Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a transformative model used to facilitate positive change and growth within organizations, focusing on their strengths rather than weaknesses. Originating in the late 1980s, AI gained traction in the 1990s and is applicable in various contexts, including business, education, and community development. The AI process comprises four key stages: discovery, dream, design, and destiny.
In the discovery phase, stakeholders engage in positive inquiries about successful experiences within the organization. This is followed by the dream phase, where participants envision the organization's future potential. The design stage involves developing actionable plans based on insights gathered during the previous phases, while the destiny phase focuses on implementing these plans to sustain engagement and continuous improvement.
AI emphasizes the untapped potential of individuals and organizations, encouraging a shift from problem-solving to positive exploration, which can inspire a more uplifting and proactive organizational culture. This approach fosters collaboration and enhances morale by steering clear of negativity, helping organizations to thrive in their endeavors.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a model that is used to help organizations change, grow, and improve. People who use this model look at an organization's positive aspects and try to build off those positives. The process of AI involves four steps: discovery, dream, design, and destiny. AI can be used in the business world, but it can also be used in other organizations and situations. This model has existed since the late 1980s, and it gained popularity in the 1990s. Organizations that use AI make inquiries about the organization and then make plans for improvement based on those inquiries.
The Process of Appreciative Inquiry
AI traditionally involves four steps. Practitioners of AI follow these four steps to create change in an organization.
Discovery. In this stage, practitioners should ask positive questions and make inquiries. Asking positive questions usually involves asking about things like diversity, quality, teamwork, innovation, and speed. Inquiries should focus on things such as achievements, opportunities, strengths, best practices, financial assets, values, and knowledge. These questions and inquiries provide more information and bring positive change.
Dream. In this stage, practitioners think about what the organization is being called to do. According to AI, they should focus on the organization's higher purpose during this phase. It is called the "dream" stage because practitioners can dream about the ways the organization might be a force for positive change. They should use data from the discovery phase to note what has been accomplished in the past and dream about what might be accomplished in the future.
Design. In this stage, practitioners develop ideas about what the ideal organization would look like. They make plans, start initiatives, and create frameworks that will help the organization change. During the design phase, the practitioners should think of ways to achieve the dreams they developed in the previous phase.
Destiny. In this stage, practitioners focus on the paths that organizations and individuals can take to help the organization improve. This phase is meant to keep members of the organization interested in future development. Members of the organization should be given specific paths or tasks to help facilitate change.
In some cases, organizations have adapted the model to be more specific to their needs and goals. Another model that has been suggested involves adding a fifth, first step typically called define. This step is meant to provide foundational clarification of the focus of the inquiry. In other models, the last step is known as the delivery stage.
Practice of Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry begins with the discovery phase. During that phase, people in the organization (or outside consultants) conduct interviews with other people in the organization. Often, the interviewers will ask individuals about times at the company when they felt most successful, proud, or alive. All the questions focus on positive experiences and ideas. This interview process may take a while, as AI works best when many people are interviewed.
Next, the people who conducted the interviews review the data from the discovery phase. Then, they present this data to other people at the company.
The data helps the AI practitioners complete the other phases in the process. In the dream phase, practitioners use the data to create goals for the organization. In the design phase, they use the data to search for tools, projects, initiatives, or ideas that can be implemented to improve the organization. Finally, they give people specific tasks to complete or paths to follow during the destiny phase. This stage is meant to keep people engaged and enact specific changes that will help the organization succeed.
AI can be used in many situations. Business consultants can use AI to help a company that has problems with employee morale. Aid workers can use AI to involve and engage communities in international development. AI can also be used in government organizations and in schools.
The Goals of Appreciative Inquiry
People who practice AI assume that every organization and every person has untapped potential. The goal of AI is to help unleash that potential so people and organizations can flourish. The process attempts to identify new ways to succeed by asking positive questions. The AI process should result in a list of ideas about what the organization wants to accomplish or where the organization wants to go.
When an organization tries to improve, people often begin looking for problems they can fix. AI is a model that does not look for problems. Instead, it looks for solutions and positive experiences. AI is meant to bypass negativity and criticism.
Some people believe that AI is a good way to inspire change in an organization because it does not focus on the negative. When a company looks at all of its problems, its culture can become negative. In addition, focusing only on the company's problems can become overwhelming, and people might feel as if change is impossible. Proponents of AI believe that asking encouraging questions can help a group focus on the positive so they can take steps toward creating a better organization.
Bibliography
Cooperrider, David L., and Diana Whitney. Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in Change. Berrett-Koehler, 2005.
"5-D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry." AI Commons, Champlain College, aicommons.champlain.edu/learn/appreciative-inquiry-introduction/5-d-cycle-appreciative-inquiry/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Lewis, Sarah, et al. Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management: Using AI to Facilitate Organizational Development. 2nd ed., Kogan Page, 2016.
"Powerful Appreciative Inquiry Questions for Positive Change." MTD, 12 July 2022, www.mtdtraining.com/blog/appreciative-inquiry-model-questions.htm. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
"What Is Appreciative Inquiry?" The Center for Appreciative Inquiry, centerforappreciativeinquiry.net/resources/what-is-appreciative-inquiry-ai/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.