Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution to Change

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Appreciative InquiryA Positive Revolution to
Change
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Workshop Objectives
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Some Change Agendas Suited to Appreciative Inquiry

• Strategic Planning
• Culture Transformation
• Customer Satisfaction
• Morale and Retention
• Organization Design
• Leadership Development
• Business Improvement
• Diversity/Inclusion

Merger Integration Alliance Building Union-Managem
ent Partnership Strategic Resource
Sharing Conflict Resolution Process
improvement Team Development
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We may have reached the limits of deficit based
change
Deficit Based Change
No problem can be solved from the same level of
consciousness that created it. We must learn to
see the world anew.
Albert
Einstein
Identify problem Conduct root cause
analysis Brainstorm solutionsand analyze Develop
action plans
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Ap-preci-ate, v.,

• 1. Valuing
• The act of recognizing the best in people and the
  world around us
• Affirming past and present strengths, successes,
  and potentials
• To perceive those things that give life (health,
  vitality, and excellence) to living systems.
• 2. To increase in value, e.g. the economy has
  appreciated in value.
• Synonyms valuing, prizing, esteeming,and
  honoring.

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We Live in the Worlds Our Questions Create

• And so AI asks questions about

Best Experiences Core Values? (what to build
on?)
What needs to be created? (possibilities and
opportunities?)
Actions to move forward?
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The Functions of Continuity
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What makes AI Unique?

• Its fully affirmative
• It is inquiry based
• It is improvisational and flexible
• Works in relationships, families, At least 8
  forms of engagement teams,orgns communities,
  alliances etc
• Across time and space
• At least 8 forms of engagement

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Task Paired Interviews

• Pick someone you would like to get to know, but
  different from you (age, gender, occupation)
• Find a quiet space, first person interviews the
  other for 30m
• - take notes of key words or phrases,
• - manage your own time
• - have fun
• Switch roles, interviewer becomes interviewee
• Spend a few minutes at the end discussing what
  this was like?
• Be back by______
  

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Elements of Good Appreciative Interviews

1. Prepare for the interview
2. Prepare your partner
3. Choose the right environment
4. Take time and build rapport
5. Have a second copy of the guide
6. Give people time
7. Show that you are listening
8. Go back over what you have learned. Ensure
   accuracy.
9. Summarize what most inspired you

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Interview Questions
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Questions (cont.)
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Research Across Many Fields

• Research Across Many Fields
• Placebo Effect (Pharmaceutical Development)
• Pygmalion Effect (Education)
• Internal Conversations (Medicine)
• Sports (Learning from success )
• Sociology (Management)

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5 Principles

1. Constructionist We live in worlds our questions
   create. Knowledge and org destiny are interwoven.
   We see the world we describe.
2. Simultaneity Change begins at the moment you ask
   the first question.
3. Open Book We can read almost anything into any
   organization.
4. Anticipatory Deep change occurs first in our
   images of the future
5. Positive The more positive the question, the
   greater and longer-lasting the change.

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The 5-D AI Change Process
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What would you call it?(all these things taken
together)
Achievements Strategic opportunities Product
strengths Technical assets Innovations Elevated
thoughts Best business practices Positive
emotions Financial assets
Organization wisdom Core competencies Visions of
possibility Vital traditions, values Positive
macro trends Social capital Embedded
knowledge Business ecosystem s e.g.. suppliers,
partners, competitors, customer
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Topic Choice
?

• A Fateful Act
• Organizations Define Their Capabilities By What
  We Most Frequently and Systematically Ask
  Questions About!

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Getting to Transformational Topics
From
To
Service Recovery
Baggage Problems
Service Recovery
Exceptional Arrival Experience

• Final Topics
• People are Owners
• Continuous People Development
• Big Picture Harmony Among Work Groups
• Exceptional Arrival Experience

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Deficit Problems Affirmative Topics
Deficit Issues Sexual Harassment Mid-mgmt.
Turnover Fear of Job Loss Low Morale Turfism/Silos
Delayed Orders Customer Complaints Lack of
Training Missed Commitments
Affirmative Topics Positive Cross-Gender Working
Relationships
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What Would You Study?

• From Analysis of Baggage Delays
• To

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Discovering Optimal Margins

• With revenues, tonnage, and sales at record
  levels one of the most important opportunities we
  face is to engage everyone in increasing positive
  margins now and to do so will call on discovery
  of new strengths, build on old strengths, and
  carry us to higher levels financially.
• As you look at Roadway from the perspective of
  our capabilities, and as you think about the
  business context and opportunities, how do you
  define "optimal margin for us? Define it what
  is the positive margin you want and believe we
  have the capability to create? Right now? In the
  moderate time frame? Longer term?

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Characteristics of Great AI questions
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6 Part of the Interview Guide

1. Introduction
2. Stage-setting Questions
3. Topic questions
4. Concluding questions
5. Summary Sheets
6. Quick action sheets

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What Sort Of Sponsorship And Guidance
Structure Do We Want?
How and to whom shall we introduce AI?
Who will choose the Affirmative Topic? Create
Customized Interview Guides?
What is the organizations Change Agenda?
What is our Inquiry Strategy ?
What Form of Engagement makes sense?

Taking These Ideas Home - Six Questions To
Consider
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8 Forms of Engagement
Whole-System 5-D Dialogue All members of the organization and some stakeholders participate in an AI 5-D process. It takes place at multiple locations over an extended period of time.
2. Appreciative Inquiry Summit A large group of people participate simultaneously in a two to four day AI 5-D process.
3. Mass-Mobilized Inquiry Large numbers of interviews (thousands to millions), on a socially responsible topic, are conducted throughout a city, community, or the world
4. Core Group Inquiry A small group of people selects topics, crafts questions, and conducts interviews.
5. Positive Change Network Members of an organization are trained in AI and provided with resources to initiate projects and share materials, stories, and best practices.
6. Positive Change Consortium Multiple organizations collaboratively engage in an AI 5-D process to explore and develop a common area of interest.
7. AI Learning Team A small group of people with a specific project that is, an evaluation team, a process improvement team, a customer focus group, a benchmarking team or a group of students conduct an AI 5-D process
8. Progressive AI Meetings An organization, small group, or team goes through the AI 5-D process over the course of ten to 12 meetings that are each two to four hours long

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Disseminate stories and best practices

• Print great stories in newsletters
• Display quotes and stories on posters and
  websites
• Run videos showing interviewers and interviewees
  in cafeterias, meeting rooms, etc.
• Quote employees on marketing and other materials
• Invite anyone to share their stories at brown bag
  lunches.

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We Live in the Worlds Our Questions Create

• Be patient and try to love the questions
  themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps you
  will then gradually, without noticing it, live
  along some distant day into the answer.
• Rainer Maria Rilke

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Resources