Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry is an approach to organizational change. It can support the building of a shared vision, mobilizing and motivating people to work together at creating their desired future.
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The Term Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative
- Affirm and build on what is life-giving, exciting, successful, creative.
- What we want more of — not what we want less of.
Inquiry-based
- Asking questions sets change in motion.
- Story telling gets at unwritten knowledge.
- Everything new starts with conversations.
A New Approach to Organizational Change
Traditional Strategic Planning: Problem-Solving Approach
- "Felt need" — identify a problem
- Analysis of causes
- Analysis of possible solutions
- Action planning: implement and measure change
- The organization is seen as a problem needing to be solved
Appreciative Inquiry: Positive Change Approach
- Appreciating: valuing the best of what is
- Envisioning: what might be
- Dialoguing: what can and should be
- Innovating: what will be
- The organization is seen as a mystery, with infinite capacity, to be embraced
Principles of Appreciative Inquiry
Words create worlds
Reality, as we live it, is socially created, through conversations. Language is the medium.
Inquiry creates change
Inquiry is intervention. The moment we ask a question, we begin to create a change.
We can choose what we study
What we choose to study makes a difference. The choice will shape the world we create.
Images inspire action
Human systems move in the direction of their images of th efuture. The more positive and hopeful the image of the future the more positive the present-day action.
Positive questions lead to positive change
Momentum for large-scale change requires large amounts of positive affect and social bonding. Momemtum is generated through positive questions that focus on the positive core.
Wholeness brings out the best
Bringing all stakeholders together in large group forums stimulates creativity and builds collective capacity.
Acting "as if" is self-fulfilling
In order to make a change we need to "Be the change we want to see." The process of change should model the future we are seeking.
Free choice liberates power
People perform better and are more committed when they have freedom to choose how and what they contribute. Free choice stimulates organizational excellence and positive change.
See Whitney and Trosten-Bloom under Resources and Links.
ASSUMPTIONS OF APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
Gifts
People, individually and collectively, have unique gifts, skills and contributions to bring to life.
Language
Organizations are human social systems, sources of unlimited relational capacity, created and lived out through language.
Images of the Future
The images we hold of the future are socially created and, once articulated, serve to guide individual and collective actions.
Communication
Through human communication (inquiry and dialogue) people can shift their attention and action away from problem analysis to lift up worthy ideals and productive possibilities for the future.
1. Is AI appropriate for us?
2. What is our change agenda?
A. Organizational Change
- Strategic planning
- Culture transformation
- Member satisfaction
- Morale and retention
- Organizational design
- Leadership development
- Business improvement
B. Inter-organizational Capacity Building
- Merger integration
- Alliance building
- Union-management partnership
- Strategic resource sharing
C. Community Development
- Participatory planning
- Asset mapping
- Economic development
- Educational reform
- Peace building
D. Global Transformation
- Global organizing
- Multi-local planning
- Consciousness raising
E. Small Group Development
- Team development
- Business development
- Meeting management
- Instructional design
F. Inter-Group Change
- Conflict resolution
- Process improvement
G. Personal/Relational Transformation
- Leadership development
- Performance appraisal
- Member orientation and integration
- Vocational discernment
- Relationship enrichment
- Spiritual development
3. Who will serve on our advisory team?
4. What training does our advisory team need?
5. What form of engagement will we use?
A. Whole-System 4-D Dialogue
Description
All members of the organization and some stakeholders participate in an AI 4- D process. It takes place at multiple locations over an extended period of time.
Purposes
Build leadership capacity Remove barriers to communication Create a learning culture Liberate the best in people Enhance capacity for positive change
2. Appreciative Inquiry Summit
Description
A large group of people participate simultaneously in a two-to-four-day AI 4-D process.
Purposes
Accelerate planning, decision-making and innovation Craft inspiring and generative visions of the future Forge mergers, alliances and partnerships Generate momentum for new initiatives
3. Mass-Mobilized Inquiry
Description
Large numbers of interviews (thousands to millions) on a socially responsible topic are conducted throughout a city, community or the world.
Purposes
Transform a community's image of itself Build relationships among diverse and conflicted groups Create a positive revolution
4. Core Group Inquiry
Description
A small group of people selects topics, crafts questions and conducts interviews.
Purposes
Quick start-up or turnaround Establish a base of enthusiasm
5. Positive Change Network Description
Description
Members of an organization are trained in AI and provided with resources to initiate projects and share materials, stories and best practices.
Purposes
Stimulate positive improvisational change Enhance strategic organizational learning
6. Positive Change Consortium Description
Description
Multiple organizations collaboratively engage in an AI 4-D process to explore and develop a common area of interest.
Purposes
Liberate the voice of the customer Transform the industry Align a value chain
7. Appreciative Inquiry Learning Team Description
Description
A small group of people with a specific project -- e.g. an evaluation team, a process improvement team, a customer focus group, a benchmarking team or a group of students -- conduct an AI 4-D process.
Purposes
Stimulate innovation Foster development of the ministry of the baptized Enhance cross-functional, cross-departmental teamwork Business process improvement
8. Progressive Appreciative Inquiry Meetings Description
Description
An organization, small group, or team goes through the AI 4-D process over the course of ten to twelve meetings that are each two-to-four hours long.
Purposes
Adaptable to any purpose or scale Requires discipline and continuity
6. What will our inquiry strategy be?
7. How and when will we introduce the process throughout the organization?
8. Affirmative Topic Choice
Adapted from Diane Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003.
Books
Diane Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003.
Jane Magruder Watkins and Bernard J. Mohr. Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001.
David L. Cooperrider, Diana Whitney and Jacqueline M. Stavros. Appreciative Inquiry Handbook. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003.
Links
Appreciative Inquiry and Community Development
Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life (article by David Cooperrider)
Claiming the Light: Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Transformation (by Paul Chaffee)