1. Appreciative Inquiry
Presentation by: Lucy Gong
HSCI – 825
Spring 2013

2. What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?

3. Ap-pre’ ci-ate, v.,
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
(Synonyms: Valuing, prizing, esteeming, and honouring)

4. In-quire’ (kwir), v., 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)

5. 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

6. An example…
(0:24 – 2:40)

8. How does AI work?

9. Key Concepts Positive Core 4-D AI Change Process
Appreciative Inquiry Summit

10. Positive Core Strengths Peak Experiences Best Practices Successes
Key Learnings

11. The 4-D AI Change Process
DEFINE
Decide on an affirmative topic
DISCOVERY
Identifying and appreciating what works well
DREAM
Envisioning what could work well in the future
DESIGN
Determining and planning what would work well
DESTINY
Creating and implementing the proposed design
POSITIVE CORE

12. Appreciative Inquiry Summit
Large-scale meeting that involves the entire organization (“whole system”)
Future focus
Typical duration: 2 – 4 days

13. Appreciative Interviews
DISCOVERY
Identifying and appreciating what works well
Appreciative Interviews
Find a partner you’d like to know better
Interview each other and share stories about your peak experiences
Interviewer: listens, encourages, looks for the positives, note the highlights
Interviewee: chance to brag
10 minutes each and swap

14. Common Appreciative Questions
DISCOVERY
Common Appreciative Questions
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?

15. Identifying and appreciating what works well
DISCOVERY
Identifying and appreciating what works well
Share Stories
Groups of 6 – 8 people for 45 minutes
Share highlights of partner’s story
Reflect on emerging topics and themes common to the stories
Write down key points on flipchart
Prepare to present for 3 minutes

16. Envisioning what could work well in the future
DREAM
Envisioning what could work well in the future
Envisioning
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?

17. Possibility Statements
DESIGN
Determining and planning what would work well
DESIGN
Determining and planning what would work well
Possibility Statements
How can we go about achieving what we envisioned in the Dream phase?
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

18. Determining and planning what would work well
DESIGN
Determining and planning what would work well
Designing the Future
In small groups for 20 minutes, provide feedback for key points
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?

19. Creating and implementing the proposed design
DESTINY
Creating and implementing the proposed design
Delivering the Change
Individual reflection and general discussion
What will I do now to deliver this change?
Offers, invitations, requests

20. Helpful Resources and References
Appreciative Inquiry Commons:
Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, by David Cooperrider Diana Whitney, 2003
A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry, David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney
See Yourself in 4-D: How to Use Appreciative Inquiry to Ignite Positive Change, by Susanne E. Gaddis, PhD and Cara Williams
An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry, by Leslie Moore and Julie Barnes
An Overview of Appreciative Inquiry in Evaluation, by Anne T. Coghlan, Hallie Preskill, Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas

21. Questions?

22. EXTRA SLIDES

23. Problem-Solving vs. Appreciative Inquiry
There is some ideal way for things to be
The way things are are socially constructed by our system and can be changed
If 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.

24. 5 Principles
Constructionist principle: We co-create stories with our words about what happens and that creates our reality
Poetic principle: Organizations are like poetry – we can find whatever we want
Simultaneity principle: Change begins the moment we ask a question
Anticipatory principle: We create mental pictures of the future that influence what actually happens
Positive Principle: Focusing on the positive core creates upward spirals