The Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

The Power of
The Power of
Appreciative Inquiry
Bliss W. Browne
Bliss W. Browne
President
President
Imagine Chicago
Imagine Chicago
www.imaginechicago.org

Understanding
Understanding
 A major assumption of AI is that in every
A major assumption of AI is that in every
community something works. Change
community something works. Change
can be managed through the
can be managed through the
identification of what works, and focus
identification of what works, and focus
on how to build on it.
on how to build on it.
 Focusing on what works as opposed to
Focusing on what works as opposed to
what problems the community is having
what problems the community is having
differentiates AI from traditional
differentiates AI from traditional
problem solving approaches.
problem solving approaches.

Introduction to
Introduction to
 Inquiry into the “art of the possible”
Inquiry into the “art of the possible”
should begin with
should begin with appreciation
appreciation.
.
 The first task is to describe and explain
The first task is to describe and explain
those exceptional moments which give
those exceptional moments which give
energy and activate members’
energy and activate members’
competencies and energies.
competencies and energies.
Denise M.
Pizzulli:
Denise M.
Pizzulli:

Introduction to
Introduction to
 Inquiry into what’s possible should be
Inquiry into what’s possible should be
applicable
applicable.
.
 Study should lead to the creation of
Study should lead to the creation of
knowledge that can be used, applied, and
knowledge that can be used, applied, and
validated in action
validated in action

Introduction to
Introduction to
 Inquiry into what is possible should
Inquiry into what is possible should
be
be provocative
provocative.
.
An organization/community is capable of
An organization/community is capable of
becoming more than it is at any given
becoming more than it is at any given
moment, and learning how to determine
moment, and learning how to determine
its own future.
its own future.

Introduction to
Introduction to
 Inquiry into what’s possible should be
Inquiry into what’s possible should be
collaborative
collaborative.
.
 There is an inseparable relationship
There is an inseparable relationship
between the process of inquiry and
between the process of inquiry and
its content.
its content.

 Appreciative inquiry helps us to
Appreciative inquiry helps us to
understand
understand the “best of what is” in an
the “best of what is” in an
organization or social system; and
organization or social system; and
leads to
leads to imagining
imagining and
and creating
creating a
a
collectively envisioned,
collectively envisioned, grounded
grounded,
,
future.
future.

Inquiry
Inquiry
 Inquiry is our most important tool in
Inquiry is our most important tool in
creating positive change.
creating positive change.
 The seeds of change are implicit in
The seeds of change are implicit in
the questions we ask.
the questions we ask.
 The more positive the question, the
The more positive the question, the
longer-lasting the change
longer-lasting the change

Problem Solving vs. Appreciative Inquiry
"Felt Need" Appreciating
Identification of Problem The Best of "What is"
Analysis of Causes Imagining
What might be"
Analysis of Possible Solutions Shared Dialogue
"What we most want"
Action Planning Innovating
"What will be"
BASIC ASSUMPTION: BASIC ASSUMPTION:
LIFE IS A PROBLEM LIFE IS A MYSTERY
TO BE SOLVED TO BE EMBRACED
Note: From D. L. Cooperrider and Associates (1996).
A constructive approach to organization development and change.

Appreciative Inquiry Process
Appreciative Inquiry Process
 Focus on key Affirmative Topics – topic
Focus on key Affirmative Topics – topic
choice is a fateful act.
choice is a fateful act.
 Identify and Value the “Best of What Is”
Identify and Value the “Best of What Is”
using positive data collection techniques.
using positive data collection techniques.
 Articulate Provocative Propositions.
Articulate Provocative Propositions.
 Collectively imagine what can be, building
Collectively imagine what can be, building
on this trustworthy foundation
on this trustworthy foundation
 Innovate by creating the shared Vision.
Innovate by creating the shared Vision.

Six Aspects of Change and
Development of which to be Aware
 Knowledge of the community is
Knowledge of the community is
critical to determining its destiny.
critical to determining its destiny.
 The seeds of change are implicit in
The seeds of change are implicit in
the first questions we ask.
the first questions we ask.

 A critical resource we have for
A critical resource we have for
creating positive change in our
creating positive change in our
communities is our imagination and
communities is our imagination and
the capacity to free the imagination
the capacity to free the imagination
and the mind of groups.
and the mind of groups.

 Our imagination and mind are
Our imagination and mind are
constrained by bad habits, limited
constrained by bad habits, limited
styles of thinking, underlying
styles of thinking, underlying
assumptions and traditional rules of
assumptions and traditional rules of
organizing.
organizing.

 Our styles of thinking rarely match the
Our styles of thinking rarely match the
increasingly complex worlds in which
increasingly complex worlds in which
we work… We need to discover more
we work… We need to discover more
creative and fruitful ways of knowing.
creative and fruitful ways of knowing.

 All systems (organizations and
All systems (organizations and
communities), as living constructions,
communities), as living constructions,
are largely affirmative and respond to
are largely affirmative and respond to
positive thought and positive
positive thought and positive
knowledge.
knowledge.

Harnessing Imagination
Harnessing Imagination
 Appreciative Inquiry gathers
Appreciative Inquiry gathers
positive stories and images
positive stories and images
 Our minds are stretched by
Our minds are stretched by
hearing what is possible
hearing what is possible
 Positive images lead to positive
Positive images lead to positive
action
action

Positive Image
Positive Image
Positive Action
Positive Action
 Medical research on the placebo effect.
Medical research on the placebo effect.
 Medical research on the link between
Medical research on the link between
negative and positive effect on healing
negative and positive effect on healing
 Education: Pygmalion Effect
Education: Pygmalion Effect
 Sports Psychology on the power of
Sports Psychology on the power of
imagery of differential self-monitoring.
imagery of differential self-monitoring.
 Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence

Positive Image-Positive
Action
Action
 Change happens at the level of
Change happens at the level of
discourse.
discourse.
 The best clue to a system’s health is
The best clue to a system’s health is
to listen to how its members talk
to listen to how its members talk
about the future.
about the future.

Action
Action
 Our habitual styles of thought,
Our habitual styles of thought,
assumptions, and rules of analysis
assumptions, and rules of analysis
often have ironic consequences of
often have ironic consequences of
exacerbating the very problems we
exacerbating the very problems we
have so carefully diagnosed.
have so carefully diagnosed.
 Energy flows where attention goes.
Energy flows where attention goes.

How can we engage new
How can we engage new
constituencies and build
constituencies and build
community participation?
community participation?
 Recognize what community values
Recognize what community values
 Connect people and opportunities
Connect people and opportunities
 Leverage existing community networks,
Leverage existing community networks,
especially organizations which cross
especially organizations which cross
boundaries (like faith communities,
boundaries (like faith communities,
businesses, schools, hospitals)
businesses, schools, hospitals)

Imagine Chicago
Imagine Chicago
 Track record of building hope and civic
Track record of building hope and civic
investment on six continents
investment on six continents
 Develops uncommon connections that
Develops uncommon connections that
expand what’s possible
expand what’s possible
– across generations
across generations
– across cultures
across cultures
– across sectors
across sectors
– across divisions of geography and economics
across divisions of geography and economics

IMAGINE CHICAGO
IMAGINE CHICAGO
 Designs projects that build capacity
Designs projects that build capacity
– of the individual participant
of the individual participant
– of their organization
of their organization
– of the community
of the community
Makes resources available on-line:
Makes resources available on-line:

Imagine Chicago’s (NGO )
Imagine Chicago’s (NGO )
role
role
 Strategic design partner
Strategic design partner
 Community development model
Community development model
resource
resource
 Trainer
Trainer
 Facilitator
Facilitator

Host organization role
Host organization role
 Determine focus and scope of
Determine focus and scope of
community building pilot
community building pilot
 Select design team
Select design team
 Design and implement project
Design and implement project
 Hold community summit
Hold community summit
 Document project and share findings
Document project and share findings

Next steps:
Next steps:
Designing what can be
Designing what can be
Why:
Why: Key reasons to do the work
Key reasons to do the work
and use
and use this approach?
this approach?
Who:
Who: Targeted collaborators? Staff
Targeted collaborators? Staff
resources? Leadership team?
resources? Leadership team?
What:
What: Core focus/products and
Core focus/products and
outcome goals?
outcome goals?
When:
When: Project/course timetable?
Project/course timetable?
How:
How: Which target community?
Which target community?

Creating what will be
Creating what will be
 This course will give you tools and
This course will give you tools and
practice in AI
practice in AI
 You will provide leadership to help
You will provide leadership to help
develop this community of practice in
develop this community of practice in
Chicago
Chicago
 Everyone will design and implement an
Everyone will design and implement an
AI protocol during the course, working
AI protocol during the course, working
alone or in teams with others
alone or in teams with others
 Implementation must be completed
Implementation must be completed
and written up as a case study by
and written up as a case study by
Dec.15
Dec.15

The Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

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