What is Appreciative Inquiry

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What isAppreciativeInquiry?
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Appreciative Inquiry

• A Positive Revolution in Change

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Words Are Tools

• To a hammer
• everything
• is a nail!

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Ap-preci-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

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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

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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

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What Is Appreciative Inquiry Used For?

• Strategic Planning
• Organisational Development
• Action Research
• Evaluation
• Mentoring Performance Management
• Leadership Training
• Community Development
• Business Excellence
• Culture Change Transformation

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Where is Appreciative Inquiry Used?

• Global
• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Europe
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Africa
• Asia

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8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry

• In every human situation something works

From The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by
Sue Annis Hammond
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8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry

• What we focus on becomes our reality

From The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by
Sue Annis Hammond
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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
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8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry

• The language we use shapes our reality

From The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by
Sue Annis Hammond
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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
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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
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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
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8 Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry

• It is important to value differences

From The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, by
Sue Annis Hammond
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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 whats 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

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

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

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• When I dream alone, it is just a dream.
• When we dream together, it is the beginning of
  reality.
• When we work together, following our dream, it is
  the creation of heaven on earth.
• (Adapted Brazilian Proverb)

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• Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
• Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
• (Goethe)