Appreciative Inquiry is a philosophy and process for organizational change that focuses on what is working well rather than trying to fix problems. It involves discovering an organization's strengths through appreciating past successes, envisioning potential positive futures, and designing ways to achieve this vision. The key aspects of Appreciative Inquiry include its 4 D cycle of Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny and using positive, open-ended questions to identify what employees value most in their work. Appreciative Inquiry aims to build on an organization's strengths and potential through collaborative processes that energize employees and create positive change.

2. Appreciative Inquiry
A Philosophy For Organisational Change
Leadership in professional learning communities

3. "The deepest principle of human nature is
to be appreciated.”
William James
Psychologist, Philosopher, Author
Francis McGuigan
Vice Principal / IB Coordinator
Rome International School
fmcguigan@romeinternationalschool.it

5. Who are we?
• Where are we from? Which IB regions?
• What languages do we speak?
• Who do we represent? School populations.
• Why are we here? Aims and objectives.

6. What are we capable of?

8. Workshop Purpose
To introduce the philosophy, practice and
process of Appreciative Inquiry so that you can
apply it to your work and to your life.

9. “when you make a
choice, you change
the future”
Deepak Chopra (1994)

10. What is Appreciative Inquiry?
A process, philosophy, and life practice grounded
in research demonstrating that focusing on
what’s working and aspirations for the future
achieves more and does it faster and more
sustainably than solving problems.

11. AI:
• The concept of Appreciative Inquiry was
introduced in the 1980’s by David
Cooperrider. His wife, Nancy added the
concept of the Appreciative Eye, which has
the assumption that there is beauty in
everything.

12. Appreciation
• Means to recognise and value the
contributions or attributes of things and
people around us.

13. Inquiry
• Means to explore and discover, in the spirit of
seeking to better understand and being open
to new possibilities.

14. Defining AI:
• A philosophy for organisational change.
• It works when organisations look at what
is/has worked well.
• Differs from ‘traditional’ approach of problem-
solving
• Focus is not on what is wrong but what is
right or what has been right in the past.

15. What is Appreciative INQUIRY (AI)
• Unlocks innovation and creativity
• A more effective change management model
• Studying low moral will not achieve high
productivity

16. Perception
Vision
Action
Results

17. How much time do you spend
in meetings talking about
what doesn’t work?

18. Difference between AI and
problem-solving:
• Traditional problem
solving:
1. Identify the problem
2. Conduct an analysis
of the causes
3. Analyse possible
solutions
4. Plan some action or
treatment
• Appreciative Inquiry:
1. Appreciate the best of
what is
2. Envision what might be
3. Dialogue about what
should be
4. Innovate and create
what will be
(Hammond, 1998)

19. PROBLEM SOLVING
ORIENTATION
Fill the Gap
APPRECIATIVE
ORIENTATION
Realize the Possibilities
CURRENT
STATE
THE QUESTIONS
What’s wrong?
How do we fix it?
PAST FUTURE
THE QUESTIONS
What’s working?
What’s possible?
What shall we do to achieve it?

20. Consider
• What’s going right in your organisation?
• How can you leverage that today?
• Are your employees motivated and operating
at their full potential?
• How would your organisation benefit from an
optimised employee mindset?

21. AI solves problems
• By looking at what’s right

22. AI Questions
1. Describe a peak experience or "high point" in your work
with your organisation. What was happening? Who was
involved? What made it such a powerful experience?
2. What core factors give life to your organisation?
3. Imagine a miracle happened. You were asleep for ten
years and wake up to find your organisation is exactly as
you'd like it to be. What's happening that's different? How
would you know it is what you want?

23. AI and organisations:
Encourages organisations to do more of what
works rather than just doing less of what does
not work.

24. Ai:
Success
(High
Point)
Workshop/
dialogue
Recognise
the
positive
Positive
Energy

25. AI GOALS:
• “deliberately seeks to discover people’s
exceptionality – their unique gifts, strengths, and
qualities. It actively searches and recognises
people for their specialties – their essential
contributions and achievements.
• Its goal is to create organisations that are in full
voice!”
Cooperrider, D.L. et. al. (Eds) , Lessons from the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry, Thin Book Publishing, 2001, p.12..

26. Processes of Change Management
• Positive core
• 5 principles
• 4-D cycle
• AI summit

27. Positive Core
•Strengths
•Peak experiences
•Best practices
•Successes
•Key learning

28. 5 Principles
• Constructionist principle
• Simultaneity principle
• Poetic principle
• Anticipatory principle
• Positive principle

29. The Four “D” Process
Discovery
“What gives life?”
(the best of what is)
APPRECIATING
Deliver / Destiny
“How to empower,
learn and
adjust/improvise?”
SUSTAINING
Dream
“What might be?”
(what is the world calling for)
ENVISIONING IMPACT
Design
“What should be--the
ideal?” CO-
CONSTRUCTING
Affirmative
Topic Choice
Cooperrider, David and Diana Whitney,
“Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in
Change”, The Change Handbook, Holman, Peggy and
Tom Devane, eds., Berrett-Koehler, 1999.

30. AI Summit
•Involves entire organisation
•2-4 days
•Building the ideal future of the
organisation.

31. In a nutshell…
Appreciating and valuing
the best of “what is”
Envisioning “what might
be”
Dialoguing “what should
be”
Innovating “what will be”

32. Why Does The AI Process Work?
THE APPROACH IS RELATIONAL
Involves ’being’ authentic handling the essence
of another human being – being and doing
THE APPROACH IS GROUNDED
Works from experiences of what is working

33. Topic – team building: how to get
more achieved at meetings
Describe a time when the team performed really well. What were
the circumstances during that time?
Describe a time when you were proud to be a member of the
team. Why were you proud?
What do you value most about being a member of this team?
Why?

34. Assumptions of AI:
• In every organisation something works.
• What we focus on becomes our reality.
• Reality is created in the moment and there are
multiple realities.
• Asking questions influences an organisation.
• People have more confidence in the journey to
the future (the unknown) when they carry
forward the past (the known).
• We should carry the best of the past forward.
• Important to value differences.
• Our language creates our reality.

35. When to use /what it can deliver:
• a situation requiring collective will to address
• to work on something of mutual interest
• to build a vision of the future
• to improve working relationships

36. When not to use:
• When one person is clear about a desired
outcome.
• When there is no interest in involving others
in a creative way or when their opinions are
not valued.
• When there is no interest in sharing
responsibility or decision-making.

37. Strengths
• People speak from their own experience
• Community involvement
• Easy to include the people who normally don't
take part;
• It builds on what has worked in the past
• Creates a strong vision
• Partnership working.
• Uses a set of principles to apply to other
decision-making methods

38. “Be the change you wish
to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

39. ReferencesBaker, W., Cross, R., & Wooten, M. (2003). Positive organisational networks analysis and energising relationships. In K. S. Cameron, J.E. Dutton, &
R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive Organisational Scholarship (pp.328-3420. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Bushe, G.R. (1995) Advances in appreciative inquiry as an organisation development intervention. Organisation Development Journal, 13, 14-22.
Bushe, G.R. & Pitman, T. (1991) Appreciative process: A method for transformational change, OD Practitioner, 23:3, 1-4.
Cooperrider, David, L. (1990) Positive image, positive action; The affirmation basis of organising. In S.Srivastva & D.L. Cooperrider (eds.),
Appreciative Management and Leadership (91-125). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Cooperrider, David, L., Whitney, Diana,. And Stavros, Jacqueline, M. (2000) Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, Premium (2nd Ed.), Brunswick, Crown
Custom Publishing.
Cooperrider, D.L. et. Al (Eds), (2001) Lessons from the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry, Century, Thin Book Publishing.
Fredrickson, B.L. (2001) The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American
Psychologist, 56, 218-226.
Fredrick, B.L. & Losada, M. (2005) Positive Affect and the Complex Dynamics of Human Flourishing. American Behavioural Scientist,60,678-686.
Hammond, SA (1998) The thin book of Appreciative Inquiry. Plano, TX: Thin Book Publishing Company
http://www.appreciativeinquiry.net.au/
Isen, A.M. (2000) Positive affect and decision –making. In M. Lewis & J.M. Haviland-Jones (Eds) Handbook of Emotions (417-435).NY: Guildford.
International Society for Performance Improvement, 2012, Maryland, USA, viewed Sept 2012, <http://www.ispi.org/>
Kotter, J.P. & Heskett, J.L. (1992) Corporate Culture and Performance, NY: Free Press
Martinetz, Charles. Appreciative inquiry as an organizational development tool” September 2002, International Society for Performance Review,
viewed Sept 2012, <http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/AI%20as%20OD%20Tool-Martinetz.pdf>
Ogbonna, E. (1993). Managing organisational culture: Fantasy or reality?. Human Resource Management Journal, 3, 42-54.

40. fmcguigan@romeinternationalschool.it