Difference between revisions of "Appreciative Inquiry (AI)"

Revision as of 23:13, 19 February 2009

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY (AI)

An organizational development process or philosophy that engages individuals within an organizational system in its renewal, change and focused performance. Its assumption is simple: every organization has something that works right – things that give it life when it is most alive, effective, successful, and connected in healthy ways to its stakeholders and communities. The basic idea is to build organizations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't.

The Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology was developed by Dr. David Cooperrider from a study in Organizational Behaviour at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (U.S.A) in the middle of the 1980s. Primarily used to help corporation and institutions to improve their competitive advantage or organizational effectiveness, the AI is been recently applied in strategic planning for public policies, including a number of sustainable development projects. Within the UN system the AI was employed when the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan convened the Global Compact Leaders Summit at the UN Headquarters in June 2004. In the event over 500 CEO leaders from around the world gathered to explore the global struggle for corporate responsibility using AI’s cyclic process.

The unique feature of the AI approach is its commitment to seeking and drawing upon the root causes of success rather than those contributing to failure. The objective is to find and emphasize the positive successes and strengths as a means to empower communities, groups and organizations, to plan and manage development and conservation. AI promotes the search for the best in things, for what "gives life" to a system when it is at its most effective and capable state, in economic, social, environmental and human terms.

AI provides an environment for the development of stimulating creative dialogues amongst stakeholders from cross-sectoral areas. It gathers group thoughts, creating a shared vision with the power to mobilize society through individual communication and relationships. It is a method that allows for collective construction and for boosting actions toward a common ideal. Thus, it favors genuine participation and a strong feeling of ownership towards a common and shared vision.

AI is a process of learning and action intended for discovering, understanding, and fostering innovations and transformations in human social system. It does not depend on a standard training manual. It is flexible and innovative and can be used to approach any issue in any group of stakeholders or community. The entire process remains grounded in the actual experiences of individuals. AI motivates the community for interactive participation and self-mobilization.

The appreciative inquiry allows for a change in attitude and thinking of certain firmly rooted stereotypes. When guiding people to evaluate the existing competences and success histories it stimulates dialogue, creating a unique opportunity to identify new possibilities for the use of the available resources. AI offers a collaborative, strength-based approach to strategic change and transformation.

AI begins by identifying what is positive and connecting to it in ways that heighten energy and vision for change. AI recognizes that every organization is an open system that depends on its human capital to bring its vision and purpose to life.The outcome of an AI initiative is a long-term positive change in the organization. AI encourages people to work together to promote a better understanding of the human system, the heartbeat of the organization. ^[1] . It is the opposite of problem solving. Instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, design and destiny (4-D circle). ^[2]

Problem solving versus Appreciative Inquiry

Problem solving	Appreciative Inquiry and the 4-stage process
Identify Problem	Appreciate "What is" (what gives life?), identify "What works well?": DISCOVER
Conduct Root Cause Analysis	Imagine "What might be?", Envision results: DREAM
Brainstorm Solutions & Analyse	Determine "What should be -- the ideal?", Co-construct :DESIGN
Develop Actions Plans	Determine "What will be?" "How to empower, learn, and adjust/improvise?", Sustain: DESTINY

Web Resources

Below you have a list of selected websites where you can find some set of tools, practical methodologies, and actual stories from the field:

Link	Content
www.unitar.org	An example in application: The government of Cape Verde has called upon UNITAR to design a national capacity development strategy for its public administration in order to meet the challenges of Cape Verde’s insertion in the global economy.
www.iisd.org	Using appreciative inquiry to design and deliver environmental, gender equity and private sector development projects in Southern India.
www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu	A series of case studies where AI was used.
www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu	The best pick of AI tools such as articles, workshop slides, books.
www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu	Practice Tools: Positive Questions and Interview Guides.
www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu	AI in the Non-profit and NGO Sector: cases study, tools, books and websites.

References

↑ www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu (26 January 2009)
↑ www.new-paradigm.co.uk (26 January 2009)

[1] www.appreciativeinquiry.case.edu (26 January 2009)

[2] www.new-paradigm.co.uk (26 January 2009)

[1]

[2]

Navigation

Search

Toolbox

LANGUAGES

Difference between revisions of "Appreciative Inquiry (AI)"

From Learning and training wiki

Revision as of 23:13, 19 February 2009

Problem solving versus Appreciative Inquiry

References

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Term|APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY (AI)|An [[Organizational Development (OD)|organizational development]] process or philosophy that engages individuals within an organizational system in its renewal, change and focused performance. Its assumption is simple: every organization has something that works right – things that give it life when it is most alive, effective, successful, and connected in healthy ways to its  [[Stakeholder|stakeholders]] and communities. The basic idea is to build organizations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't.
+The Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology was developed by Dr. David Cooperrider from a study in Organizational Behaviour at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (U.S.A) in the middle of the 1980s. Primarily used to help corporation and institutions to improve their competitive advantage or organizational effectiveness, the AI is been recently applied in strategic planning for public policies, including a number of sustainable development projects. Within the UN system the AI was employed when the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan convened the Global Compact Leaders Summit at the UN Headquarters in June 2004. In the event over 500 CEO leaders from around the world gathered to explore the global struggle for corporate responsibility using AI’s cyclic process.
+The unique feature of the AI approach is its commitment to seeking and drawing upon the root causes of success rather than those contributing to failure. The objective is to find and emphasize the positive successes and strengths as a means to empower communities, groups and organizations, to plan and manage development and conservation. AI promotes the search for the best in things, for what "gives life" to a system when it is at its most effective and capable state, in economic, social, environmental and human terms.
+AI provides an environment for the development of stimulating creative dialogues amongst stakeholders from cross-sectoral areas. It gathers group thoughts, creating a shared vision with the power to mobilize society through individual communication and relationships.  It is a method that allows for collective construction and for boosting actions toward a common ideal. Thus, it favors genuine participation and a strong feeling of ownership towards a common and shared vision.
+AI is a process of learning and action intended for discovering, understanding, and fostering innovations and transformations in human social system. It does not depend on a standard training manual. It is flexible and innovative and can be used to approach any issue in any group of stakeholders or community. The entire process remains grounded in the actual experiences of individuals. AI motivates the community for interactive participation and self-mobilization.
+The appreciative inquiry allows for a change in attitude and thinking of certain firmly rooted stereotypes. When guiding people to evaluate the existing competences and success histories it stimulates dialogue, creating a unique opportunity to identify new possibilities for the use of the available resources.  AI offers a collaborative, strength-based approach to strategic change and transformation.
 AI begins by identifying what is positive and connecting to it in ways that heighten energy and vision for change. AI recognizes that every organization is an open system that depends on its human capital to bring its vision and purpose to life.The outcome of an AI initiative is a long-term positive change in the organization. AI encourages people to work together to promote a better understanding of the human system, the heartbeat of the organization.