What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?

  • Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a powerful approach to transformation as a mode of inquiry capable of inspiring, mobilizing and sustaining human system change.
  • AI is the art and science of asking powerful and unconditional positive questions.
  • AI is the cooperative co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organization, and the world around them.

(Meaning of ‘Appreciate’ is ‘recognize the best in people or the world around us’ and

‘Inquire’ means ‘explore and discover’.)

Assumption

Appreciative Inquiry is based on the simple assumption that every organization has something that works well, and those strengths can be the starting point for creating positive change.

Proposition

  • Inquiry into the art of the possible should ‘begin with appreciation’.
  • Inquiry into the art of the possible ‘yield information’ that is applicable
  • Inquiry into the art of the possible should be ‘provocative’
  • Inquiry into the human potential should be ‘collaborative’

Appreciative Inquiry 4-D cycle

4D_Cycle_of_AI.png

  • Discovery: What gives Life? What is that you (or company) value? What is important for you?
  • Dream: Envision what might be? What is your wildest dream? What is possible?
  • Design: How can it be? Describe the quality of organizational life, what to keep, what not to keep?
  • Destiny: What will be? Sustain what life gives. Identify how to empower, learn and improvise

Five Principle of AI

  • Constructionist: Words create worlds. The questions asked become the material out of which the future is conceived and constructed.
  • Simultaneity: Inquiry Creates Change. The moment we ask a question, we begin to create a change.
  • Poetic: This is a metaphor for ‘organizations are an open book, and stories are constantly being co-authored.’ One has a choice.
  • Anticipatory: Images Inspire Action, Image of the future guides the current behavior of an organism, or what we do today is guided by our image of the future
  • Positive: Positive Questions Lead to Positive Change, social bonding, positive attitude like hope, inspiration, joy of working and creating together
    5_principle_of_AI.jpg



Time line of AI

  • The theory of Appreciative Inquiry was developed by ‘David Cooperrider’ and ‘Suresh Srivastva’ and got published in 1986
  • In 2001, ‘Cooperrider’ and ‘Diana Whitney’ published an article outlining the five principles of AI.


Foundation of Appreciative Inquiry

  • People individually and collectively have unique gifts, and contributions to bring to life
  • Organizations are human social systems, sources of unlimited relational capacity, created and lived in language
  • The images we hold of the future are socially created and, once articulated, serve to guide individual and collective actions.
  • Through human communication inquiry and dialogue people can shift their attention and action away from problem analysis to lift up worthy ideals and productive possibilities for the future.

What Is Distinctive About Appreciative Inquiry?

  • It is fully affirmative
  • It is inquiry based
  • It is improvisational

Companies who practice AI

Walmart, US Navy, ANZ Bank, British Airways, Cleveland clinic, John Deere, McDoanlds, NASA etc

Why use AI ?

  • Involve people in determining how best to reduce the workforce.
  • People can explore one another’s career hopes and dreams, suggested options, and volunteered for sabbaticals, job sharing, and part-time positions.
  • create a context for people to be included and heard throughout the difficult and challenging time.

Agile Coaching vs Appreciative Inquiry

In ‘Agile Coaching’ we use the concepts of “Asking powerful questions”.

Concept of ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ is similar to ‘Asking powerful questions’ but much broad in scope and can very well be used with ‘Agile Coaching’ or standard ‘Coaching’.

Why Does Appreciative Inquiry Work?

The Buddha once said, “Life is suffering.” Problems are like suffering-they are always present. But suffering and problems are not the only qualities present in life or organizations. In addition to suffering, there is joy. In addition to problems, there are successes, hopes, and dreams.

Appreciative Inquiry works because it treats people like people, not like machines. As humans, we are social. We create our identities and our knowledge in relation to one another. We are curious. We like to tell stories and listen to stories. We pass on our values, beliefs, and wisdom in stories. We like to learn and use what we learn to achieve our best. Appreciative Inquiry enables leaders to create natural human organizations; knowledge rich, strength based, adaptable learning organizations.

  • It builds relationships, enabling people to be known in relationship rather than in roles.
  • It creates an opportunity for people to be heard
  • It generates opportunities for people to dream, and to share their dreams.
  • It creates an environment in which people choose how they contribute.
  • It encourages and enables people to be positive

Related Concept/Theories

  • Placebo Effect: doing fake treatment or giving fake medicine
  • Pygmalion Effect: higher expectations lead to an increase in performance

Reference: ‘Appreciative Inquiry Handbook’ by Ronald Fry and David L. Cooperrider


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