The Window of Strength
The process of active appreciation expands the size of the public window by providing an opportunity through feedback for each of us to learn more about our observed strengths. It also provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the nature of our strengths. The protected window becomes smaller in an appreciative relationship. We begin to feel more comfortable in sharing personal insights about distinctive strengths. We have less need to protect, because there is more trust in the relationship. The opaque window also shrinks with appreciation. Our friends and co-workers have access to clearer information regarding our distinctive strengths and feel comfortable in providing us with this information.
Finally, with both the protected and opaque windows shrinking in size, the potential window grows smaller and potential strengths are recognized for the first time by ourselves and the people with whom we interact. Appreciative processes include group dynamics workshops, life and career planning programs, and executive coaching. These processes relate directly to the parallel process of public expansion and provide resources and processes for a postmodernist to reflect on her own strengths and receive feedback from other people regarding the strengths they appreciate in the postmodernist’s daily performance.
