What is Appreciative Inquiry?

A synthesis prepared by Susan Donnan, December 2005

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a fully affirmative and inquiry-based process for change and transformation developed by David Cooperrider and his colleagues at Case Western Reserve University from 1980-1986.

AI is based on the deceptively simple premise that human systems grow in the direction of what we repeatedly ask questions about and focus our attention on. It is the study and exploration of what gives life to human systems when they function at their best.

Instead of asking "What are the root causes of failure or defect?", we ask "What are our root causes of success?"  Evidences suggest that questions and dialogues about strengths, successes, values, hopes and dreams are themselves transformational.

The following is a comparison between the traditional Problem-Solving approach and the Appreciative Inquiry approach to change:

I. The Five Core Principles of Appreciative Inquiry

• The Constructionist Principle: Organisations are human constructions. What we believe to be true will affect the way we act and the way we approach change. Thus, the way we know is fateful.
• The Simultaneity Principle: Change begins the moment we ask questions. The very first questions asked set the stage for what is "found" and what is "discovered". This data becomes the stories out of which the future is conceived, discussed, and constructed.
• The Poetic Principle: Like a good poem, the organisation's past, present, and future are endless sources of learning, inspiration, and interpretation. We can choose what to inquire and learn from.
• The Anticipatory Principle: Our behaviour in the present is influenced by the future we anticipate. The more positive and hopeful the image of the future, the more positive the present-day action.
• The Positive Principle: The more positive the questions used to guide a change process, the more long lasting and effective the change.

II. The 5-D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry

The 5-D Cycle can be used to guide a conversation, a large group meeting, or a whole-system change effort. It can serve as a framework for personal development or coaching, partnership or alliance building, and large-scale community or organisation development. Whatever the purpose, the 5-D Cycle serves as the foundation on which change is built.

1. Definition: 

   During the Definition phase, we choose the topics of inquiry that become the organisation's agenda for learning and innovation. The questions ask must be affirmative and focused on topics valuable to the people involved and directed at topics, concerns, and issues central to the success of the organisation.

   The following are examples of how deficit issues can be reframed into affirmative topics:

   Deficit Issues	Affirmative Topics
   Customer dissatisfaction	Customer delight
   Debilitating bureaucracy	Inspiring democracy
   Sexual harassment	Exceptional cross-gender partnerships in the workplace
   Cross-functional conflict	Cooperation without boundary
   Low morale	High motivation
   High Turnover	Magnetic connection
   Grievance reduction	Enthusiastic engagement and positive energy
   Lost luggage	Exceptional customer arrival experience

2. Discovery:

   The Discovery phase is an extensive and collaborative search for "the best of what is" by focusing on times of organisational excellence. Discovery involves meaningful conversations among many or all members of an organisation including external stakeholders, "best in class" benchmark organisations, and members of the organisation's local community. A key result of this process is a rich description of the organisation's positive core - it's tangible and intangible strengths, capabilities, resources, and assets.

3. Dream:

   The Dream phase is an energising exploration of "what might be" by expanding on "the best of what is." It is a time for people to collectively explore their hopes and dreams for the kind of organisation and world they want to work and live in. The outputs of the Dream phase include creative images of the future and "macro" possibility statements.

4. Design:

   The Design phase is about co-constructing the "grounded" vision of the future created in the Dream phase. Design activities include detailed description of the social and technical infrastructures for the organisation that will bring the future alive. Key outputs of this phase are "micro" possibility statements that articulate the organisation's dream for each of the organisation's ongoing activities.

5. Destiny/Delivery:

   The Destiny phase focuses specifically on personal commitments, organisational commitments, and paths forward for innovating "what will be." The result of Destiny is generally an array of changes to the organisation's social and technical infrastructure in areas as diverse as management practices, HR processes, measurement and evaluation systems, customer service systems, work processes, structures, and technologies. At the end of the Destiny phase, many organisations begin the Appreciative Inquiry 5-D Cycle anew.

III. The Various Applications of Appreciative Inquiry

Since its inception in the early eighties, Appreciative Inquiry has been used successfully across the globe in both profit and non-profit settings for organisational and social changes of greater and greater scale.

The following are change agendas suited to Appreciative Inquiry:

IV. Acknowledgements

This article draws heavily on the existing body of knowledge on Appreciative Inquiry by David Cooperrider, Bernard Mohr, Diana Whitney, Jane Watkins, and others in the field.