Appreciate

28/11/2017

My response was anything but appreciative. I had been invited to attend an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop in the UK with a view to writing an article on it for a UK organisation development (OD) journal. At that time, AI was still a fairly new concept and approach and I was curious to learn what the hype was about and whether anything new and of substance lay behind the rhetoric. I left the workshop feeling distinctly unimpressed and with clichés like emperor’s new clothes floating in my mind. I subsequently wrote a scathingly cynical piece and the editor chose (wisely) not to publish it!

I’m pleased to say that was all a very long time ago now. Over the years since, I’ve returned to and experimented with AI on many occasions, increasingly convinced by its amazing potential and that of related fields such as Gestalt, social constructionism, strength-based/solutions-focused approaches and positive psychology. There’s something about what we notice and focus on and how we construe it that impacts profoundly on what we perceive as real, true and valuable, what sense we make of it, how we feel, what energy it releases – or not, how we respond what emerges or changes as a result.

I drew on AI with faculty and staff at a ‘university for the poor’ in the Philippines recently. They were experiencing some challenges with cross-departmental working and wanted to find and agree ways to resolve them. I prayed, suggested an alternative hope-filled framing of ‘what is’ and proposed using AI for a 1-day whole group workshop with 4 sequential phases: 1. Stories: When have we been at our best? 2. Aspirations: What do we want to be more like, more of the time? 3. Ideas: What would need to happen for that to happen? 4. Commitments: What are we willing to do?

The vision, energy, ideas and relationships that formed throughout this event were truly incredible – and proved transformational. So, I’m interested: what have been your best experiences of using AI?

38 Comments

Gabriella Kovacs ACC

29/11/2017 10:47:32 am

Great to hear you didn't turn away from the immense potential in AI and related fields. I use certain elements of AI when a client (language learner) feels they are at a dead end and can't reach the next level or fulfill tasks at work etc. It releases so much strength and energy that it can bring about a conversation about options not thought of before. Really empowering, definitely.

Nick Wright

29/11/2017 10:49:15 am

Thanks Gabriella. I'm interested - do you have any examples from experience that you could share here, including how you did it?

Des Walsh

29/11/2017 10:51:10 am

I like the framework of your sequential phases.

29/11/2017 10:54:23 am

Thanks Des. The 4 phases are often described in AI as Discover...Dream...Design...Destiny. If interested, you can read a longer article about how it can apply in a coaching context and relationship here: http://www.nick-wright.com/appreciative-coaching.html

Cindy Taylor IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP

29/11/2017 04:29:10 pm

AI has been extremely helpful in some teambuilding work I have done. It sets a positive tone and helps build trust. People can learn about what is important to each other.Thanks for a great suggestion from your work in the Phillipines.

29/11/2017 04:32:01 pm

Thanks Cindy. The experience in the Philippines was incredible. Using AI in a culture that is typically more openly physically and emotionally expressive and vibrant than my own was amazing. I have rarely seen and felt so much creative energy and ideas in a group!

Robert Potter

29/11/2017 04:33:04 pm

Stories are indeed an excellent way forward.

29/11/2017 04:33:40 pm

Thanks Robert. Do you have any examples from experience you could share?

Howard B. Esbin, PhD

30/11/2017 10:23:45 am

The entire premise of imaginal psychology and proven value of heliotropic thinking is at the core of our work with the Prelude Suite. ☀️

30/11/2017 10:24:26 am

Hi Howard. Do you have any examples from experience that you could share here?

Jack Bucalo

30/11/2017 10:25:33 am

Highly reputable studies have concluded that emphasizing one or even a few behaviors, such as being appreciative, greatly oversimplifies the complexities of leadership. https://bizcatalyst360.com/a-new-path-forward-to-leadership-development-success/

30/11/2017 10:25:55 am

Hi Jack. I’m curious: did you read the blog?

Digvijay Sharma

30/11/2017 10:28:26 am

I find this intriguing, is there any write up for this or can you provide more details. I would not mind doing something like this for my organization. Thanks.

30/11/2017 10:34:35 am

Thanks Digvijay. If you do a quick search on Google you will find lots of articles and resources on Appreciative Inquiry. You may also find this article interesting to give more of a flavour of what AI can look and feel like in practice? http://www.nick-wright.com/appreciative-coaching.html

Nick Hindley

30/11/2017 10:35:25 am

I use a method called rich picturing (Professor Richard Whip) which seems to cover the principles of AI in that it focuses the group on a positive journey and then facilitates collective analysis of the current, and future states before a final picture is compiled of the anticipated journey. Thus usually in pictures with no structural rules, everybody draws.
The end result is a forward looking plan devised by the group which they commit to deliver. The success rate is excellent with added positive side effects of increased engagement, positivity, teamwork and motivation.

30/11/2017 10:44:55 am

Hi Nick. Yes, I have heard of 'rich picturing' and used something similar, perhaps an example of it, called 'River of Life'. Do you have an example from experience you could share to illustrate what it could involve and look like in practice?

I've just done a quick Google search and found some interesting short videos called, 'The Art of Rich Pictures' by the UK Open University. You have inspired me to explore it further!

Sara Pearson MSc

2/12/2017 04:55:28 am

I have used AI in action as part of a cultural and leadership essential skills programme. My aim was to use AI alongside a number of other positive change management tools to help shift the paradigms of human thinking, behaviour and interaction. I wanted to open up people’s world of imagination to better appreciate how these techniques work in action so I used story telling as my learning approach. I created the characters and the storyline and then integrated the various techniques to demonstrate positive change. I developed a self-study guide and a classroom based session to capture both in house and distant learners. I must say the difference in engagement, focus, positivity and interaction after the session was quite remarkable.

2/12/2017 04:58:29 am

Hi Sara. I'm intrigued to hear more. Did you create the story to, say, illustrate positive change imaginatively...or, say, involve the group in creating their own story...or something else?

2/12/2017 10:23:44 pm

I guess I wanted to pull on peoples imagination to bring the story to life so that they could see for themselves how these techniques work in a positive way in practice. I also wanted to widen an individuals lens by using the story to raise awareness and attention to their own impact in the workplace ( using a mindfulness approach to enable people to choose the most effective action in the moment, based on careful evaluation of all the intelligence available to them in their own situation) and to show that these tools can be used with good effect to improve well-being and ultimately their approach and performance at work.

2/12/2017 10:24:50 pm

Hi Sara. It sounds like you managed to introduce them to a wide range of techniques and experiences!

Teresa Guilian

3/12/2017 03:34:40 pm

I am looking forward to learning more and trying this soon. I sure appreciate in the picture how everyone is engaged and they're NOT all just looking at their laptops screens/not really truly engaging in the discussion like some meetings I've been to. This is different. And it sounds helpful and awesome.

3/12/2017 03:35:22 pm

Thanks Teresa. Let me know how you get on! :)

Kate Guest

4/12/2017 10:32:58 am

I learnt about AI in my NLP Practitioner training many years ago. It's a very positive, powerful process to use. Excellent to bring cohesion to teams so that they are then working with solutions not problems.

4/12/2017 10:33:32 am

Thanks Kate. Very true.

Chunfeng DONG

4/12/2017 10:35:24 am

I've used AI and really enjoyed it. "Trust the process" is sometimes hard for the delivery mindset. But I've learnt to appreciate its beauty. Same applies to coaching I believe. And be mindful about the process.

4/12/2017 10:36:16 am

Thanks Chunfeng. Well said. I would be interested to hear more about your experiences of using it. Do you have an example you could share?

Reynaldo Villegas

5/12/2017 12:10:52 pm

AI is basically a very helpful tool for any organizational development endeavor. I just hope that many business leaders and managers will plunge on it and try it in their respective organization. Then maybe one day many organizations will be more responsible in their business operations and in taking care of their most important resource- their employees.

5/12/2017 12:13:29 pm

Thanks Reynaldo. I'm curious - what is it about AI that you find most useful in terms of convincing organisations to 'be more responsible in their business operations' and to take care of people?

ANNA PUGH

5/12/2017 07:09:56 pm

This is intriguing.

5/12/2017 07:11:48 pm

Hi Anna. Say more..?

Ruedi Giezendanner

7/12/2017 11:06:30 am

AI values, respects and builds on the experience, motivations and input of those who participate in an AI session. I wonder, how would we need to design and implement training solutions if we followed the principles of AI in our training.

7/12/2017 11:08:39 am

Hi Ruedi. Yes, that is the question behind the question: how to apply the principles of AI in different contexts, e.g. in training. I would very be interested to hear any ideas or experiences you have on that front!

Carmel Ellis

7/12/2017 11:19:31 am

Appreciative Inquiry is a philosophy that encourages a team to play to their strengths, paint the best positive picture( dream big) and work towards making that dream their destiny... it's good for inter and cross functional team processes policies and communication. However, when real-time business problems are the focus, Design Thinking is a better framework to use. Empathy, the first construct in DT encourages conversations pretty much in the AI format...what is, what works, what wows and what wins...

7/12/2017 11:26:01 am

Thanks Carmel. 'What works...what wows...what wins'. I like that! :) DT reminds me of action research. I particularly like its human focus and qualities expressed in, for instance, 'Empathising: understanding the human needs involved; Defining: re-framing and defining the problem in human-centric ways.'

IDF gives a great example: 'To illustrate, instead of defining the problem as your own wish or a need of the company such as, “We need to increase our food-product market share among young teenage girls by 5%,” a much better way to define the problem would be, “Teenage girls need to eat nutritious food in order to thrive, be healthy and grow.”'

(https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process)

Do you have any examples from experience you could share here?

Patricia Stokke, EdD, PHR

7/12/2017 11:27:58 am

I used a combination of AI and graphic recording with a HR Department to help them realize and implement their mission, goals, and objectives. It was exciting and inspiring to watch them take ownership of the process. What I like about AI is that it allows people to make an initiative their own rather than having something imposed on them. This helps avoid much of the resistance.

7/12/2017 11:36:35 am

Thanks Patricia. That sounds like a great experience. I wish I was more skilled at using graphic recording! Do you have any practical tips on that front?

There's an excellent intro video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5DJC6LaOCI

I agree with your comments about ownership. AI at best is a highly participative approach that engages people mentally, physically, emotionally and volitionally.

Prashant Sharma

8/12/2017 02:01:01 am

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

8/12/2017 02:01:33 am

Thanks Prashant. You're welcome.

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