Appreciative Inquiry Presentation by Lucy Gong HSCI 825

Appreciative Inquiry Presentation by: Lucy Gong HSCI – 825 Spring 2013

What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?

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 (Synonyms: Valuing, prizing, esteeming, and honouring)

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, systematic exploration, and study)

A different way of thinking to create change • An organization development process that focuses on strengths and the positive aspects of an organization • An approach to seeking what is right in an organization in order to create a better future for it • Developed by David Cooperrider in 1987

An example… • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Zw. GNZ 63 hj 5 k (0: 24 – 2: 40)

How does AI work?

Key Concepts 1. Positive Core 2. 4 -D AI Change Process 3. Appreciative Inquiry Summit

Positive Core • Strengths • Peak Experiences • Best Practices • Successes • Key Learnings

The 4 -D AI Change Process DISCOVERY Identifying and appreciating what works well DESTINY Creating and implementing the proposed design DREAM POSITIVE CORE DESIGN Determining and planning what would work well Envisioning what could work well in the future

Appreciative Inquiry Summit • Large-scale meeting that involves the entire organization (“whole system”) • Future focus • Typical duration: 2 – 4 days

DISCOVERY Appreciative Interviews Identifying and appreciating what works well 1. Find a partner you’d like to know better 2. Interview each other and share stories about your peak experiences 3. Interviewer: listens, encourages, looks for the positives, note the highlights 4. Interviewee: chance to brag 5. 10 minutes each and swap

DISCOVERY Common Appreciative Questions • High point experiences: • Describe a time in your life when you felt alive and engaged. • Valuing: • What do you value most about yourself, your work, your organization? • Core life-giving factors: • What are the core factors that give life to this organization? • What are the unique attributes of this system, without which it would not be the same? • Wishes for/images of the future: • What three wishes do you have to enhance the vitality of this system? Imagine this organization five years from now, healthy and vibrant – what does it look like?

DISCOVERY Share Stories Identifying and appreciating what works well 1. Groups of 6 – 8 people for 45 minutes 2. Share highlights of partner’s story 3. Reflect on emerging topics and themes common to the stories 4. Write down key points on flipchart 5. Prepare to present for 3 minutes

DREAM Envisioning what could work well in the future 1. Visualization and creative exercises: envision yourself and your organization functioning at it’s best • You have been nominated for an award for best and most innovative practice. • All of the things we identified as making your situation excellent are happening. • Can you describe or portray it? • What does it look like? What is happening? What am I feeling? What am I doing? What is my manager doing? What is the organization doing?

DESIGN Possibility Statements Determining and planning what would work well 1. How can we go about achieving what we envisioned in the Dream phase? 2. Criteria for good possibility statements: • Short and clear • Stretching and challenging • Exciting and novel • Are desired and preferred • Describe what is wanted • Written in the present

DESIGN Designing the Future Determining and planning what would work well 1. In small groups for 20 minutes, provide feedback for key points 2. Consider the following: • What needs to change to make what is envisioned happen? • What can we do now and in the longer term to achieve this?

DESTINY Delivering the Change Creating and implementing the proposed design 1. Individual reflection and general discussion 2. What will I do now to deliver this change? 3. Offers, invitations, requests

Helpful Resources and References • Appreciative Inquiry Commons: http: //appreciativeinquiry. case. edu • Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, by David Cooperrider Diana Whitney, • • 2003 A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry, David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney http: //appreciativeinquiry. case. edu/uploads/whatisai. pdf See Yourself in 4 -D: How to Use Appreciative Inquiry to Ignite Positive Change, by Susanne E. Gaddis, Ph. D and Cara Williams http: //www. communicationsdoctor. com/articles/See. Yourself. In 4 -D. pdf An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry, by Leslie Moore and Julie Barnes http: //www. docstoc. com/docs/125391521/Appreciative-Inquiry ---Power. Point An Overview of Appreciative Inquiry in Evaluation, by Anne T. Coghlan, Hallie Preskill, Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas http: //blogs. ubc. ca/evaluation/files/2009/02/appreciative 20 inquiry. pdf

Questions?

EXTRA SLIDES

Problem-Solving vs. Appreciative Inquiry Problem Solving Appreciative Inquiry There is some ideal way for things to be The way things are socially constructed by our system and can be changed If a situation is not as we would like it to be, then it is a “problem” to be solved In any situation, we can find the seeds of excellence to build on The way to solve a problem is to break it into parts and analyze it We build excellence by seeking out examples and sharing stories of exceptional performance throughout our system If we find a broken part and fix it, the whole will be fixed As we create images of excellence, our system will move toward that image Assumes organizations are constellations of problems to be overcome (What to fix) Assumes organizations are sources of infinite capacity and imagination (What to grow) Organization has PROBLEMS. Organization has SOLUTIONS.

5 Principles 1. Constructionist principle: We co-create stories with our words about what happens and that creates our reality 2. Poetic principle: Organizations are like poetry – we can find whatever we want 3. Simultaneity principle: Change begins the moment we ask a question 4. Anticipatory principle: We create mental pictures of the future that influence what actually happens 5. Positive Principle: Focusing on the positive core creates upward spirals