An introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

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An introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

• Sarah Lewis

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Content

• What Appreciative Inquiry is and isnt
• The organisational metaphor of Appreciative
  Inquiry
• Appreciative inquiry interviewing
• Dreaming the future
• The effect of positive affect
• Uses of appreciative interviewing
• The 4D model
• Implications for leaders and managers

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What is Appreciative Inquiry?

• An approach to achieving change in organisations
• A specific methodology 4D
• A flexible and versatile process
• An alternative to the standard approach to
  organisational problem solving and development

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What is it not?

• Not scientific
• Not an N-step recipe for success
• Not a mechanical process

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Contrast to Scientific Mode

• Appreciative Inquiry perspective
• Constructionist The universe is socially
  constructed. We can never see the world as it
  really is
• Holistic Rejects dualistic understandings, gives
  credence to mental causality, social dynamics
• Connective Interested in the connections between
  elements and complex patterns (the sum)
• Generative accounts

• Scientific perspective
• Objectivist There is an objective universe more
  or less separate from and independent of the
  observer
• Positivist Privileges the physically observable
• Reductionist Reduce higher order phenomena to
  elements (the parts)
• Fixed accounts

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How is it different?
Problem Solving AI Thinking
Problem focus (medical model) Account focus (social constructionism)
Solving the past Creating the future
Critical thinking analysis (data) Generative thinking (possibilities)
Planned solutions Emergent ways forward
Directed Facilitated / co-ordinated
Negative emotion/logic Positive energy/relationship
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Appreciative Inquiry Problem Solving

• Problem solving
• Identification of the problem
• Analysis of causes
• Analysis of possible solutions
• Action planning (treatment)
• Basic assumption organisation is a problem to be
  solved

• Appreciative inquiry
• Appreciating the best of what is
• Imagining what might be
• Discussing what should be
• Innovating what will be
• Basic assumption organisation is a mystery to be
  embraced.

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The organisational metaphor the organisation as
a living human system
Living Human System
What gives life? Culture Interconnected
Growth Language Interrelated
Nurturing Beliefs Interdependent
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The appreciative interview

• In pairs
• Each - identify a specific event or episode when
  you feel you really made a difference, when you
  were working at your best.
• Interview each other to re-create that
  experience What? How? Who else? Where? Tell me
  more. Feelings, talk, noticing, How did it make a
  difference? And so on - rich experience.
  Description not explanation
• When have both had your turn - reflections - what
  do you notice about the experience you have just
  had? How did you feel in both roles? What effect
  did it have for you reconnecting with a positive
  experience?

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Assumptions of appreciative inquiry

• In every society, organisation or group,
  something works
• What we focus on becomes our reality
• Reality is created in the moment and there are
  multiple realities
• The act of asking a question influences in some
  way
• People have more confidence and comfort to
  journey to the future when they carry forward
  parts of the past

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Assumptions of appreciative inquiry

• If we carry parts of the past forward, they
  should be what is best about the past
• It is important to value difference
• The language we use creates our reality
• (Hammond 1996)

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A dreaming experience

• In pairs
• Interview each other about How things could be?
• Essentially you are asking How would your
  life/world/organisation/team be if more of the
  good things weve been talking about were
  happening more of the time?
• Imagine you are a journalist doing a Day in the
  life of interview
• You are working to build a really rich picture of
  this imaginary future. You are seeking
  description
• Usually about 2 years on seems to work, so start
  by setting the time So its the 19th of Jan
  2009.

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Effect of positive affect on living human systems

• Long-term correlated with many desirable
  outcomes longevity, health, life satisfaction
• Short-term Fredrickson Broaden and build theory
• More playful, exploratory, integrative
• Preference for variety
• Access to a bigger range of behaviour
• More able intellectually to deal with complexity
  and diversity
• Can cope better with chronic stress

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Ways to use AI interviews

• To create positive affect
• To access resource - increase group
  resourcefulness
• To discover differences that make a difference
• To boost confidence (naming of abilities)
• To change the world

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Appreciative Inquiry
Discover and Value the best of what is
Affirmative Topic Choice
Destiny What will be
Dreaming What might be
Design through Dialogue What should be
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Implications for managers leaders

• Organisations are networks of conversation in
  which accounts are created
• More than one account can exist Accounts are
  resources
• The main task of management and leadership is
  working with accounts creating possibilities for
  change
• The tools for change are talk, belief,
  accounts, imagination, relationships and emotions
• Positive affect positively affects organisational
  possibilities

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Thank you

• Sarah Lewis