Overview of Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry is about looking for the positive traits and abilities in the people and organizations around us. Cooperrider and Whitney (2001) Appreciative Inquiry is about the search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them.

In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives life to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms.Human nature being what it is, however, tends to have us look at the shortcomings around us with relation to our personal, professional and organizational lives. The tendency is to look for a problem, diagnose and solve it.

This narrows our view of personal, professional, and organizational challenges to only seeing the wrong, broken, or inadequate in the processes and methodologies surrounding us. Sue Hammond (1998) suggests that focusing on the wrong, broken, and inadequate causes us to emphasize and amplify the problems in stead of solving them in any tangible way.

Appreciative Inquiry uses positive methods to look for what works in the personal, professional, and organizational realm we live in, to improve services, without focusing on the problem solving focused methods.

Identifying where the organization is and where the organization wants to be, as well as how to positively discover what works in the personal, professional, and organizational experiences we live in, creates a service gap that requires a plan to bridge that gap as a positive exercise.

The Theoretical Basis of Appreciative Inquiry The practice of Appreciative Inquiry comes from two important words in the English vocabulary. Ap-pre'ci-ate, v., 1. To value; recognize the best in people or the world around us; affirm past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems.

2. To increase in value, e.g., the economy has appreciated in value. Synonyms: value, prize, esteem, and honour.In-quire'(kwir), v., 1. to explore and discover. 2. to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. synonyms: discover, search, systematically explore, and study.(Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros, p. 1)

Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros (2003) explain that the beginning of Appreciative Inquiry grows out of a social approach known as social constructionism. This approach aims to account for the ways in which social practice and trends are built socially and are built in multiple ways to develop meaning that explains generally observed behaviour. (Larkin, http://www.psy.dmu.ac.uk/michael/soc_con_disc.htm)

Appreciative Inquiry is a powerful approach to inspiring, mobilizing, and sustaining human system change. (Cooperrider, et al) As already stated, this approach has its beginnings with social constructionist theory where the seeds of organizational change are understood as already existing and simply needing to be discovered or interpreted.

Appreciative Inquiry flows from social development principles of inquiry and change, where ongoing change flows out of the developing experience of society to help determine what works best. Understanding inquiry and change are not separate moments of discovery, but more an understanding of real-time observations and interpretation that inform us with relation to best social practices.

Inquiry is seen as an intervention. Change is the result of things people think and talk about, things people discover and learn, and things that inform conversation and inspire images for the future.Finally, Appreciative Inquiry also grows out of years of experience. Organizations are largely responsive and positive systems desiring to build long-lasting and effective organizational structures that lead to positive change.

It is a proven fact that people and organizations move in the direction of their inquiries and do not change in ways they do not look for. Appreciative Inquiry is the avenue for organization and human systems of all kinds to develop positive change that empowers the organization and its people for a positively focused future; versus a problem defined one.

Principles of Appreciative InquiryThe following five principles inspired and moved Appreciative Inquiry from theory to practice:The Constructionist Principle how the future is developed.The Principle of Simultaneity asking questions that lead the process. The Poetic Principle the human factor is an open book; to be read and written.

The Anticipatory Principle what the future looks like from where you are now.The Positive Principle not just asking positive questions; but seeking the most positive question.

The Constructionist Principle Social knowledge and organizational destiny are connected. Like raw metal becoming an engine block on a motor vehicle, or plastic pellets becoming water bottles, the questions asked in AI is the stuff the future is made of.

To be effective in this process everyone involved must be willing to analyze, understand, and study the organization and its impact as a human structure first. The most important resource for generating constructive organizational change is cooperation between the imagination and reasoning of the organizations people

The Principle of Simultaneity: This principle recognizes that inquiry and change are not actually separate moments; they can and should be synchronized events. Inquiry is intervention. The seeds of change are the things people think and talk about, the things people discover and learn, and the things that inform dialogue and inspire images of the future

The AI process helps people and organizations realize that the practice of inquiry is change. The first question we ask is critical because that question (whether positive or negative) has the power to turn organizational energy in the direction of that question. Change begins the moment we ask the question. Questions create our experience.

Asking how we survived our day or what went well for us on a given day, force opinion that defines our experience and makes it a reality to us and the people around us.

The Poetic Principle A useful figure of speech in understanding this principle is that human organizations are an open book. An organization's story is constantly being written. Moreover, personal and organizational pasts, presents, and futures are an endless source of learning, inspiration, or interpretation.

Recognition that stories are open to multiple interpretations means the poetic principle in the AI process of development is about making the best stories for inspiration. Seeking out the best stories from the others and individuals in the work social system, about the past, present and imagined future acknowledges and values the multiple realities that make up the multiple and multiplied experiences of the people and processes that make the organization what it is.

The Anticipatory Principle: The most important resource for generating positive organizational change or improvement is sharing our ideas, thoughts, and imagination about what the future holds. One of the basic ideas of the anticipatory view of AI is that the shared image of the future guides current behaviour; personally and corporately.

The manager who believes people are lazy and need to be coerced or given incentives to work, will eventually create that behavior in his or her employees. In contrast, a manager who believes that people actually want to do good work and feel good about the work they do, will create an environment that enables people to excel and produce superior products and services (Nordby, 2003).

The anticipatory principle says that what we do today is guided by our image of the future. To inquire about ways that serve to change expected realityespecially through positive imagery --may be the most prolific thing anyone can do. (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2001, p.21)

The Positive PrincipleThis last principle grows out of years of experience with Appreciative Inquiry. The drive for change requires large amounts of positive influence and social interaction. Attitudes such as hope, inspiration, and the joy of creating with one another are necessary building blocks for the process to succeed. Organizations are largely positive systems, responsive to positive thought and positive knowledge. (Cooperrider, et al, p. 9)

Every person and every situation has a positive core. Our responsibility in the AI process is to deliberately seek it out; to identify this positive core and find ways to build on it. We are always more creative and better able and prepared to solve problems when were happy. A positive approach to learning (what were doing right and what we have to build on), is more effective than a negative approach that focuses primarily on whats wrong or whats missing. (Kelm, 2007)

A positive focus on the future creates a positive and compelling image of that future. Positive questions and taking the positive stance can shed light on the wishes that may hide in doubt about the future the positive approach can be the cure to negative doubt.

The 4-D Cycle is a tool that allows the user to follow a well-coordinated series of steps to help an organization identify its positive core and initiate the concrete operational steps to achieve its goals( Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny: the 4-D Cycle).

The positive core is woven throughout the 4-D Cycle. It is identified in the Discovery phase, mobilizing a whole-system inquiry into the positive core-that which gives meaning to the organization. It is amplified throughout the Dream phase, creating a clear, results-oriented vision in relation to the discovered potential and in relation to questions of higher purpose.

. It is woven into the "organizational architecture" through the Design phase, creating provocative propositions of the ideal organization; an organizational design that people believe is capable of magnifying the positive core.Finally, it is implemented throughout the Destiny phase, strengthening the affirmative capability of the whole system. Thus, AI begins and ends with valuing that which gives life to an organization.

The Discovery PhaseAs was indicated in the overview of the positive core, the primary task in the Discovery phase is to identify and appreciate the best of "what is." This task is accomplished by focusing on peak times of organizational excellence, when people have experienced the organization as most alive and effective.

Seeking to understand the unique factors (e.g., leadership, relationships, technologies, core processes, structures, values, learning processes, external relationships, planning methods, and so on) that made the high points possible, people deliberately "let go" of analyses of deficits and systematically seek to isolate and learn from even the smallest wins.

In the Discovery phase, people share stories of exceptional accomplishments, discuss the core life-giving factors of their organizations, and deliberate upon the aspects of their organization's history that they most value and want to bring to the future. In the Discovery phase, members come to know their organization's history as positive possibility rather than a static,eulogized,romanticized, or forgotten set of events.

The Dream PhaseThe Dream amplifies the positive core and challenges the status quo by envisioning more values and vital future. Especially important is the envisioning of potential results and the bottom-line contributions to the world. The Dream phase is practical, in that it is grounded in the organization's history.

One aspect that differentiates AI from other visioning or planning methodologies is that images of the future emerge out of grounded examples from its positive past. These images are compelling possibilities precisely because they are based on extraordinary moments from an organizations history.

The Dream phase is a time for key stakeholders to collectively share their stories of the organization's past and their historical relationship with it. As the various stories of the organization's history are shared and illuminated, a new historical narrative emerges. As participants become energetically engaged in re-creating the organization's positive history, they give life to its positive future.

During the Dream phase, organization stakeholders engage in conversations about the organization's position and potential in the world.For many organization stakeholders, this is the first time to think "great" thoughts and create "great" possibilities for their organization. The process is both personally and organizationally invigorating.

The Design PhaseThe Design phase involves the creation of the organization's social architecture. This new social architecture is embedded in the organization by generating provocative propositions that embody the organizational dream in the ongoing activities. Everything about organizing is reflected and responsive to the dream, the organization's greatest potential.

This phrase requires in-depth dialogues about the best structure and processes to support the new system .To construct an organization, one must decide to include or not to include leadership, strategy, structure, human resource management, customer relations and/or culture, and so on.

As provocative propositions are composed, the desired qualities of organizing and organizational life are articulated. To further illustrate:To construct a home, one must, after deciding to have doors, determine the number and nature of doors to build.

To construct an organization, after deciding to have collaborative leadership, one must describe the quality of organizational life, relationships, and interactions that are desired enactments of collaborative leadership.The Design phase involves the collective construction of positive images of the organization's future in terms of provocative propositions based on a chosen social architecture.

The Destiny PhaseThe Destiny phase delivers on the new images of the future and is sustained by nurturing a collective sense of purpose. It is a time of continuous learning, adjustment, and improvisation (like a jazz group)-all in the service of shared ideals.

The momentum and potential for innovation are extremely high by this stage in the process. Because of the shared positive image of the future, everyone is invited to align his or her interactions in co-creating the future.

Stakeholders are invited into an open-space planning and commitment session during this phase. Individuals and groups discuss what they can and will do to contribute to the realization of the organizational dream as articulated in the provocative propositions. Relationally-woven action commitments then serve as the basis for ongoing activities.

key to sustaining the momentum is to build an "appreciative eye" into all of the organization's systems, procedures, and ways of working. For example, one organization transformed its department of evaluation studies to valuation studies (dropping the e).

Others have transformed focus group methods, surveys, performance management systems, merger integration methods, leadership training programs, diversity initiatives, and so on. The areas for application of AI are far-reaching. Provocative propositions may require that an organizations processes and system be redesigned.

The Destiny phase is ongoing and brings the organization back, full circle, to the Discovery phase. In a systemic fashion, continued appreciative inquiry may result in new affirmative topic choices, continuous dialogues and continued learning.

A good start usually leads to a good finish. An AI initiative is no exception. The way AI is introduced to the organization sets the tone for the process that follows. Getting started involves three key activities: introducing AI; defining the project, purpose and process; and creating a project plan.

Every analysis begins with: What is wrong? What are the problems? What are the causes? Figure below shows Two Paradigms for Organizational Change Paradigm 1: Problem SolvingParadigm 2: Appreciative Inquiry