Appreciative Inquiry An Introduction

What is Appreciative Inquiry? “It is the discovery for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. It is an art and practice of asking the unconditional positive questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate and heighten positive potential. Instead of negation, criticism and spiralling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, design and destiny. It works from accounts of the ‘positive change core’. AI links the energy of the positive core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized.” (David Cooperrider) What is Appreciative Inquiry?

Appreciative Inquiry A Positive Revolution in Change

The Birth of Appreciative Inquiry David Cooperrider & Suresh Srivastva in 1987 With colleagues from Case Western University & Taos Institute

Appreciative Inquiry Systems Theory Organisational Development Asset-based community development Solution-focused therapy Narrative therapy The “magic question” Resilience

Words Are Tools To a hammer everything is a nail!

Ap-pre’ci-ate (verb) 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 to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value Synonyms: valuing, prizing, esteeming and honouring

In-quire’ (kwir) (verb) the act of exploration and discovery to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities Synonyms: discovery, search, systematic exploration and study

Appreciative Inquiry “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.” (Albert Einstein)

What Is Appreciative Inquiry Used For? Consult with people Learn from past experience Involve whole organisation or community in change Build a vision for the future that everyone can share and help put into practice

What Is Appreciative Inquiry Used For? Strategic Planning School Improvement Action Research Evaluation Mentoring & Performance Management Leadership Training Community Development Business Excellence Customer Service / Client Satisfaction Culture Change & Transformation

Where is Appreciative Inquiry Used? Global: United States Canada United Kingdom Europe Australia New Zealand Africa Asia

6 Principles of Appreciative Inquiry Descriptive or Constructionist Principle Simultaneous Principle Poetic Principle Anticipatory Principle Positive Principle Wholeness Principle

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry In every human situation something works From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry What we focus on becomes our reality From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry Reality is created in the moment and there are multiple realities From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry The language we use shapes our reality From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry The act of asking questions influences the outcome in some way From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry People have more confidence going into the future (unknown) when they carry forward parts of the present (known) From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry If we carry parts of the past into the future, they should be what are best about the past From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry It is important to value differences From: The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond

Positive Image Positive Action Six main areas of research: Powerful placebo Pygmalion effect Positive affect & learned helpfulness Imbalanced inner dialogue (2:1) Positive imagery as a dynamic force Affirmative capability

Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiry AND “Felt need” & identification of problem Analysis of causes Analysis of possible solutions Action planning Assumes: Organisation is a problem to be solved Back Door – what’s in the way of what we want? Deficit Thinking Appreciate & value the best of What Is Envision: What Might Be Dialogue: What Should Be Innovate: What Will Be Assumes: Organisation is mystery to be discovered Front Door – what is it we ultimately want? Possibility Thinking

Deficit Focus: Consequences Fragmentation Few new images of possibility Negative frames are self-fulfilling Visionless voice leads to fatigue ‘The Experts Must Know’ Weakened fabric of relationships & defensiveness leads to negative culture Slow: puts attention on yesterday’s causes

The Positive Core Energy Enthusiasm Commitment Action

The “4-D Cycle” Discover Deliver Dream Affirmative Topic Choice Design “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Appreciating Deliver “How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?” Sustaining Dream “What might be?” (What is the world calling for) Envisioning Results Affirmative Topic Choice Design “What should be - the ideal?” Co-constructing

Full AI Process Select focus area or topic(s) of interest Conduct interviews designed to discover strengths, passions, unique attributes Identify patterns, themes and/or intriguing possibilities Create bold statements of ideal possibilities ("Provocative Propositions") Co-determine "what should be" (consensus re: principles & priorities) Take/sustain action

Topic Choice A Fateful Act: People, organisations and communities move in the direction of what we most frequently and systematically ask questions about!

Genius is in Creating the Question “What would the universe look like if I were riding on the end of a light beam at the speed of light?” (Albert Einstein)

A Positive Change Network Special invitation & call to people to be change leaders AI approach to positive change Many applications Self-organizing Builds relationships Connected through knowledge sharing & storytelling

One Example …WORTH We Can Change the World - Training Program for Women in Business Women’s Empowerment Program American Refugee Committee – Guinea How WORTH Works 1. Women learn to read, write and do simple math while they save together. 2. Using their literacy skills, members learn how to launch and manage a village bank. 3. Women borrow from their group savings to begin micro-businesses. Interest on loans is distributed as dividends to bank members. 4. Groups learn about their rights and important issues such as trafficking, domestic violence and gender equity. 5. Groups help launch other groups and play key roles in community action and raising awareness. www.worthwomen.org

Mac and Marcia O’Dell The WORTH Pilot Nepal 1997-2001 – almost 4 years 125,000 women 6,000 groups 240 local partners

Dance and Drum … From Riots to Empowerment: Story from a Liberian Refugee Camp   Friends, Marcia is just back from Guinea, West Africa, and just told me an amazing story about the AI/APA-based training-of-trainer program she ran for Liberian Refugee women, under sponsorship of American Refugee Committee. She was introducing the WORTH women's empowerment program developed in Nepal (www.worthwomen.org) that many of you have heard about over the past few years--now in the start-up phase in half a dozen African countries; this is the first anywhere for refugees. To set the scene: Marcia and her sidekick, Erica, arrived in the ARC refugee camp to find a huge handout of blankets in process... thousands of people milling around the enormous tent they have been invited into, to see how the distribution was going.  Suddenly and unexplainedly they found themselves in the middle of a riot and had to flee unceremoniously.  It turns out someone in the crowd, seeing them come in had decided to use their arrival to spread a rumor, "The white women just told us that every single person gets a blanket, not the 1 blanket for every 4 people that we're being told."  Of course, neither Marcia nor Erica had said a single word... but, nevertheless Pandemonium ensues... The next day, with some trepidation, they started their training, which happens to be built around an AI framework, the short, sweet APA model we developed in Nepal, which is a critical underpinning of the WORTH/Women's empowerment model.  Now, as many of you know, this WORTH/APA model is all about women discovering their own strengths and capacities, dreaming of a world built on these for their children and grandchildren, and creating their own self-help empowerment program based on self-instruction and saving, with no external subsidies, no external loan funds -- all built around the principle that 'Dependency is not empowering.'  A total antithesis the basic 'dependency/ handout'framework of virtually all refugee programs anywhere in the world.  By day 4, with a background in the APA approach and WORTH's overall self-help literacy, savings-oriented microenterprise program, the participant/trainers were to go out and run a trial orientation program with target groups of women in the camps. They understood the WORTH/APA concept, but they really didn't think it would ever fly.  "Women are used to getting something from us.. we have always been giving them something: food, blankets, shelter.... Now we want them to start their own self-help literacy, saving, and micro enterprise program without a thing from us?  Not a thing?  Impossible!" But into the camps they went, anyway.. heavy hearted, sceptical to say the least.  As Marcia said, watching them head into the camps, "They went stooped over, like lambs to the slaughter, visibly anxious and ready for trouble (and fresh from the riots a few days before about how many blankets people would get!) "This '4D thing may never fly... Discovery and Dreams... !? The women won't have any part of it.... but I guess we have to give it a try." A few hours Marcia heard them returning and waited for the other shoe to drop... Suddenly the room was full of laughing, smiling, joyous trainers.  "It worked!  It worked! The women loved it!  The started sharing success stories and couldn't stop.. and we shared our stories about WORTH... then came the dreams... and, Oh! What dreams! Women are volunteering left and right... They can't wait to start the program!"  And apparently they never even asked for a single thing... except for the opportunity to be part of the program and to share it with others.  "The only thing that would have been better is if we had a video camera to record the women dancing and singing in celebration at the end of our orientations... We wish you could have seen them!" From a dependency riot... to 'Dance and Drum!' It doesn't get any better than this! Mac Odell 4 Whitehall Rd. South Hampton, NH 03827 603-394-7890, cell: 603-770-6006

Leap of Faith – Cleveland (Nov 2003) Over 120 Students, Educators, Parents and Consultants US, Canada, Brazil, England, Australia

Leap of Faith – Cleveland (Nov 2003) Identify what’s working within our schools and education systems Discover, dream, and design the best kind of schools and youth programs

Leap of Faith

Two Local Examples … Community Development Organisational Development

The Knox Early Years Project (Rowville)

Designer Pergolas & Carports Pty Ltd

"To a far greater extent than is normally acknowledged, we human beings create our own realities through symbolic and mental processes; because of this, conscious evolution of the future is a human option...the artful creation of positive imagery on a collective basis may be the most prolific activity that individuals and organizations can engage in if their aim is to help bring to fruition a positive and humanly significant future." David Cooperrider (1992)

Acknowledgements A debt of gratitude is owed to the following people for generously sharing their time, wisdom and materials: David Cooperrider Sue Annis Hammond Gina Hinrichs Mac & Marcia Odell Marge Schiller Other members of the Positive Change Corps and Appreciative Inquiry Consulting

SUE JAMES PO Box 197 Boronia, VIC, 3156 Phone: (03) 9758 2528 Mobile: 0402 979 384 Email: info@suejames.com.au Web: www.suejames.com.au www.appreciativeinquiry.com.au www.aiconsulting.com.au