Appreciative Inquiry

HSCI – 825Spring 2013

Presentation by: Lucy Gong

What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?

Ap-pre’ ci-ate, v.,1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the

world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems

2. to increase in value

(Synonyms: Valuing, prizing, esteeming, and honouring)

In-quire’ (kwir), v.,1. the act of exploration and discovery

2. to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities

(Synonyms: Discovery, search, systematic exploration, and study)

A different way of thinking to create change

• An organization development process that focuses on strengths and the positive aspects of an organization

• An approach to seeking what is right in an organization in order to create a better future for it

• Developed by David Cooperrider in 1987

An example…• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwGNZ63hj5k

(0:24 – 2:40)

How does AI work?

Key Concepts1. Positive Core

2. 4-D AI Change Process

3. Appreciative Inquiry Summit

Positive Core

• Strengths• Peak Experiences

• Best Practices• Successes

• Key Learnings

The 4-D AI Change Process

DISCOVERYIdentifying and

appreciating what works well

DREAMEnvisioning what

could work well in the future

DESIGNDetermining and

planning what would work well

DESTINYCreating and

implementing the proposed design

POSITIVE CORE

Appreciative Inquiry Summit• Large-scale meeting that involves the entire organization

(“whole system”)

• Future focus

• Typical duration: 2 – 4 days

1. Find a partner you’d like to know better

2. Interview each other and share stories about your peak experiences

3. Interviewer: listens, encourages, looks for the positives, note the highlights

4. Interviewee: chance to brag

5. 10 minutes each and swap

Appreciative InterviewsDISCOVERYIdentifying and

appreciating what works well

• High point experiences: • Describe a time in your life when you felt alive and engaged.

• Valuing: • What do you value most about yourself, your work, your

organization?• Core life-giving factors:

• What are the core factors that give life to this organization? • What are the unique attributes of this system, without which it

would not be the same?• Wishes for/images of the future:

• What three wishes do you have to enhance the vitality of this system? Imagine this organization five years from now, healthy and vibrant – what does it look like?

DISCOVERY

Common Appreciative Questions

1. Groups of 6 – 8 people for 45 minutes

2. Share highlights of partner’s story

3. Reflect on emerging topics and themes common to the stories

4. Write down key points on flipchart

5. Prepare to present for 3 minutes

Share StoriesDISCOVERYIdentifying and

appreciating what works well

1. Visualization and creative exercises: envision yourself and your organization functioning at it’s best

• You have been nominated for an award for best and most innovative practice.

• All of the things we identified as making your situation excellent are happening.

• Can you describe or portray it?

• What does it look like? What is happening? What am I feeling? What am I doing? What is my manager doing? What is the organization doing?

EnvisioningDREAM

Envisioning what could work well in the

future

1. How can we go about achieving what we envisioned in the Dream phase?

2. Criteria for good possibility statements:• Short and clear

• Stretching and challenging

• Exciting and novel

• Are desired and preferred

• Describe what is wanted

• Written in the present

Possibility StatementsDESIGN

Determining and planning what would

work well

DESIGNDetermining and

planning what would work well

1. In small groups for 20 minutes, provide feedback for key points

2. Consider the following:• What needs to change to make what is envisioned happen?

• What can we do now and in the longer term to achieve this?

Designing the FutureDESIGN

Determining and planning what would

work well

1. Individual reflection and general discussion

2. What will I do now to deliver this change?

3. Offers, invitations, requests

Delivering the ChangeDESTINYCreating and

implementing the proposed design

Helpful Resources and References• Appreciative Inquiry Commons: http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu• Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, by David Cooperrider Diana Whitney,

2003• A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry, David

Cooperrider and Diana Whitney http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/whatisai.pdf

• See Yourself in 4-D: How to Use Appreciative Inquiry to Ignite Positive Change, by Susanne E. Gaddis, PhD and Cara Williams http://www.communicationsdoctor.com/articles/SeeYourselfIn4-D.pdf

• An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry, by Leslie Moore and Julie Barnes http://www.docstoc.com/docs/125391521/Appreciative-Inquiry---PowerPoint

• An Overview of Appreciative Inquiry in Evaluation, by Anne T. Coghlan, Hallie Preskill, Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas http://blogs.ubc.ca/evaluation/files/2009/02/appreciative20inquiry.pdf

Questions?

EXTRA SLIDES

Problem-Solving vs. Appreciative InquiryProblem Solving Appreciative InquiryThere is some ideal way for things to be The way things are are socially constructed

by our system and can be changedIf a situation is not as we would like it to be, then it is a “problem” to be solved

In any situation, we can find the seeds of excellence to build on

The way to solve a problem is to break it into parts and analyze it

We build excellence by seeking out examples and sharing stories of exceptional performance throughout our system

If we find a broken part and fix it, the whole will be fixed

As we create images of excellence, our system will move toward that image

Assumes organizations are constellations of problems to be overcome (What to fix)

Assumes organizations are sources of infinite capacity and imagination (What to grow)

Organization has PROBLEMS. Organization has SOLUTIONS.

5 Principles1. Constructionist principle: We co-create stories with our words

about what happens and that creates our reality

2. Poetic principle: Organizations are like poetry – we can find whatever we want

3. Simultaneity principle: Change begins the moment we ask a question

4. Anticipatory principle: We create mental pictures of the future that influence what actually happens

5. Positive Principle: Focusing on the positive core creates upward spirals