A new way of seeing - and becoming - what's possible.
The Promise Group advances the Promise Informed methodology: a rigorous, appreciative framework for individuals, teams, and organizations committed to genuine, lasting growth.
ABOUT THE PROMISE GROUP
A decade of developing the ideas that change how people lead.
The Promise Group was founded on the conviction that lasting change begins not with what is wrong, but with a clear, honest view of what is right. That conviction became a methodology — and that methodology has become a movement.
For over a decade, The Promise Group has developed, refined, and shared the Promise Informed (PI) framework across education, business, nonprofit, and civic contexts. What began as a practice has grown into a full body of thought: a system of principles, tools, and trainings grounded in the discipline of Appreciative Inquiry and proven across diverse organizations and sectors.
This site is the intellectual home of that work — a permanent platform for the ideas, research, commentary, and programs that advance the Promise Informed mindset.
"When you are Promise Informed - you become the solution."
10+
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
3
CORE PRINCIPLES
PI
METHODOLOGY
OUR VISION
People renewed by what is true, relevant, and at promise.
We envision a world where individuals, teams, and organizations are renewed by truthful, meaningful content — equipped to see what is right, identify what can change, and pursue what is genuinely possible.
With a promise-informed mindset, leaders quiet the noise, overcome fear, and move forward with clarity and confidence — experiencing sustainable, hope-filled growth rooted in order, gratitude, and purpose.
INTELLECTUAL FORMATION
The Promise Informed Framework
Promise Informed is a methodology grounded in Appreciative Inquiry — a discipline that trains individuals, teams, and organizations to orient first toward what is working before prescribing what must change. It is not an added layer of work. It is a reorientation of how leaders see, think, and decide.
II.
Develop.
PI applies intentional, evidence-informed change aligned to authentic organizational strengths — not random improvement disconnected from team aptitude or institutional goals. Growth requires new learning, and PI connects that learning to the intrinsic talent already present in the organization.
I.
Discover.
Promise Informed practice begins with an appreciative view — training the mind to identify strengths, successes, and assets before assessing gaps. By focusing on what is right, leaders gain the clarity to leverage existing capacity rather than defaulting to problem-identification alone. In practice: you become the solution.
III.
Deploy.
With a clear appreciative view and targeted, aligned change, what is possible becomes visible. PI creates the conditions for leaders to envision and pursue a desired future state — one built on realized strengths, not merely recovered weaknesses. This is the pursuit of what is genuinely at promise.
On Appreciative Inquiry
The Promise Informed methodology is grounded in the academic tradition of Appreciative Inquiry — a strength-based approach to organizational change developed in the 1980s as an alternative to traditional deficit-focused problem-solving. PI applies these principles as a practical, tiered system of practices, frameworks, and coaching tools applicable across sectors, scales, and communities.
IDEAS & COMMENTARY
Thought Leadership
Founder, Thought Leader
About
Kathy Lewis has dedicated four decades to driving transformative change in businesses and organizations. As the founder of The Promise Group and the National Thought Leader for Promise Informed, she has spent a decade developing the PI methodology.
PI is defined as a rigorous, truth-grounded framework for personal and professional renewal. This framework is built on 30 years of practice as an award-winning educator, behavioral
specialist, and risk manager. Now tested and adopted across private and public sector organizations, Promise Informed Mindset has earned regional and national recognition as it provides a framework for renewal, growth and positive outcomes for teams and individuals alike.
GET IN TOUCH
Connect with us
Whether you are a civic leader, researcher, organizational partner, or practitioner interested in the Promise Informed framework, we welcome the conversation. Use the form to inquire about workshops, research partnerships, speaking engagements, or to subscribe to the Endowment's thought leadership journal.