Appreciative inquiry is an organizational 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 organizations as socially constructed living human systems, suggesting that everything human is present in organizations including emotions. 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 organization is a miracle to be embraced, rather than a problem to be solved.

The Four Stages of Appreciative Inquiry

DISCOVERY (or Explore) : The identification of organizational processes that work well, using interviews, surveys or other means.

DREAMING (or Envision): Seeing processes that would work well in the future (brainstorm). Imagining how life could be if more of the best of times happened most of the time: building a positive anticipatory image based on what is known to be possible (the discoveries).

DESIGN (or Plan): Creating an outline and prioritizing processes that would work well. Thinking back from the future to how we need to be organized, what we need to be doing now to increase the possibility of attractive futures unfolding.

DESTINY (or Delivery): The implementation (execution) of the proposed design. Doing different things or doing things differently.

When Appreciative Inquiry May Be Appropriate

Large-scale organizational change.
Team development or building events.
Stuck or hopeless situations.
Strategy development.
Coaching.

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