Appreciative Inquiry:
Architecting a strength-based process
with a positive frame for
breakthrough results
Our Journey
• Re-frame a problem into an opportunity for
breakthrough solutions
• Think Whole System: Create a stakeholder
map
• Explore the power of the question
• Learn how to structure a discovery process
that elevates strengths
Ap-pre’ci-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.
Inquiry and Change
are NOT
Separate Moments
• Inquiry IS Intervention
• Our questions set the
stage for the data we look
for and what we ultimately
find
In-quire’ (kwir), v.,
1. The act of exploration and discovery.
2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and
possibilities.
• Synonyms: discovery, search, study and systematic
exploration.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
a way of being in the world
a way of doing in the world
AI “4-D” Cycle
DISCOVER
Strengths
Innovations & Insights
Positive Core Assets
DELIVER
Results
Capturing Sustainable Value
Improv & Learning
Affirmative
Topic Choice
DREAM
Opportunities
Valued Future We Want
Images of Impact
DESIGN
Aspirations
Ideation and Brainstormer
Rapid Prototyping
7
Topic Creation
What do we really want?
Decreasing Obesity in our
Schools….
This became an exciting
project…
Try this one…
Reducing Pollution in our
City
Became…
13
14
The Elevation of Inquiry
Negative
Normal
Positive
● Physiological
Illness
Health
Wellness
● Psychological
Illness
Health
Flow
● Effectiveness
Ineffective
Effective
Excellence
● Efficiency
Inefficient
Efficient
Extraordinary
● Quality
`Error Prone
Reliable
Flawless
● Ethics
Unethical
Ethical
Virtuous
Harmful
Helping
Honoring
Threat - Rigidity
Coping
Flourishing
Irresponsible
Profitable
Common Good
Individual
Organizational- Level
● Relationships
● Adaptation
● Social Relationships
Kim Cameron, University of Michigan 2003
Affirmative Topic Creations
Small shifts make seismic
differences: change
management begins here.
Pre-frame it:
Pre=Positive Reframe
Topic Pre-frames
Service that Exceeds Expectations
Liberating Collaboration
Revolutionary Customer
Response
Magnetic Work Environment
Outstanding Arrival Experiences
Business Social
Entrepreneurship
Optimizing Margins
Empowering & Enlightened
Leadership
“Lightning Fast Consensus”
Ecologically Restorative
Production
Topic Re-framing Can Lead to Breakthrough Results
How can we reduce
baggage loss?
How can we recover
lost baggage at
lightening speed?
How can we create
outstanding arrival
experiences?
Our topic of inquiry can be
TRANSFORMATIONAL!
AI Sandbox
1. Create
1. Share
1. Feedforward
1. Enhance
AI Sandbox Activity 1
Affirmative Topic Creations
1. Identify a problem(s) and Pre-frame it to an opportunity.
2. Good Topics are: bold, desired, spark learning, have
energizing words, sometimes bring opposites together,
strategic value for the business, generative potential.
what we want
Issues/Opportunities Ripe for
Pre-framing
•
Low morale
•
Over-regulation
•
Student drop-out
•
Siloed communication
•
Parent disengagement
•
Lack of collaboration
•
High failure rates
•
Low engagement
•
Disruptive behavior
•
Frustrating technology
•
Resistance; the things getting in
the way
•
High stress work environment
Speed Topic Dating
Step 1. Evolve – Pre-frame Problem/Opportunity into Positive Topics
Step 2. Pick a “Date”: Share Idea
Step 3. Partner(Listener) Feed Forward
•What is exciting to you about this topic?
•If the sky is the limit, what else might be possible?
•How might this topic be even stronger??
Step 4. Enhance your Topic(s)
Step 5. Reverse Roles…..
Step 6. Do another round with New Topic Date
Talk to Your Outer Circle
Creating Stakeholder Value
`Great Work - David Stuart
Connect and engage all those (internal and external)
with some stake in the system
Focus on what we want (versus don’t want)
Mobilizing people to action through their positive images
of the future
Stakeholders
Affirmative
Topic
AI Sandbox Individual Activity 2
Spark the appreciative imagination by helping
people locate the experiences that are worth
valuing.
Plants the seed of what is to be studied.
4 “Classic” Areas for Inquiry
BACKWARD
1. Reflecting on your History and “High
Point” Moments
2. Learning from Others: ie. Exploring
Inspirational Practices from Others
FORWARD
1. Building on What We Value Most
2. Our Images of the Future
The Art of the Question
• What’s the biggest
problem in our
organization?
• Why do our students
fail?
• Why are participants
disengaged during
IEP meetings?
• Why do we still have
these problems?
• What are the most unique
assets we have?
• What is the smallest change
that could make the biggest
impact for our students?
• How can we re-envision our
IEP meetings to be more
engaging?
• When have we been most
proud of our profession?
With Our Questions We Make Our
World.
“Questions are explicit yet ephemeral, ordinary yet mysterious.
Questions offer tools to work with and simultaneously the
material from which new construction occurs. Questions are
intrinsically co-created since they require both asker and listener
to construct meaning. Some questions are provocative and
initiate introspection; these questions may push us into new
territories.”
--- Marilee G. Adams, Marjorie Schiller and David L. Cooperrider
AI Sandbox Individual Activity 3
Question Crafting
A. A question to evoke a story from person(s) history (about
their experience or something they have seen)
A. A question to evoke/help give voice to their best images of
future
Session Reflections
• What I liked most about me?
• What I liked most about us?
• How can I leverage this in the future to
positively impact myself and others?
Based at Champlain College, The Center offers a full range of
educational programs, research, AI certification and
custom collaborative learning partnerships for companies,
organizations and corporate.
The David L. Cooperrider
Center for Appreciative
Inquiry is the global Center of
Excellence in Appreciative
Inquiry and strengths-based
organizational management. It
is the only academic-based
center in the world that
focuses directly on
Appreciative Inquiry and its
implications for Positive
Organizational Development
and management.
Upcoming Educational
Offerings
January 11-13, 2016
Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner
Certification Program
The Center has an extensive network
of certified AI practitioners with wideranging corporate and nonprofit
histories and competencies who can
design and facilitate strengths-based
change anywhere people work and
serve.
Contact Us:
*
appreciativeinquiry@champlain.edu
( 802.865.8457
Thank you!
Pru Sullivan
Practitioner in Residence
prudencesullivan@gmail.com
Miriam Novotny
miriam@mosaiclearningcenter.com