Appreciative Inquiry (sometimes shortened to "AI") is primarily an organisational development method which seeks to engage all levels of an organisation (and often its customers and suppliers) to renew, change and improve performance. Its exponents view it as being applicable to organisations facing rapid change or growth.[1] David Cooperrider is generally credited with coining the term 'Appreciative Inquiry'.
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The Appreciative Inquiry model is based on the assumption that the questions we ask will tend to focus our attention in a particular direction. Some other methods of assessing and evaluating a situation and then proposing solutions are based on a deficiency model. Some other methods ask questions such as “What are the problems?”, “What’s wrong?” or “What needs to be fixed?”.
Instead of asking “What’s the problem?”, some other methods couch the question in terms of challenges, which AI argues maintains a basis of deficiency, the thinking behind the questions assuming that there is something wrong, or that something needs to be fixed or solved.[2]
Appreciative Inquiry takes an alternative approach. As a self defined "asset-based approach" it starts with the belief that every organisation, and every person in that organisation, has positive aspects that can be built upon. It asks questions like “What’s working well?”, “What’s good about what you are currently doing?”[3]
Some researchers believe that excessive focus on dysfunctions can actually cause them to become worse or fail to become better[4]. By contrast, AI argues, when all members of an organisation are motivated to understand and value the most favourable features of its culture, it can make rapid improvements.[5]
Strength-based methods are used in the creation of organisational development strategy and implementation of organisational effectiveness tactics.[6] The appreciative mode of inquiry often relies on interviews to qualitatively understand the organisation's potential strengths by looking at an organisation's experience and its potential; the objective is to elucidate the assets and personal motivations that are its strengths.
The following table illustrates how AI supporters describe some of the distinctions between Appreciative Inquiry and approaches to organisational development not based on what they call positive potential[7]:
| Problem Solving | Appreciative inquiry |
|---|---|
| Felt need, identification of problem(s) | Appreciating, valuing the Best of What Is |
| Analysis of Causes | Envisioning what might be |
| Analysis of possible solutions | Engaging in dialogue about what should be |
| Action Planning (treatment) | Innovating, what will be |
Appreciative Inquiry attempts to use ways of asking questions and envisioning the future in-order to foster positive relationships and build on the present potential of a given person, organisation or situation. Applied research has demonstrated that this method can enhance an organisation's internal capacity for collaboration and change.[8] Appreciative Inquiry utilises a cycle of 4 processes, which focuses on what it calls:
The basic idea is then to build - or rebuild - organisations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't. AI practitioners endeavour to be convey this approach as the opposite of problem-solving, with a positive focus on how to increase exceptional performance instead of reactive remediation of skills and practices. AI assumes that this line of reasoning is motivational because organisational development work does not stop when a particular problem is solved but leads to continuous improvement. The method draws from stories of success in an attempt to create meaning.
There are a variety of approaches to implementing Appreciative Inquiry, including mass-mobilised interviews and a large, diverse gathering called an Appreciative Inquiry Summit[10]. Both approaches involve bringing large, diverse groups of people together to study and build upon the best in an organisation or community.
The basic philosophy of AI is also found in other positively oriented approaches to individual change as well as organisational change. The principles behind A.I. are based in the science of Positive Psychology. The idea of building on strength, rather than just focusing on faults and weakness is used in mentoring programs, and in coaching dynamics. It is the basic idea behind teaching "micro-affirmations" as well as teaching about micro-inequities. (See Microinequity[11])
AI has been used as an OD and management consultancy tool to identify scope for change and create momentum towards this in businesses, health care bodies, social non-profit organisations, educational institutions, and government operations[12]. Although originating in the United States, it has also attracted interest in the United Kingdom, for instance recognisably one of the stimuli for the approach used by the public health National Support Teams.