Welcome!
Using “Appreciative Inquiry” to
Unleash
the Power of Your People
(a.k.a.)
Greater Profitability Through
Business Process Excellence: Using
Appreciative Inquiry to get more of
what you want in your business.
Appreciative Inquiry
“The study of what gives life to human
systems when they are at their best.”
• A methodology for positive change
• An invitation to a positive revolution
• A process for whole system
transformation (e.g. Avon Mexico)
Appreciative Inquiry
is a positive, strength based
alternative to problem solving
as a means of initiating
and managing change in
organizations.
Why Should You be Interested?
Appreciative Inquiry can give your
organization a competitive advantage
by:
• Fully engaging the creativity and talent of your
existing employees – unleashing their potential
Why Should You be Interested?
Appreciative Inquiry can give your
organization a competitive advantage
by:
• Fully engaging the creativity and talent of your
existing employees – unleashing their potential
• Magnifying the speed at which you can execute
positive innovations
Why Should You be Interested?
Appreciative Inquiry can give your
organization a competitive advantage
by:
• Fully engaging the creativity and talent of your
existing employees – unleashing their potential
• Magnifying the speed at which you can execute
positive innovations
• Creating an organizational culture that attracts
the best and brightest talent to it, and keeps it.
Two Approaches to
Initiating/Managing Change
Problem Solving Approach
• Asks: “What are the problems here?”
• Focuses on: Problems, deficiencies, what’s wrong,
what’s broken, what isn’t working. Seeks “fixes” to
problems.
“Appreciative” Approach since 1987
• Asks: “What works well here?” What is this
organization like when it is at its best?”
• Focuses on: Peak experiences, best practices, life
giving/life enriching forces.
Appreciative Inquiry is based on
the ancient wisdom that
Whatever you focus your
attention on
GR
OW
S
The Case of Pro Care
79% Customer Satisfaction
Desire to improve…
First they held focus
groups with “Dissatisfied”
Customers
The Case of Pro Care
Using this approach:
• …the bottom dropped out
• Customer satisfaction plunged
• Staff morale plunged
The Case of Pro Care
The Appreciative Inquiry Alternative
• Interviews with satisfied customers
• “...Outstanding Customer Satisfaction
Experience”
• Generative Benchmarking
• 95% fully satisfied customers after
8 months
British Airways
• Lost Baggage
Given that whatever you focus your
attention on grows, how to reframe?
British Airways
• “Exceptional arrival
experiences”
Roadway Express
Wanted to reduce costs because of the
pressure they were experiencing from nonunionized trucking companies.
They didn’t use “cost cutting” initiatives
which focus on what’s “wrong” (costs are too
high)
From the Roadway Express
Interview Protocol
• Question 4: A truly outstanding organization is one where
each person is given the opportunity to display financial
responsibility. Understanding how what I do impacts the
bottom line, doing things right the first time, and being
aware of the costs of doing business are all components
of financial responsibility. Describe a time when you felt
you exhibited a clear sense of financial responsibility.
• What was it about the situation that enabled you to do
this?
• What 3 things could be done to strengthen everyone’s
sense of financial responsibility?
Because “whatever you focus your
attention on grows”
Appreciative Inquiry
seeks to discover the
root causes of success
rather than the root
causes of failure.
The term “Appreciative
Inquiry” comes from:
“appreciate”
• to value or admire highly
• to recognize with gratitude
• to increase in value, like money in a good
investment
“inquiry”
• to seek to understand through the asking
of questions
Appreciative Inquiry is used to
make some existing positive quality
in the organization “appreciate”, by
systematically “inquiring” into
where this quality already exists
within the organization, even if it
currently exists only in very small
amounts. (e.g. Avon Mexico)
Appreciative Inquiry is
used to get “more” of
something.
•
•
•
•
•
•
What do you want more of
in your
company/organization?
Profits/Productivity?
Employee loyalty? Customer loyalty?
Effective teamwork?
Increased creativity and innovation?
Shared leadership?
High morale and enthusiasm for the
job?
• Fiscal responsibility & accountability?
Whatever positive quality you
want “more of” in your
organization, Appreciative Inquiry
can help you get it by discovering
where the quality already exists in
your organization, and then
leveraging this to create more.
Business Results
Using
Appreciative Inquiry
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
“Enhancing Profitability Through
Business Process Excellence” 2003
“The 25 cent Challenge” – attempted for 10 years
Net income 2004 year end
2005 Year End
(in $000)
$ 7,825
$ 8,956
(source GMCR Financial Statements)
Feb. 05
Stock Price
$26.02
(source Yahoo Finance)
Increase
$1,131
14.45%
Feb, 06
Increase
$38.02
46.1%
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
According to their web site,
GMCR has had double digit net
sales growth for the last 27
consecutive quarters. (as of January
2010)
Business Results Using AI
GTE Telecommunications (Verizon)
67,000 employees (during communications
industry restructuring, job cuts)
“In just one year’s time (1996 to 1997)
employees’ support for GTE’s business direction
jumped 50 percent and their perception that
information is shared openly rose nearly 140
percent. …
More Business Results Using AI
GTE Telecommunications (Verizon)
• credit verification process, resulting in $3
million collected in 1996.
• payment process, saving $7 to $8 million
annually.
• insufficient funds process, saving $4 million
in 1996” (Cheny & Jarrett, 1998, p.46)
More Business Results Using AI
GTE Telecommunications (Verizon)
Over 10,000 innovations were
attributed to the Appreciative Inquiry
process.
More Business Results Using AI
John Deere (Harvester Works Division)
• reduced their product development
cycle from 5 years to 3 years
• produced immediate savings of $6
million
• positively transformed labour
management relations
More Business Results Using AI
Roadway Express
(teamster union shop)
• employee driven improvements
translated into $17 million in additional
revenue for a year, and $7 million
annual profit
Two More Examples
• Nutrimental Foods of Brazil
– Spectacular increases in profits (200% after 1
year, 300% after two years) and decreases in
employee absenteeism
• Hunter Douglas Window Fashions
– Increased productivity/decreased waste in
manufacturing to levels they had previously
thought were mathematically impossible.
Women feel devalued in this
company. They complain about male
coworkers' attitudes towards them,
about workplace harassment, and
about limits on the jobs available to
them.
Who is harassing women
and when are they doing
it? What circumstances
give rise to harassment?
What kinds of harassment
policies do we need?
What is preventing
women’s advancement in
the company and how
can we reduce the
barriers?
Women feel devalued in this
company. They complain about male
coworkers' attitudes towards them,
about workplace harassment, and
about limits on the jobs available to
them.
When have there been
times that men and
women have worked
together in this company
and the experience was
very positive for both?
What circumstances
made these positive
experiences possible?
How can we recreate
these conditions so that
men and women have
more "best" experiences
working together?
Who is harassing women
and when are they doing
it? What circumstances
give rise to harassment?
What kinds of harassment
policies do we need?
What is preventing
women’s advancement in
the company and how
can we reduce the
barriers?
Women feel devalued in this
company. They complain about male
coworkers' attitudes towards them,
about workplace harassment, and
about limits on the jobs available to
them.
When have there been
times that men and
women have worked
together in this company
and the experience was
very positive for both?
What circumstances
made these positive
experiences possible?
How can we recreate
these conditions so that
men and women have
more "best" experiences
working together?
Who is harassing women
and when are they doing
it? What circumstances
give rise to harassment?
What kinds of harassment
policies do we need?
What is preventing
women’s advancement in
the company and how
can we reduce the
barriers?
Women feel devalued in this
company. They complain about male
coworkers' attitudes towards them,
about workplace harassment, and
about limits on the jobs available to
them.
"When people are asked to participate in a
change effort targeted at changing behaviors specifically their behaviors - they are
ambivalent at best. When people are asked to
bring their best forward for the benefit of the
organization they do so with enthusiasm and
pride." Diana Whitney, David Cooperrider,
Maureen Garrison and Jean Moore in
"Appreciative Inquiry and Culture Change at
GTE: Launching a Positive Revolution"
Developing an
Appreciative Mindset
Gervase Bushe
www.gervasebushe.ca
The Appreciative Self
Clear Leadership
• Tracking
• Fanning
The 4D
Model
st
1
D - Discovery
This is generally done using one on one
interviews lasting between 1-2 hours
Conscious decisions about “who interviews
whom” add value to the process.
Uses pre-written questionnaires. All of the
questions have a positive focus.
st
1
D - Discovery
Introductory Questions
These lay the groundwork for story telling. They ask
about:
The person’s beginnings & attraction to the organization
The person’s peak experiences since joining the
organization
The qualities the person values, both personal and
organizational
st
1
D - Discovery
Topic Questions
There are usually 3 - 5 topics
A positive preamble to introduce the topic
Questions to elicit story telling about peak
experiences related to the topic
st
1
D - Discovery
Concluding Questions
Direct the interviewee’s attention to the future,
and to what the organization is being “called” to
become.
They connect with the interviewee’s imagination
and vision of the future.
They ask about the “positive core” of the
organization that should be preserved into the
future.
Time to Try It!
Use Introductory
Questions - conversation
Brief Debrief
How was that?
“Best in Class”
Please do this one as an
interview 90/10
Brief Debrief
How was that?
Remaining Topics
• Team Building
• Leadership
• Culture as a Strategic Advantage
• Concluding Questions
Compiling and Handling
the Data
Interviews are summarized on
“Interview Summary Forms” and
distributed as widely as possible
among organizational members
prior to the “Dream” phase.
Interview Summary Forms
•
•
•
•
•
•
Most quotable quote
Most compelling story
What is most important to the individual
1-3 themes for each topic
Vision
Maintaining the positive core
Compiling the Info
• Information from the Discovery process
needs to be compiled and shared
• “Word Clouds” offer a good visual
presentation
Active Members
Initial Attraction
Active Members
High Point Experience
Active Members
Valued Most About the Church
Active Members
What More is Desired
nd
2
D – Dream
– group activity
Imagining the best possible
future for the organization that
is grounded in the very best of
what has already been.
A vision/image of that best
possible future is collectively
created.
Organizations are not
“pushed” by their past; they
are “pulled” by the collective
image they hold of their future.
The wake does not drive the boat!
The “heliotropic” principle
“The Generative Metaphor Intervention”
Medic Inn
• transformed organizational culture from
one of hostility, suspicion, backbiting
and negativity, into one of openness,
cooperation and collaboration
• transformed the hotel from a 1 star to 4
star facility in one year
Time to Try It!
Imagine that every “problem” or
“inadequacy” of your organization is
solved, and your organization is now in its
best possible state. What does that look
like?
Draw some images on the blank sheet.
Provocative Propositions
• Written in bold affirmative language in the
present tense
• “provocative” – offer stretch and challenge,
but are achievable
• Grounded in the best of “what is”
• Reflect people’s highest aspirations – they
provoke passion
Communication
Red Deer Public Library
We communicate openly, honestly, accurately and
in a timely manner while being sensitive to the
context and individuals involved. We recognize
that individuals have different preferred methods
of communication, and we accommodate these
differences as much as possible. All staff have
access to a single internal point of contact to
communicate essential information. We provide
appropriate channels to facilitate the free flow
of information up, down and throughout the
organization and to our external stakeholders.
rd
3
D - Design
“First we shape our structures and then our
structures shape us.” Winston Churchill
Design with an Appreciative Lens
Appreciative Inquiry is an invitation to embed
your most cherished values in the structures
that guide individual and collective action.
Designing with an
Appreciative Lens
It is an invitation to design the social
architecture* of your organization or
community so that your values are
inevitable.
* – the relationships, practices, programs,
processes, products, services, policies,
communications and technology
The AI Design Process
1. Identify the elements of your social
architecture that were most talked about
in your discovery and dream activities.
2. Consider the data – what did your
discovery and dream activities say about
the ideal for each element?
3. Write a set of Design Principles that
describe and affirm your ideals, that put
your values into the elements you
selected.
Values-Based
Organizational Design
• Value: Openness, Transparency
• Architecture: Executive Offices – First Floor,
Glass Walls.
• Social Architecture: Meeting Participation –
Open to one person from any other
department, just had to rsvp in advance.
• Social Architecture: Financial Information –
Open books to all employees.
Values-Based
Organizational Design
• Value: Human Well Being
• Architecture: Office Space – Secretaries’
desks by the windows; Managers’ offices on
the inside walls since they spend most of
their time away from their desks in meetings.
• Social Architecture: Executive Sabbatical –
Each executive goes away from the company
for 6 months every 5 years.
th
4
D - Destiny
• The specific action plans and
strategies for bringing the vision
into existence
• How the energy and focus
generated by the inquiry plays
itself out over time. Ideally it
helps to create an “appreciative
learning culture”
th
4
D - Destiny
1. Review, communicate and celebrate
achievements to date to everyone in the
organization
2. For each provocative proposition, generate a list
of all possible actions that will bring it into being
3. Self organize for Inspired Action Projects
4. Support Success of the Self Organized Projects
5. Systematically apply AI to all aspects of the
organization
Communication
Red Deer Public Library
We communicate openly, honestly, accurately and
in a timely manner while being sensitive to the
context and individuals involved. We recognize
that individuals have different preferred methods
of communication, and we accommodate these
differences as much as possible. All staff have
access to a single internal point of contact to
communicate essential information. We provide
appropriate channels to facilitate the free flow
of information up, down and throughout the
organization and to our external stakeholders.
RDPL’s Action Steps
• Hold a 1-hour training session for the use of
the blog – learn @ lunch
• Have sections on the blog for each
department
• Use one or more of the monitors as an “info
board” specifically for staff
• Have a computer in the staff room
• Designate the blog as the central source of
info for staff – encourage its use.
The Five Core Principles Defined
• The constructionist principle
Social knowledge and community destiny
are living, human constructions created
through the conversations that we have
with each other. "Reality is a negotiated
interpretation." Shapiro & Carr, 1991
The five core principles defined: continued
• The principle of simultaneity
Inquiry and change occur simultaneously . It
is not the case that "first we do the analysis
and then we decide on change." The very
process of inquiry/analysis creates its own
changes.
The five core principles defined: continued
• The anticipatory principle
Current behaviour is guided by images of the
future. Organizations are not “pushed” by their
past; (the wake does not drive the boat) they
are “pulled” by the collective image they hold of
their future. Self-fulfilling prophecy: ”Pygmalion
effect”, “placebo” effect.
The five core principles defined: continued
• The poetic principle
Human organizations, including communities,
are an open book, constantly being revised
and co-authored. Its past, present and future
are an endless source of learning, inspiration
and interpretation.
The five core principles defined: continued
• The positive principle
The momentum for change requires positive thinking
and social bonding-qualities like hope, inspiration and
joy in creating with one another. Positive questions
guide organizational development and foster longlasting and effective changes. People, businesses,
organizations and communities move in the direction
of their questions. "What impact is my question having
on our lives together ... is it helping to generate
conversations about the good, the better, the possible
... is it strengthening our relationships?"
Change is
Inevitable
The best way to predict the
future is to create it.
“Appreciative Inquiry” is a
positive, visionary approach that:
• energizes and empowers people, and
releases their potential
• promotes “buy-in”, reduces resistance
• strengthens relationships
• builds loyalty, morale and commitment
• creates “happier”, more productive
organizational cultures.
“AI is based on a deceptively simple
premise: that organizations grow in
the direction of what they repeatedly
ask questions about and focus their
attention on. AI does not focus on
changing people. Instead, it invites
people to engage in building the
kinds of organizations they want to
live in. That’s hard to resist.”
Gervase Bushe
“Organizations, says AI theory, are
centers of human relatedness, first and
foremost, and relationships thrive
where there is an appreciative eye –
when people see the best in one
another, when they share their dreams
and ultimate concerns in affirming
ways, and when they are connected in
full voice to create not just new worlds,
but better worlds.”
Mini Discovery
What was your peak experience during
today’s workshop?
What is the most significant idea or
concept you will take away from this
morning, and how will you use it in
your organization?
References
(all highly recommended)
• Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of
Imagination – J. Watkins & B. Mohr
• Encyclopaedia of Positive Questions Vol. 1 –
D. Whitney, D. Cooperrider, A. Trosten-Bloom, B. Kaplan
• The Appreciative Inquiry Summit – J. Ludema,
D. Whitney, B. Mohr, T. Griffin
• The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical
Guide to Positive Change – D. Whitney, A. TrostenBloom
Thank you!
Jim Taylor
403 340-8221
www.rolyat.ca
Sometimes our greatest
accomplishments result from
challenges or adversity that we
overcome. Tell me about a time when
you overcame a significant challenge
to achieve something noteworthy.
What was the challenge? How did
you overcome it? What positive
results did you produce?
• What was the challenge? How did you
overcome it? What positive results did you
produce? How did this make you feel?
How does it make you feel now, as you
recall this episode?