Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry is a form of action research that collects people’s stories of best practices. We can use these best practices as a way to initiate organisational change.

This course will guide attendees through the process of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and give them the techniques to succeed in using the AI system. This course will benefit anyone that leads change and wants to create positive dialogue that leads to improvements within their organisation.

David Cooperrider, Suresh Srivastva, and their colleagues at Case Western Reserve University developed AI in the 1980s. According to them, the aim of Appreciative Inquiry is to help the organisation in:

• Envisioning a collectively desired future
• Realising that vision in ways that successfully translate intention into reality and beliefs into practices

The AI approach can be applied in almost all groups of people and once the process starts, the change is put in motion. The appreciative approach works in individual conversations among colleagues, managers and employees.

AI consultants around the world are increasingly using an appreciative approach to bring about collaborative and strengths-based change.

This course will provide attendees with the means to effectively develop the skills of managers for the benefit of their organisation. They will be taken through the full process of appreciative inquiry; developing a wide understanding of the tools and techniques required to effectively improve communication and affect change.

What can Appreciative Inquiry achieve?

Well, just imagine you were better able to:

• Solve problems within an organisation in a positive and forward-thinking way.
• Be more curious and excited about the challenges faced within the business.
• Ask unconditional, positive questions to strengthen the organisations capacity to increase potential.
• Approach change in an affirmative mindset.
• Use questions to create movement and change within the company.
• Simply apply core communication skills, for overall organisational success

Topics covered:

• What is Appreciative Inquiry? – A review of the subject with an activity that helps embed understanding and a case study that explains the process in action.
• Benefits of Appreciative Inquiry to the Organisation – Establishing how AI can aid and improve the way an organisation works and how people communicate within it. Exploring how specific organisational issues can be viewed positively.
• Appreciative Inquiry Questions – Understanding how questions can be used to identify positive organisational improvements and refocus our approach to business issues.
• Appreciative Inquiry Interviews – A set process for performing AI interviews and framing consultations to get the best out of those involved. A chance to practice the given approach and hone personal skills.
• The 4D Model – An overview of the AI 4D Model (Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny) and how it is applied.
• The 4D Model: Topic – Demonstrating how selecting the topic is the beginning of the 4D model process. Choosing the participant's own topic to work on throughout the training.
• The 4D Model: Discovery – Showing how positive discussions are kick-started at this stage and taking a chance to look at, ‘the best there is and what has been’.
• The 4D Model: Dream – ‘Thinking big and beyond what they have in the past’. Creating an amazing and positive vision for the future.
• The 4D Model: Design – Laying the foundation with a design of the vision, principles, and set of propositions that describe the ideal end state. Defining the desired state by creating a hierarchy and blueprint for success.
• The 4D Model: Destiny – Defining clear actions that will help the organisation and individuals achieve what they have set out to. The output is the self-reinforcing nature of using positive and affirmative inquiry to improve the business.
• The 4D Model: Summary Task – Review of learning and knowledge check.
• The Change Process – Exploring Dr. Kotter’s 8-step change process and how it can support the AI approach.
• Rooms of Change – Understanding feelings and attitudes to change, using this interesting and memorable model. Using an activity to help participants consider their own ‘change position’ and what this might mean for them.
• Strategies for Managing Change – A simple set of skills to help overcome the challenges faced by people trying to implement change. Applying these strategies to the 4D Model and Appreciative Inquiry.
• Recall Quiz – A chance to review learning in an engaging way.
• Summary – Developing actions and key points to take away.

Managers who want to learn about and practice the Appreciative Inquiry approach to drive positive changes.

None.