Jackie Stavros
Co-Founder/Professor/Author at CWH Institute/Lawrence Technological University
Management Consulting
Education: Michigan State University - Eli Broad School of Management - Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Brighton, MI, USA
Biography
Jackie Stavros, DM is passionate about working with individuals, teams, and organizations to create purpose and meaningful results that drive positive change. She is co-founder of the Conversations Worth Having Institute and a professor of management at Lawrence Technological University’s College of Business and Information Technology, where she inspires students with lifework—not just homework. Jackie is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and strategic advisor whose work bridges the fields of leadership, strategy, management, and organization development.
Jackie is best known for co-authoring two impactful books: Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement (www.cwh.today) and Learning to SOAR: Creating Strategy that Inspires Innovation and Engagement (www.soar-strategy.com). Jackie is the creator of SOAR, a positive approach to strategic thinking, planning, conversations, and leading. Her work has taken her across all sectors and over 25 countries, helping hundreds of organizations and thousands of people use Appreciative Inquiry (AI)—one of the most widely adopted approaches to positive change—to dramatically improve the outcomes of any conversation to build trust, inspire possibilities, and elevate performance.
Jackie helps people shift the way they lead, plan, and connect—starting with their conversations, which are at the core of how we interact and create change. She introduces Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as the operating system that powers both Conversations Worth Having and the SOAR, guiding individuals and teams in organizations to focus on what works, what matters, and what’s possible. Her work leverages two AI practices: generative questions and positive framing, to create strategic conversations that elevate energy, engagement, and outcomes. Through SOAR, she offers a strengths-based alternative to traditional planning models. Whether speaking to senior leaders, educators, or community builders, she equips audiences with practices and frameworks to clarify purpose, align around shared vision, and translate ideas into action. Her keynotes and workshops blend research, real-world stories, and practical tools—equipping people to turn everyday conversations into a strategic advantage for engagement, collaboration, and positive change.
Jackie’s research is grounded in the AI, neuroscience, and positive psychology to help others understand how their conversations influence their wellbeing, relationships, and ability to succeed. She is on a mission to co-create a global movement of conversations worth having to recognize each other’s humanity and support building organizations and communities that work for everyone. Her work has been featured in Forbes, SmartBrief, Detroit’s Live in the D, People & Strategy, and leadership and training blogs and podcasts. She is a keynote speaker on positive approaches to leadership, strategy, management, effective communication, and change.
Jackie earned a Doctor of Management in Capacity Building Using an Appreciative Approach: A Relational Process of Building Your Organization’s Future at Case Western Reserve University. She also holds an MBA in International Business from Michigan State University and BA in Marketing from Wayne State University.
Passion
What brings me joy is working with individuals and teams to create their mission with purpose and create meaningful results, and seeing them light up when they realize a single conversation can shift everything. I love helping people discover how intentional, appreciative dialogue unlocks potential and positive change. You can do anything, just not everything all at once.
Best Story
One of the most powerful experiences I’ve had using Appreciative Inquiry—the operating system behind Conversations Worth Having—and SOAR -- took place in a manufacturing plant in the Midwest that was on the corporate shutdown list.
The holding company had classified plants with two listings annually as either “continue operations” or “shut down,” and this one was scheduled for closure. I was brought in to facilitate a two-day strategic conversation with plant leadership, union reps, engineers, support staff—people from every level. The stated goal: create a three-year plan to shut the plant down while minimizing negative impact on employees and the surrounding community.
The atmosphere was pretty grim. People were angry, distrustful, and hurt by the whole situation. Yet they were curious as to why do we get to come together and figure it out. The question on everyone’s mind was, “Why are we even doing this?” I knew we had to shift the energy. So, I asked a bold, generative question: What if, instead of shutting down, we imagined revitalizing the plant? What if we flipped the frame from closing down to staying open and frame was a plant that was creating value?
At first, the room erupted in frustration and pointed out that this was not the task based on the listing of the plant. Then the plant manager leaned forward and said, “What do we have to lose? Or better yet—what might we gain?” That one moment cracked open the conversation.
We began asking questions that invited everyone to explore stories of when the plant was at its best—times when people were proud, productive, and collaborative. From those stories, strengths and opportunities emerged. Soon, someone suggested a radical idea: What if the holding company had a third list, a revitalization list?
The team generated a bold, strengths-based strategic plan to revitalize the plant. They proposed 14 months to turn the plant around, with clear strategic initiatives and measurable outcomes. If targets weren’t met, a plan was also included to shut it down over the next 22 months would be put in place.
The plant manager, along with a core team, presented this “revitalize-or-responsibly-exit” plan to corporate. It honored both realities: the holding company’s directive for a three-year shutdown plan and the plant’s aspiration to co-create a different future. Leadership hadn’t expected such a thoughtful, forward-looking proposal, and they were genuinely impressed by the clarity, commitment, and innovation behind it. To everyone’s surprise, the three-year plan was accepted.
That was over 15 years ago. The plant never shut down. It was revitalized and continues to operate today.
This story reminds us that every conversation holds the potential to change everything—especially when we move from “yes, but” to “yes, and,” and when we realize that while we can’t do everything at once, we can do anything when we start with what’s possible.
Years later, the plant manager reached how that experience not only transformed the plant's future but also changed the way he approached conversations at home. He told me it helped him listen differently, ask better questions, and connect more deeply with his three children.
Origin Story
I often say Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was love at first sight—but I had no idea just how profoundly it would shape my life. My journey began in the mid-1990s when I was in a senior leadership role in a high-tech firm, and my CEO encouraged me to apply for a doctorate program focused on the human side of organizational life. That led me to the Doctor of Management program at Case Western Reserve University, where I met two faculty: David Cooperrider and Ron Fry. There was a magnetic connection—what they said, how they said it, and who they were just clicked with something deep inside me.
At the time, AI wasn’t a formal class. David introduced it as a qualitative research lens; Ron, through leadership and management. I began to understand AI not only as a research methodology, but as a way of being. My dissertation revealed something surprising: using AI didn’t just surface insights, it built organizational capacity. That insight became the seed for SOAR—a strengths-based framework for strategic thinking, planning, and leading—that first emerged in 1998 and continues to be a focus of my work. SOAR became a way to help individuals, teams, and organizations align around what they do best, imagine new possibilities, and translate those aspirations into meaningful results.
Fast forward to 2002. At an AI event in Washington, D.C., I was introduced to Cheri Torres. Like my earlier experience with David and Ron, meeting Cheri felt instantly meaningful. She not only believed in the transformative power of AI, she also wanted to bring it into everyday life. That was our shared passion.
Our collaboration began with a book in 2004 titled "Dynamic Relationships". But something deeper kept stirring as well as keeping us connected. We were asking, “How do we help people bring AI into daily interactions?” It was during a second edition conversation with our editor, Steve Piersanti at Berrett-Koehler, that everything crystallized. He asked, “What if your next book wasn’t about relationships in general, but about the conversations that create them?”
That question changed everything.
We realized that conversations were the medium through which AI could truly live—in families, classrooms, boardrooms, and communities. That’s when Conversations Worth Having was born in 2018. It’s rooted in the belief that the nature of our conversations determines the quality of our relationships, our work, and ultimately, our lives. We grounded the book in two transformative AI practices: asking generative questions and using positive framing.
These practices aren’t just tools—they’re ways to shift energy, build trust, unlock creativity, and invite connection. They helped us answer the question we had been living with for years: How do we bring Appreciative Inquiry into daily life? Answer: conversations.
Writing "Conversations Worth Having" with Cheri changed ground who I am and how teach, consult, parent, facilitate, and lead. I use it EVERYWHERE in classrooms, client engagements, and most important with my family and friends.
That’s the heart of this work. "Conversations Worth Having" wasn’t just a book. It is more now with the founding of the CWH Institute and continues to be the result of more than two decades of learning, relationships, and real-world practice. And it continues to evolve, one conversation at a time.
Example talks
Conversations Worth Having: 2 Practices that Shift Everything
Audience: Leaders, managers, team leads, HR professionals, executive coaches, and change agents—and just about anyone who wants to fuel their conversations for productive and meaningful engagement.
Description:
Former LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner has said the biggest skills gap in today’s workforce isn’t technical—it’s communication. Conversation is how we connect, lead, collaborate, and innovate. Yet most of us have never been taught how to have conversations that truly fuel engagement, trust, and meaningful results.
In this energizing and highly interactive keynote, Dr. Jackie Stavros—co-author of Conversations Worth Having and creator of the SOAR framework and —introduces two simple yet transformative practices grounded in Appreciative Inquiry (AI). These practices can be used immediately to shift the tone, direction, and outcome of any conversation whether you’re leading a team meeting, navigating conflict, working on a project, or inspiring strategic change.
Participants will explore and learn:
- The four types of conversations—and how each one impacts engagement and performance
- A humanistic approach to AI that fosters connection and forward momentum
- How to ask generative questions that spark curiosity, innovation, and trust
- How to use positive framing to reframe challenges and move toward solutions
- The “Do-Over” technique to reset unproductive dynamics and rebuild rapport
- The science behind conversations worth having
- How to apply SOAR-based conversations to guide your strategic thinking, planning, and leading
Takeaway:
Participants will leave with tools to apply immediately—in their next meeting, feedback session, or team discussion. These aren’t just communication tips—they’re conversation-shifting practices that empower you to create workplaces and communities where people thrive.
Suggested Venues, Formats, and Length:
Can be delivered as a conference opener to set the tone for connection, learning, and possibility or as a closing keynote or featured breakout session. This keynote is perfect for leadership conferences, management retreats, professional development days, HR and OD summits, wellness programs, change leadership forums, team offsite, and industry-specific events seeking to equip participants with practical, high-impact communication skills that drive engagement, innovation, and trust.
Timing: 60 minutes up to 90 to 120 minutes (interactive)
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Best Story
One of the most powerful experiences I’ve had using Appreciative Inquiry—the operating system behind Conversations Worth Having—and SOAR -- took place in a manufacturing plant in the Midwest that was on the corporate shutdown list.
The holding company had classified plants with two listings annually as either “continue operations” or “shut down,” and this one was scheduled for closure. I was brought in to facilitate a two-day strategic conversation with plant leadership, union reps, engineers, support staff—people from every level. The stated goal: create a three-year plan to shut the plant down while minimizing negative impact on employees and the surrounding community.
The atmosphere was pretty grim. People were angry, distrustful, and hurt by the whole situation. Yet they were curious as to why do we get to come together and figure it out. The question on everyone’s mind was, “Why are we even doing this?” I knew we had to shift the energy. So, I asked a bold, generative question: What if, instead of shutting down, we imagined revitalizing the plant? What if we flipped the frame from closing down to staying open and frame was a plant that was creating value?
At first, the room erupted in frustration and pointed out that this was not the task based on the listing of the plant. Then the plant manager leaned forward and said, “What do we have to lose? Or better yet—what might we gain?” That one moment cracked open the conversation.
We began asking questions that invited everyone to explore stories of when the plant was at its best—times when people were proud, productive, and collaborative. From those stories, strengths and opportunities emerged. Soon, someone suggested a radical idea: What if the holding company had a third list, a revitalization list?
The team generated a bold, strengths-based strategic plan to revitalize the plant. They proposed 14 months to turn the plant around, with clear strategic initiatives and measurable outcomes. If targets weren’t met, a plan was also included to shut it down over the next 22 months would be put in place.
The plant manager, along with a core team, presented this “revitalize-or-responsibly-exit” plan to corporate. It honored both realities: the holding company’s directive for a three-year shutdown plan and the plant’s aspiration to co-create a different future. Leadership hadn’t expected such a thoughtful, forward-looking proposal, and they were genuinely impressed by the clarity, commitment, and innovation behind it. To everyone’s surprise, the three-year plan was accepted.
That was over 15 years ago. The plant never shut down. It was revitalized and continues to operate today.
This story reminds us that every conversation holds the potential to change everything—especially when we move from “yes, but” to “yes, and,” and when we realize that while we can’t do everything at once, we can do anything when we start with what’s possible.
Years later, the plant manager reached how that experience not only transformed the plant's future but also changed the way he approached conversations at home. He told me it helped him listen differently, ask better questions, and connect more deeply with his three children.
Origin Story
I often say Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was love at first sight—but I had no idea just how profoundly it would shape my life. My journey began in the mid-1990s when I was in a senior leadership role in a high-tech firm, and my CEO encouraged me to apply for a doctorate program focused on the human side of organizational life. That led me to the Doctor of Management program at Case Western Reserve University, where I met two faculty: David Cooperrider and Ron Fry. There was a magnetic connection—what they said, how they said it, and who they were just clicked with something deep inside me.
At the time, AI wasn’t a formal class. David introduced it as a qualitative research lens; Ron, through leadership and management. I began to understand AI not only as a research methodology, but as a way of being. My dissertation revealed something surprising: using AI didn’t just surface insights, it built organizational capacity. That insight became the seed for SOAR—a strengths-based framework for strategic thinking, planning, and leading—that first emerged in 1998 and continues to be a focus of my work. SOAR became a way to help individuals, teams, and organizations align around what they do best, imagine new possibilities, and translate those aspirations into meaningful results.
Fast forward to 2002. At an AI event in Washington, D.C., I was introduced to Cheri Torres. Like my earlier experience with David and Ron, meeting Cheri felt instantly meaningful. She not only believed in the transformative power of AI, she also wanted to bring it into everyday life. That was our shared passion.
Our collaboration began with a book in 2004 titled "Dynamic Relationships". But something deeper kept stirring as well as keeping us connected. We were asking, “How do we help people bring AI into daily interactions?” It was during a second edition conversation with our editor, Steve Piersanti at Berrett-Koehler, that everything crystallized. He asked, “What if your next book wasn’t about relationships in general, but about the conversations that create them?”
That question changed everything.
We realized that conversations were the medium through which AI could truly live—in families, classrooms, boardrooms, and communities. That’s when Conversations Worth Having was born in 2018. It’s rooted in the belief that the nature of our conversations determines the quality of our relationships, our work, and ultimately, our lives. We grounded the book in two transformative AI practices: asking generative questions and using positive framing.
These practices aren’t just tools—they’re ways to shift energy, build trust, unlock creativity, and invite connection. They helped us answer the question we had been living with for years: How do we bring Appreciative Inquiry into daily life? Answer: conversations.
Writing "Conversations Worth Having" with Cheri changed ground who I am and how teach, consult, parent, facilitate, and lead. I use it EVERYWHERE in classrooms, client engagements, and most important with my family and friends.
That’s the heart of this work. "Conversations Worth Having" wasn’t just a book. It is more now with the founding of the CWH Institute and continues to be the result of more than two decades of learning, relationships, and real-world practice. And it continues to evolve, one conversation at a time.
Example talks
Conversations Worth Having: 2 Practices that Shift Everything
Audience: Leaders, managers, team leads, HR professionals, executive coaches, and change agents—and just about anyone who wants to fuel their conversations for productive and meaningful engagement.
Description:
Former LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner has said the biggest skills gap in today’s workforce isn’t technical—it’s communication. Conversation is how we connect, lead, collaborate, and innovate. Yet most of us have never been taught how to have conversations that truly fuel engagement, trust, and meaningful results.
In this energizing and highly interactive keynote, Dr. Jackie Stavros—co-author of Conversations Worth Having and creator of the SOAR framework and —introduces two simple yet transformative practices grounded in Appreciative Inquiry (AI). These practices can be used immediately to shift the tone, direction, and outcome of any conversation whether you’re leading a team meeting, navigating conflict, working on a project, or inspiring strategic change.
Participants will explore and learn:
- The four types of conversations—and how each one impacts engagement and performance
- A humanistic approach to AI that fosters connection and forward momentum
- How to ask generative questions that spark curiosity, innovation, and trust
- How to use positive framing to reframe challenges and move toward solutions
- The “Do-Over” technique to reset unproductive dynamics and rebuild rapport
- The science behind conversations worth having
- How to apply SOAR-based conversations to guide your strategic thinking, planning, and leading
Takeaway:
Participants will leave with tools to apply immediately—in their next meeting, feedback session, or team discussion. These aren’t just communication tips—they’re conversation-shifting practices that empower you to create workplaces and communities where people thrive.
Suggested Venues, Formats, and Length:
Can be delivered as a conference opener to set the tone for connection, learning, and possibility or as a closing keynote or featured breakout session. This keynote is perfect for leadership conferences, management retreats, professional development days, HR and OD summits, wellness programs, change leadership forums, team offsite, and industry-specific events seeking to equip participants with practical, high-impact communication skills that drive engagement, innovation, and trust.
Timing: 60 minutes up to 90 to 120 minutes (interactive)