Appreciative inquiry

5/5/2015

A well-known management development agency invited me to take part in a masterclass in Appreciative Inquiry (AI) some years ago, at around the time when AI was first becoming popular in the UK. The idea was that I would write a review of the workshop afterwards that would be published in the agency's monthly journal. I have to confess that I wasn't exactly blown away by the experience. Phrases like 'Emperor's New Clothes' came to mind and I wrote a critical review accordingly. Needless to say, it wasn't published!

I have, however, used aspects of AI on numerous occasions since with different people and organisations and I have to say I've been impressed by the results. I like its emphasis on imagination, positivity and solutions. It fits well with my beliefs from social constructionism about how we create and co-create our own realities. Its discover, dream, design and destiny phases can envision and energise, inspire and motivate people far more than any problem-solving approaches I've seen or used. A simple question such as, 'What has inspired you in the last month?' really can transform the focus and energy in a team.

The best article I've read on the foundations of AI and what it involves in practice is by Richard Seele (2008): An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry. If you're interested in the AI and to learn more about it, Richard's article is well worth a glance. I have used, adapted and applied aspects of AI without ever having worked systematically through its 4-stage process. I'd be interested to hear from you if you have: what was the issue/opportunity you focused on, how did you approach it, what questions did you pose at each stage, what happened as a result?

11 Comments

Paul Ndungu

6/5/2015 11:15:43 pm

I have used AI in a number of situations, primarily to get people talking about what matters in settings like when collecting views on strategy. A second scenario where I went through all the 4 stages with fantastic outcomes was when helping new staff develop their ideas in what needs to be done in their new roles. I like the tool a lot!!

Nick Wright

11/5/2015 04:04:40 am

Thanks Paul. They sound like great applications of AI. Can you say a bit more about how you approached those conversations, what questions you posed etc? With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Dr Charles Margerison

11/5/2015 03:07:33 am

Best ones, with which I was involved were - A - Shell Oil Refinery. - senior manager said, lock up the engineering managers until they came up with ways and means of solving teamwork / communication problems. Two days, without lectures etc were based on questions posed by the managers. Once listed, they came up with ways of working with each other to resolve the issues. Case B - similar, but with supervisors in a factory, who defined the problems as projects and then followed the questions to gather information and help each other resolve the issues.

11/5/2015 04:06:20 am

Hi Charles. Thanks for the note. I'd be very interested to hear more about how the people involved solved problems using an appreciative inquiry approach. Could you say a bit more? With best wishes. Nick

Rob Woodward

11/5/2015 03:08:03 am

I have used AI, or adaptations thereof, in many settings and have generally found that the more open and success-focused a question is, the greater is the collective energy and engagement of participants. In several instances, I’ve been told, prior to the intervention, that ‘these people will not want to talk to each other &/or share ideas; that has not been my experience. I find AI approaches give individuals the opportunity to say: Yes, I’ve experienced success, and this is an example’, and then to embrace the success stories of others to identify both similarities and differences across the collective experiences, which provide the foundation of further investigation and selection of ‘best ways forward’.

11/5/2015 04:08:12 am

Hi Rob and thanks for the note. I too have, similarly, found that using an appreciative approach enhances energy and engagement as well as ensuring a focus on solutions and a way forward. With best wishes. Nick

Dr Billy Coop

11/5/2015 03:08:36 am

Using a solution-focused positive approach always works for me - if you only focus on the problem, there is a strong likelihood that's where it will remain.....a problem. Using questions such as "What if we were to.....", "how can we build further on our strengths", and "what could we do better", are far more likely to have a positive outcome.

11/5/2015 04:09:39 am

Hi Billy. Thanks for the note. I agree. There are strong resonances between appreciative inquiry and solutions-focused approaches to dealing with issues. With best wishes. Nick

Marie-Laure Curie

20/5/2015 09:42:25 am

We use AI at times to start a meeting (that we know might be tough) positively - a few techniques I think are enough there.

20/5/2015 09:43:02 am

Hi Marie-Laure. Many thanks for the note. You reminded me of a team leader I worked with who would often start meetings with something like, 'What has inspired you since we last met?' What kind of questions have you found most helpful for the kind of situation you mentioned? With best wishes. Nick

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14/2/2018 11:16:08 am

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