Appreciative inquiry
Encyclopedia
Appreciative Inquiry is primarily an organisational development method which seeks to engage all levels of an organisation (and often its customers and suppliers) to renew, change and improved performance. Its exponents view it as being applicable to organisations facing rapid change or growth. David Cooperrider is generally credited with coining the term 'Appreciative Inquiry'.
Instead of asking “What’s the problem?”, some other methods couch the question in terms of challenges, which AI argues maintains a basis of deficiency, the thinking behind the questions assuming that there is something wrong, or that something needs to be fixed or solved.
Appreciative Inquiry takes an alternative approach. As a self defined "asset-based approach" it starts with the belief that every organisation, and every person in that organisation, has positive aspects that can be built upon. It asks questions like “What’s working well?”, “What’s good about what you are currently doing?”
Some researchers believe that excessive focus on dysfunctions can actually cause them to become worse or fail to become better. By contrast, AI argues, when all members of an organisation are motivated to understand and value the most favourable features of its culture, it can make rapid improvements.
Strength-based methods are used in the creation of organisational development strategy and implementation of organisational effectiveness tactics. The appreciative mode of inquiry often relies on interviews to qualitatively understand the organisation's potential strengths by looking at an organisation's experience and its potential; the objective is to elucidate the assets and personal motivations that are its strengths.
Appreciative Inquiry attempts to use ways of asking questions and envisioning the future in-order to foster positive relationships and build on the present potential of a given person, organisation or situation. Applied research has demonstrated that this method can enhance an organisation's internal capacity for collaboration and change. Appreciative Inquiry utilises a cycle of 4 processes, which focuses on what it calls:
The basic idea is then to build - or rebuild - organisations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't. AI practitioners endeavour to be convey this approach as the opposite of problem-solving, with a positive focus on how to increase exceptional performance instead of reactive remediation of skills and practices. AI assumes that this line of reasoning is motivational because organisational development work does not stop when a particular problem is solved but leads to continuous improvement. The method draws from stories of success in an attempt to create meaning.
. The idea of building on strength, rather than just focusing on faults and weakness is used in mentoring programs, and in coaching dynamics. It is the basic idea behind teaching "micro-affirmations" as well as teaching about micro-inequities. (See Microinequity
)
tool to identify scope for change and create momentum towards this in businesses, health care bodies, social non-profit organisations, educational institutions, and government operations. Although originating in the United States, it has also attracted interest in the United Kingdom, for instance recognisably one of the stimuli for the approach used by the public health National Support Teams
.
The Basis of the AI approach
The Appreciative Inquiry model is based on the assumption that the questions we ask will tend to focus our attention in a particular direction. Some other methods of assessing and evaluating a situation and then proposing solutions are based on a deficiency model. Some other methods ask questions such as “What are the problems?”, “What’s wrong?” or “What needs to be fixed?”.Instead of asking “What’s the problem?”, some other methods couch the question in terms of challenges, which AI argues maintains a basis of deficiency, the thinking behind the questions assuming that there is something wrong, or that something needs to be fixed or solved.
Appreciative Inquiry takes an alternative approach. As a self defined "asset-based approach" it starts with the belief that every organisation, and every person in that organisation, has positive aspects that can be built upon. It asks questions like “What’s working well?”, “What’s good about what you are currently doing?”
Some researchers believe that excessive focus on dysfunctions can actually cause them to become worse or fail to become better. By contrast, AI argues, when all members of an organisation are motivated to understand and value the most favourable features of its culture, it can make rapid improvements.
Strength-based methods are used in the creation of organisational development strategy and implementation of organisational effectiveness tactics. The appreciative mode of inquiry often relies on interviews to qualitatively understand the organisation's potential strengths by looking at an organisation's experience and its potential; the objective is to elucidate the assets and personal motivations that are its strengths.
What distinguishes AI
The following table illustrates how AI supporters describe some of the distinctions between Appreciative Inquiry and approaches to organisational development not based on what they call positive potential:| Problem Solving | Appreciative inquiry |
|---|---|
| Felt need, identification of problem(s) | Appreciating, valuing the Best of What Is |
| Analysis of Causes | Envisioning what might be |
| Analysis of possible solutions | Engaging in dialogue about what should be |
| Action Planning (treatment) | Innovating, what will be |
Appreciative Inquiry attempts to use ways of asking questions and envisioning the future in-order to foster positive relationships and build on the present potential of a given person, organisation or situation. Applied research has demonstrated that this method can enhance an organisation's internal capacity for collaboration and change. Appreciative Inquiry utilises a cycle of 4 processes, which focuses on what it calls:
- 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.
- DESTINY (or DELIVER): The implementation (execution) of the proposed design.
The basic idea is then to build - or rebuild - organisations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't. AI practitioners endeavour to be convey this approach as the opposite of problem-solving, with a positive focus on how to increase exceptional performance instead of reactive remediation of skills and practices. AI assumes that this line of reasoning is motivational because organisational development work does not stop when a particular problem is solved but leads to continuous improvement. The method draws from stories of success in an attempt to create meaning.
Implementing AI
There are a variety of approaches to implementing Appreciative Inquiry, including mass-mobilised interviews and a large, diverse gathering called an Appreciative Inquiry Summit. Both approaches involve bringing large, diverse groups of people together to study and build upon the best in an organisation or community.Associations with other approaches
The basic philosophy of AI is also found in other positively oriented approaches to individual change as well as organisational change. The principles behind A.I. are based in the science of Positive PsychologyPositive psychology
Positive psychology is a recent branch of psychology whose purpose was summed up in 1998 by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: "We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise, which achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in...
. The idea of building on strength, rather than just focusing on faults and weakness is used in mentoring programs, and in coaching dynamics. It is the basic idea behind teaching "micro-affirmations" as well as teaching about micro-inequities. (See Microinequity
Microinequity
Microinequity, according to Sandler, refers to the ways in which individuals are "either singled out, or overlooked, ignored, or otherwise discounted" based on an unchangeable characteristic such as race or gender. A microinequity generally takes the form of a gesture, different kind of language,...
)
AI's Uses
AI has been used as an OD and management consultancyManagement consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
tool to identify scope for change and create momentum towards this in businesses, health care bodies, social non-profit organisations, educational institutions, and government operations. Although originating in the United States, it has also attracted interest in the United Kingdom, for instance recognisably one of the stimuli for the approach used by the public health National Support Teams
National Support Teams
The public health National Support Teams or NSTs constituted a consultancy-style organisational development and change management service provided by the UK Government Department of Health.-History and role:...
.
See also
- BrainstormingBrainstormingBrainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members...
- Geoffrey Vickers introduced concept of 'Appreciative Systems'(1968)
- Kenneth J. GergenKenneth J. GergenKenneth J. Gergen is an American psychologist and professor at Swarthmore College. He obtained his B.A. at Yale University in 1957 and his Ph.D. at Duke University in 1962.-Biography:...
instrumental in social constructionism - David CooperriderDavid CooperriderDavid Cooperrider is the Fairmount Minerals Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and Faculty Director at the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at Case....
is known for the Appreciative Inquiry Handbook and other works on the topic of AI.
External links
- Appreciative Inquiry Commons at Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
- Appreciative Inquiry at Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
- Inquérito Apreciativo
- Appreciative Inquiry Conference 2007 The Power of Positive Change
- Begeistring Organisations-The European Network around Appreciative Inquiry and Strength Based Change
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/56010589/Appreciative-Inquiry-An-Overview Appreciative Inquiry: An Overview
- Cooperrider, D. L. (2007). Business as an agent of world benefit: Awe is what moves us forward. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/practice/executiveDetail.cfm?coid=10419