Appreciative inquiry is a strengths-based approach to organizational change management that involves discovering an organization's positive core, envisioning desired future states, and designing and implementing changes to move in a positive direction. Some key principles of appreciative inquiry include focusing on an organization's strengths rather than weaknesses, using positive language and storytelling to inspire change, and engaging all stakeholders in the process. The core processes involve discovering an organization's strengths and positive attributes, dreaming of a desired future state, designing plans to achieve that vision, and implementing changes to ensure continued progress toward the envisioned future. Appreciative inquiry utilizes positive, open-ended questions focused on strengths, successes, values and hopes rather than problems or weaknesses.

1. Appreciative
inquiry coaching
Coaching training
Balance

2. AI defined: “Appreciative”
• Valuing
• The act of recognising 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
• To increase in value – for example, the economy
has appreciated in value
• Synonyms: value, prize, esteem, and honour

3. AI defined: “Inquire”
• The act of exploration and discovery
• To ask questions
• To be open to seeing new potentials and
possibilities
• Synonyms: discover, search, systematically
explore, and study

4. Core principles of AI
Constructionist
• Words create worlds
• Reality is constructed through language
Simultaneity
• Whatever we focus on, grows
• Focus on success we create more success
• Focus on problems we create more problems

5. Core principles of AI
Anticipatory
• Change begins the moment we ask questions
• Inquiry is intervention
• All questions are leading questions
Poetic
• Image inspires action
• Human systems move towards images of their
future
• Positive images create positive futures

6. Core principles of AI
Positive
• The Positive Core consists of strengths,
achievements, unexplored potentials, and
assets
• Building strengths is more effective than
correcting weaknesses

7. Emergent principles of AI
Wholeness
• Wholeness brings out the best
• We are part of a bigger ‘whole’ or an inter-
connected web of relationships
Enactment
• Just try it
• We must ‘be the change we want to see’
• Just try a new behaviour that aligns with what
you want, and build from there

8. Emergent principles of AI
Free Choice
• Free choice liberates power
• When free to choose people are more
committed to perform
• Free choice stimulates excellence and positive
change
Awareness
• Social and self-awareness
• Reflection on ‘automatic thinking’ is important

9. Emergent principles of AI
Narrative
• We construct stories about our lives
• Stories are transformative
• We can change our stories to help bring us more
of what we want

10. 5 Core processes of AI
1. Choose the positive as the focus of inquiry
2. Inquire into stories of life-giving forces
3. Locate themes that appear in the stories and
select topics for further inquiry
4. Create shared images for a desired future
5. Find innovative ways to create that future

11. 4 Key processes of AI
1. Discover…
• Mobilising the whole system by engaging all
parts of the system in telling the story of the
system’s strengths and potential
• Identify the best of what has been (past) or what
is (current)
• This part of the process focusses on the past
and present…

12. 4 Key processes of AI
2. Dream…
• Create a clear, results-oriented vision
• Define as well as possible the desired state
• A question might be, ‘what is God calling us to
become?’
• Focusses on the future, desired state or what is
possible…

13. 4 Key processes of AI
3. Design…
• Create possibilities or scenario’s of how one
would travel from ‘here’ to ‘there’
• Focus on potential that can help us become or
journey meaningfully forward
• Focusses on the path from the current to the
future, from the ‘Discovered’ to the ‘Dreamt’…

14. 4 Key processes of AI
4. Destiny…
• Strengthening and encouraging the achievement
to travel from ‘here’ to ‘there’
• Assisting in the building of momentum and
releasing of potential
• Focusses on on-going positive change
• Focusses on keeping the motivation and energy
that takes us from the ‘Discovered’ to the
‘Dreamt’…

15. Problem solving
questions
Appreciative questions
• What is the problem?
• What is wrong?
• What worries you?
• What do you need help
with?
• What’s bothering you?
• What’s not working?
• What caused this?
• What gives you energy?
• What do you value?
• What do you want more of?
• What worked well in the
past?
• What’s working well?
• What attracted you to it?
• How must it be in future?
Questions (inquiry)