What is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a philosophy and approach to
transformation which offers an alternative to the more traditional
approaches to change. Normally we ask, "What are the problems
here? When have I encountered these challenges before and how can I
analyze the situation to solve these problems?"
Appreciative Inquiry invites all participants to set aside this
deficit discourse that permeates our society. Appreciative Inquiry
asks us what is life giving and helps us to turn to a positive discourse
that takes the best of the past and moves that into the present.
How to Use Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry generally takes the form of a series of
questions that guide a one-on-one interview. The interview starts with
the request for a personal story from the person being interviewed,
"Tell me about a time when ..." or "Tell me about a
peak experience." It seeks to elicit a highlight experience that
is relevant to the focus of the present situation. It asks the person
being interviewed to consider how their own values contributed to
their appreciation of the moment they described; it may ask about the
values of the organization or system of which they are a part. It
invites the person being interviewed to imagine the world, as they
would like it to be -- especially as it relates to the subject at
hand.
Initially two people interview one another. Then those two share
the results of their interview with a small group. Eventually the
process involves a whole room. Appreciative Inquiry has been used with
great success for organizations as well as at workshops and conferences.
What you will experience with Images and Voices of Hope is just a
sample of Appreciative Inquiry. At its most elaborate it offers a
thorough approach over time to shifting the thinking and the discourse
of an organization towards a positive consideration of the future and
a focus on possibilities.
Media that
Moves Us -- 2002 Summit Meeting Appreciative Inquiry Questions
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