Nov 30 2007
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is rooted in positive psychology and organizational development, and is the study of what gives life to relationships when they are at their best. Appreciation involves affirming past and present strengths and perceiving those things that give relationships health, vitality, and connection. To inquire is to ask questions, to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities.
AI is the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten human potential. Rather then telling it like it is, AI seeks to tell it as it could be, grounded in the belief that individuals, organizations, and systems move in the direction of the questions they ask.
A great link to Appreciative Inquiry Commons which is a vitual share ware for AI applications:
http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/
A more complete description of AI from David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney.
2 Responses to “Appreciative Inquiry”
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One of the reasons I’m so excited about including Appreciative Inquiry on this site is the fact that, in working with groups, I often find that getting them to focus on what’s good about the organization, program, project, etc., is a powerful way to engage them and to motivate them to move forward. Absent this approach, groups tend to get mired in focusing on only what’s broken or what’s wrong.
You might check out this site (Babel Fish) for other approaches for group discussions:
So why is it that focusing on the good is so challenging? AI would posit that the language used in organizational development is deficit based. The emphasis in AI is on what works, using dialogue to identify past strengths and assets. From this perspective the conversations that emerge are not rooted in problems but rather focused on the possibility of what could be. The very act of asking the question is understood as a powerful intervention.