Appreciative Inquiry

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Appreciative Inquiry

• A Positive Approach to Change

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• "Man does not weave this web of life. He is
  merely a strand of it.
• Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."
  
• Chief Seattle - 1854

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David Cooperrider

• Original theory and vision for AI while he was
  professor at the Weatherhead School of Management
  (along with Suresh Srivastva, 1987)
• AI is about creating a positive revolution in
  change
• Professor Robert Quinn, in his acclaimed book
  Change the World concludes that AI is currently
  revolutionizing the field of organizational
  development

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New Realities

• Problems are often the result of our own
  perspectives and perceptions
• If we look at a certain priority as a problem,
  then we tend to constrain our ability to
  effectively address the priority
• Knowledge is the new currency
• Whole systems can change

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AI Process

• Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a process for
  engaging people across the system in renewal,
  change and focused performance.

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AI Process

• The basic idea is to build organizations around
  what works, rather than trying to fix what
  doesn't.

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AI Process

• A proven benefit of the approach is its reliance
  on the acknowledgement of contribution at the
  individual level, which leads to trust and
  organizational alignment.

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AI Process

• The method creates meaning by drawing from
  stories of concrete successes and lends itself to
  cross-industrial social activities.

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Work Climate Survey

• Provides a snapshot of employees opinions about
  what its like to work at your organization.

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Why conduct a climate survey?

• (Sample organizational Vision)
• We are committed to building a workplace that
  supports employees, customers, and owners in
  reaching their aspirations.

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• Problem-Solving
• Perceived Need Identification of Problem
• Analysis of Causes
• Analysis of Possible Solutions
• Acton Planning
• ContextA Problem to be
• Fixed

• Appreciative Inquiry
• Appreciating the Best of What Is
• Envisioning What Might Be
• Designing What Should Be
• Delivering What Will Be
• Context A Mystery to be Uncovered

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Problem-Based Approach

• Process is inherently slow, limiting
• Focuses attention on yesterday
• Creates defensiveness, lack of honesty
• Promotes vocabulary of human deficit
• Often leads to fatigue rather than sustained
  effort

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AI One Goal

• Discovering the root cause of success

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AI Two Laws

• 1. What you seek is what you find.
• 2. Where you believe you are going is where you
  will end up.

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AI Three Principles

• 1. Change starts the minute you begin asking
  questions
• 2. Positive images of self lead to positive
  action
• 3. Negative images of self lead to negative
  action

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The AI Change Process
Discover
AFFIRMATIVE TOPIC CHOICE
Deliver
Envision
Design
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AI Change Process

• Appreciative Inquiry utilizes a 4-stage process
  focusing on
• DISCOVER The identification of organizational
  processes that work well.
• DREAM The envisioning of processes that would
  work well in the future.
• DESIGN Planning and prioritizing processes that
  would work well.
• DELIVER (or CREATE) The implementation
  (execution) of the proposed design.

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Affirmative Topic Choice

• Set conversations in affirmative terms.
• Provoke bold ideas on 4-5 topics.
• Demonstrate an authentic desire to learn,
  discover, grow.
• Evoke dialogue about desired future.

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Selecting Affirmative Topics

• Based on your review of the climate study
  findings, what things, if changed, would move
  your organization closer to becoming an ideal
  organization in which to work?
• (State these things in the present tense)

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AI Interview Protocol

• FOUR KEY QUESTIONS
• High Point / Peak Experience
• Things Valued Most About
• Core Factor that Gives Life to Organization
• Images of Future Possibility

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Typical Decision Points

• What topics to select?
• Who is involved?
• How many appreciative interviews?
• How do we want to engage people in the dream and
  design phases?

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Sources

• David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney (2005)
  Appreciative Inquiry a positive revolution in
  change
• Theodore Kinni, The Art of Appreciative Inquiry,
  The Harvard Business School Working Knowledge for
  Business Leaders Newsletter, September 22, 2003.
  (2)
• Marge Mohoric, Ph.D., Organizational Development
  Practice www.theparagongroup.com

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Dialogue Philosophical Context

• Martin Buber places dialogue in a central
  position in his philosophy he sees dialogue as
  an effective means of on-going communication
  rather than as a purposive attempt to reach some
  conclusion or to express some viewpoint(s).
• David Bohm originated a related form of Dialogue
  where a group of people talk together in order to
  explore their assumptions of thinking, meaning,
  communication, and social effects. This group
  consists of ten to thirty people who meet for a
  few hours regularly or a few continuous days.
  Dialoguers agree to leave behind debate tactics
  that attempt to convince and, instead, talk from
  their own experience on subjects that are
  improvised on the spot.