Appreciative Inquiry:A Positive Revolution to Change

Workshop Objectives

Some Change Agendas Suited to Appreciative Inquiry

Strategic Planning Culture Transformation Customer Satisfaction Morale and Retention Organization Design Leadership Development Business Improvement Diversity/Inclusion

Merger IntegrationAlliance BuildingUnion-Management PartnershipStrategic Resource SharingConflict ResolutionProcess improvementTeam Development

We may have reached the limits of deficit based change

Identify problemConduct root cause analysisBrainstorm solutionsand analyzeDevelop action plans

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.”

Albert Einstein

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.

We Live in the Worlds Our Questions CreateAnd so AI asks questions about…

NOVELTY

Best Experiences & Core Values?(what to build on?)

Actions to move forward?

What needs to be created?(possibilities and opportunities?)

The Functions of Continuity

What makes AI Unique? Its fully affirmative It is inquiry based It is improvisational and flexible Works in relationships, families, At least 8 forms

of engagement teams,org’ns communities, alliances etc

Across time and space At least 8 forms of engagement

Task: Paired Interviews

Pick someone you would like to get to know, but different from you (age, gender, occupation)

Find a quiet space, first person interviews the other for 30m

- take notes of key words or phrases,

- manage your own time

- have fun

Switch roles, interviewer becomes interviewee

Spend a few minutes at the end discussing what this was like?

Be back by______

Elements of Good Appreciative Interviews

1. Prepare for the interview2. Prepare your partner3. Choose the right environment4. Take time and build rapport5. Have a second copy of the guide6. Give people time7. Show that you are listening8. Go back over what you have learned.

Ensure accuracy.9. Summarize what most inspired you

Interview Questions

Questions (cont.)

Research Across Many Fields

Research Across Many Fields

Placebo Effect (Pharmaceutical Development)

Pygmalion Effect (Education) Internal Conversations (Medicine) Sports (Learning from success ) Sociology (Management)

5 Principles1. Constructionist: We live in worlds our

questions create. Knowledge and org destiny are interwoven. We see the world we describe.

2. Simultaneity: Change begins at the moment you ask the first question.

3. Open Book: We can read almost anything into any organization.

4. Anticipatory: Deep change occurs first in our images of the future

5. Positive: The more positive the question, the greater and longer-lasting the change.

The 5-D AI Change ProcessDefinition:

Decide What to Learn About

What you want more of

Discovery: The best of what is,

illuminate the Positive Core

Dream: Envisioning what might be; shared

images for a preferred future

Design: Finding innovative ways to create that

future

Delivery: Implementing and Sustaining

the Change

What would you call it?

(all these things taken together)

AchievementsStrategic opportunitiesProduct strengthsTechnical assetsInnovationsElevated thoughtsBest business practicesPositive emotionsFinancial assets

Organization wisdomCore competenciesVisions of possibilityVital traditions, valuesPositive macro trendsSocial capitalEmbedded knowledgeBusiness ecosystem +s e.g.. suppliers, partners, competitors, customer

Topic Choice

A Fateful Act: Organizations Define Their Capabilities By What We

Most Frequently and Systematically Ask Questions About!

?

Getting to Transformational Topics

• Final Topics:People are OwnersContinuous People DevelopmentBig Picture Harmony Among Work GroupsExceptional Arrival Experience

Baggage Problems Service Recovery

Service Recovery Exceptional ArrivalExperience

From To

Deficit Problems &Affirmative Topics

Deficit IssuesSexual Harassment

Mid-mgmt. TurnoverFear of Job LossLow MoraleTurfism/SilosDelayed OrdersCustomer ComplaintsLack of TrainingMissed Commitments

Affirmative TopicsPositive Cross-GenderWorking Relationships

What Would You Study?

From Analysis of Baggage DelaysTo …

Discovering Optimal Margins With revenues, tonnage, and sales at record

levels one of the most important opportunities we face is to engage everyone in increasing positive margins now and to do so will call on discovery of new strengths, build on old strengths, and carry us to higher levels financially. As you look at Roadway from the perspective of

our capabilities, and as you think about the business context and opportunities, how do you define "optimal margin“ for us? Define it: what is the positive margin you want and believe we have the capability to create? Right now? In the moderate time frame? Longer term?

Characteristics of Great AI questions

6 Part of the Interview Guide

1. Introduction2. Stage-setting Questions3. Topic questions4. Concluding questions5. Summary Sheets6. Quick action sheets

Taking These Ideas Home - Six Questions To Consider

What is the organizationsChange Agenda?

What Form of Engagementmakes sense?

What is our Inquiry Strategy ?

Who will choose the Affirmative Topic? Create CustomizedInterview Guides?

How and to whom shall

we introduceAI?

What Sort Of Sponsorship

And Guidance Structure

Do We Want?

8 Forms of Engagement1. Whole-System 5-D

DialogueAll members of the organization and some stakeholders participate in an AI 5-D process. It takes place at multiple locations over an extended period of time.

2. Appreciative Inquiry Summit

A large group of people participate simultaneously in a two to four day AI 5-D process.

3. Mass-Mobilized Inquiry Large numbers of interviews (thousands to millions), on a socially responsible topic, are conducted throughout a city, community, or the world

4. Core Group Inquiry A small group of people selects topics, crafts questions, and conducts interviews.

5. Positive Change Network Members of an organization are trained in AI and provided with resources to initiate projects and share materials, stories, and best practices.

6. Positive Change Consortium

Multiple organizations collaboratively engage in an AI 5-D process to explore and develop a common area of interest.

7. AI Learning Team A small group of people with a specific project – that is, an evaluation team, a process improvement team, a customer focus group, a benchmarking team or a group of students – conduct an AI 5-D process

8. Progressive AI Meetings An organization, small group, or team goes through the AI 5-D process over the course of ten to 12 meetings that are each two to four hours long

Disseminate stories and best practices Print great stories in newsletters Display quotes and stories on posters

and websites Run videos showing interviewers and

interviewees in cafeterias, meeting rooms, etc.

Quote employees on marketing and other materials

Invite anyone to share their stories at brown bag lunches.

We Live in the Worlds Our Questions Create

Be patient … and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

Resources