Transcript APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY - Leisure Information Network

APPRECIATIVE
INQUIRY
An Alchemy of Spirit
Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. 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
2. to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in
value. Synonyms: VALUING, PRIZING, ESTEEMING, and
HONORING.
In-quire’, v.,
1. the act of exploration and discovery.
2. to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and
possibilities. Synonyms: DISCOVERY, SEARCH, and
SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION, STUDY.
SESSION OBJECTIVES
• Introduce an approach to development
within any human system -families,
groups, organizations, communities
– Philosophy and principles
– Common Stages/steps
– Core Experience
TRADITIONAL APPROACH
TO DEVELOPMENT
• Articulate the problem situation
• Identify the obstacles, problems, or
•
•
•
malfunctions that have contributed to the
current situation.
Explore why these problems exist - root
cause analysis
Propose actions to be taken to address these
problems
Create an action plan
TRADITIONAL APPROACH
Examples
• What are our customers dissatisfied with?
• What is contributing to customer
dissatisfaction?
• What do we need to do to decrease customer
dissatisfaction?
______________________________________
• Why aren’t our stakeholders more involved in
what we do?
• What do we need to do to address these
issues?
DRAWBACKS TO THE
TRADITIONAL APPROACH
• Looks to identify/assign blame
• Focuses attention on what to avoid
(fears) Focuses attention on what is
missing (deficits)
• Can deplete energy and motivation
AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
‘Appreciative Inquiry’

Focuses and builds on existing strengths
and capacities (assets)
 Identifies what is desired (positive image)
 Taps into what energizes and motivates
stakeholders
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
‘5-D Cycle’
DEFINITION
Decide what to learn about and
create the Inquiry architecture
DELIVERY/
DESTINY
DISCOVERY
Conduct an inquiry into the
topic and assem ble learnings
Innovate and implem ent the
design and align the
components
DREAM
DESIGN
Develop ideas about what needs to be
in place (socio-technical architecture)
for these learnings to be infused into
the new world
Generalize those learnings into an
image of how the situation would
look if those learnings were fully
'alive'
THE DEFINITION PHASE
“As thou hast sown, so shall thou reap.”
Pinarius

Decide what to learn about
– Choose the positive as the focus of
Inquiry

Determine the Inquiry ‘architecture’
– What are the essential elements that need
to be present?
THE DISCOVERY PHASE
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.
You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions."
Naguib Mahfouz (Nobel Prize Winner)

Conduct an inquiry into the desired topic
– Interviews
• Recognize and appreciate times of excellence
• Draw out wishes and desires for an ideal future

Collate the data that is generated
– Pull out themes and patterns
THE DISCOVERY PHASE
“Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.”
Hannah Arendt

Conduct an inquiry into the desired topic
– Interviews to solicit stories
• Recognize and appreciate times of excellence
• Draw out wishes and desires for an ideal future
THE DISCOVERY PHASE
“Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.”
Joseph Campbell

Conduct an inquiry into the desired topic
– Interviews
• Recognize and appreciate times of excellence
• Draw out wishes and desires for an ideal future

Collate the data that is generated
– Pull out themes and patterns
ACTIVITY
• Find a partner
• Area of Inquiry:
- to learn more about what excites
and engages the community’s
interest and involvement in our work
• Each person will interview their partner for
five minutes > watch your time :-)
• Interview questions to be reviewed soon
INTERVIEW TIPS
•
Use the following questions as the basis for your five-minute interview. It is a good idea to jot
down notes or interesting phrases that capture the spirit and main points shared by your partner.
•
Ask them to tell you a story about what took place. How did it unfold? Why did it stand out? What
was it that made it a high point? What was going on that helped this to take place? What key
insights did it reveal?
•
As you question your partner, you will probably find that you want to ask other questions. This is
fine! Watch for what animates and excites your partner and turn your own curiosity loose in that
direction. Probe intently, like an interested friend hanging on to every detail. However, watch your
time and make sure you have asked the two questions in the following Interview Guide.
•
Whatever questions you ask, remember to keep the focus on what worked and was ‘life giving’ in
the situation.
•
Finally, be yourself and have fun!
INTERVIEW GUIDE
Question 1
It is always great when our community gets actively involved with us in
the work we do. Tell me a story of a time you were really impressed
and excited when members of the community got on board and really
engaged in something you were doing.
Possible exploratory questions: Tell me more about what took place - who was involved?,
how did it feel? What do you think contributed to their interest and initiative? How was this
interest supported by you or your team? What else helped this to be an extraordinary event?
INTERVIEW GUIDE
Question 2
If you had three wishes for how your team or organization acts to get your
community excited and engaged in your work, what would they be?
DEBRIEF
Part (a)

Take a few minutes to discuss the
following with your partner:

What was the interview experience like for
you? (focus on how it felt rather than what
was said)
DEBRIEF
Part (b)
Reflect on/discuss what was shared in the
interviews
1.
“What stood out from the interviews as the lifegiving forces that stimulate and support community
participation in our work?”

2.
3.
Key words/phrases that capture the spirit and main themes
shared
Agree on the themes/ideas that capture the
most meaningful forces for both you and your
partner
Print these key ideas large and legibly on a
piece of paper - one idea/sheet
THE DREAM PHASE
"Martin Luther King did not say, "I have a strategic plan."
Instead, he shouted, "I have a DREAM!," and, he created a crusade."
Unknown source
Given:
1)
2)
what we know has worked in the past, as well as
our wishes for the future
What would it look like if we were at our
best?
- visual images
- ‘provocative propositions’
THE DREAM PHASE
“A vivid imagination compels the whole body to obey it.”
Aristotle

Visual Images
– skits, pictures, collages, poems, songs

Provocative Propositions
– Bold and compelling statements of ‘what is’
– Elicit a ‘Wow!’ response
– Stretch and challenge the status quo
THE DESIGN PHASE
“Action without vision is a nightmare.
Vision without action is a daydream.”
Japanese proverb
‘What are the actions and commitments we want to implement
which will make our dream come alive?’
OPERATIONAL ELEMENTS
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
OUR
DREAM
THE DESTINY PHASE
‘After enlightenment- comes the laundry’
Zen saying
Building and aligning the
implementation strategies
 Monitoring and valuing
 Building Ai competencies and attitudes
into the system

SUMMARY
TRADITIONAL
APPROACH
APPRECIATIVE
APPROACH
• Problem Identification
• Analysis of Causes
• Outcome Identification
• Appreciate existing
strengths and wishes
• Dialogue on what
should be
• Analysis of Possible
Solutions
• Action Planning
• Action and Evaluation
– Envisioning a preferred
future
• Innovating/designing
• Action and Valuation
RESOURCES
•
AI Commons is a worldwide portal devoted to the fullest sharing of academic resources
and practical tools on Appreciative Inquiry and the rapidly growing discipline of positive
change. This site is a resource for leaders of change, scholars, students, and business
managers, and is hosted by Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of
Management.
http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/
•
Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List
AIList is a forum for individuals interested in learning more about the practice of
Appreciative Inquiry. The list has nearly 800 subscribers from all over the world. Questions
are welcome, as are case postings, observations, and other experiences that can help all
list subscribers improve their organisation change practice.
To join the list, please go to:
http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist
•
The Taos Institute in New Mexico is one of the centres of Appreciative Inquiry, with
both David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva on its board. It runs workshops and
courses.
http://www.taoinstitute.net/index.html