Appreciative inquiry is an organisational change methodology developed by David Cooperrider. It offers an alternative approach to achieving organizational growth and development to the more prevalent problem solving methodologies. It is based in an understanding of organisations as socially constructed living human systems, suggesting that everything human is present in organisations including emotion. Within the Appreciative Inquiry approach problem identifiers and bringers are to be valued as they tell us things could be better, as, a problem is an expression of a frustrated dream This approach suggests that the phenomena of organisation is a miracle to be embraced, rather than a problem to be solved.
Organisations are seen as being made up of many voices, all of which have valid perspectives. When working with organisations the judgments to be made are not so much truth evaluations but moral judgments. Appreciative Inquiry is underpinned by a theoretical base of 5 key principles, and a methodology of 4 stages.
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Through interviews, surveys or other means creating and collecting embodied personal stories of the best of times in the context of the organisational area of interest
Imagining how life could be if more of the best of times happened more of the time: building a positive anticipatory image based on what is known to be possible (the discoveries)
Doing different things or things differently in a coherent and conjoint way, inspired by the work together, energised by the positive energy generated, co-ordinated by the shared aspirations
Situations when Appreciative Inquiry may be appropriate
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