

putting self-determination theory into action. In S. Field & D. R. Parker (eds.), Becoming self-

determined: Creating thoughtful learners in a standards-frenzied admissions-frenzied culture.

Association for Higher Education Disability.

Bloom, J. L., & McClellan, J. L. (2016). Appreciative administration: Applying the appreciative

education framework to leadership practices in higher education. Journal of Higher Education

Management, 31(1), 195-210.

Bushe, G., & Kassam, A. (2005). When is appreciative inquiry transformational? A meta-case analysis.

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 41(2), 161-181.

Cockell, J., & McArthur-Blair, J. (2012). Appreciative inquiry in higher education: A transformative

force. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D., & Stavros, J. (2005). Appreciative inquiry handbook: The first in a

series of ai workbooks for leaders of change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build

theory of positive emotions. AM Psychology, 56(3), 218-226.

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He., Y., Hutson, B. L., & Bloom, J. L. (2014). A call for action to engage in appreciative education.

Journal of Appreciative Education (Research Paper Section), 2(1).

http://libjournal.uncg.edu/index.php/jae/article/view/956/595

He, Y., & Hutson, B. (2016). Appreciative assessment in academic advising. The Review of Higher

Education, 39(2), 213-240. https:/ldoi.org/10.1353/rhe.2016.0003

He, Y., & Hutson, B. (2017). Assessing for faculty advising: Beyond the service component. NACADA

Journal, 37(2), 66-69.

Journal of Appreciative Education: http://libjournal.uncg.edu/index.php/jae/index

Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New

York, NY: Free Press.

Whitney, D., & Trosten-Bloom, A. (2003). The power of appreciative inquiry: A practical guide to

positive change. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

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