So, what exactly is Appreciative Inquiry (AI), and why does it create such magic in group settings? At its core, Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths-focused, collaborative approach to change. Unlike traditional problem-solving that centers on what’s wrong, AI emphasizes identifying “what’s right” – the best of what an organization or community has to offer – and using that as the foundation for growth, (investopedia.cominvestopedia.com).
In practice, this means shifting from a deficit-based mindset to a positive, generative one. As David Cooperrider and Ron Fry (the co-creators of AI) teach, organizations move in the direction of the questions they ask. If we constantly ask “What’s the problem and who’s to blame?”, we get a lot of problems. But if we ask “What’s working well and how can we build on it?”, we uncover hidden strengths, boost innovation, and rally people around exciting possibilities.
The 5I Process: One popular framework for applying Appreciative Inquiry is the 5I process, which outlines the phases of an AI-driven change process. xchange’s summit introduced us to the “5I” version. Here’s a brief overview of each stage:
· Initiate – Define the purpose and set a positive intent for the inquiry. In this kickoff phase, everyone clarifies “What do we want to focus on and achieve together?” It’s about selecting the affirmative topic that will guide the summit tech.asu.edu.
· Inquire – Discover the best of “what is.” Participants engage in interviews and storytelling to surface success stories, strengths, and high-point experiences. This stage gives everyone a voice to share what’s working and what they value tech.asu.edu.
· Imagine – Envision bold possibilities and dreams for the future. Building on the discoveries, the group imagines what the organization or project could become at its very best. This creative stage is often energizing, as people collectively dream big tech.asu.edu.
· Innovate – Co-design practical innovations and ideas to realize the shared dreams. Here, the focus is on brainstorming and designing solutions, initiatives, or prototypes. Because these ideas are grounded in the group’s strengths and aspirations, there’s a sense of excited ownership in designing the path forward tech.asu.edu.
· Implement – Make it happen. The final stage (sometimes called Implement or Integrate, akin to the Destiny/Delivery phase in 5D) is about committing to action. The group develops action plans, identifies resources, and agrees on responsibilities to bring the innovations to life tech.asu.edu.
Throughout this 5I process, certain core principles of Appreciative Inquiry were constantly reinforced at the summit. One key principle is inclusive participation: giving everyone a voice and valuing everyone’s uniqueness. In our sessions, no one or two people dominated the conversation – we used formats like round-robin sharing and small group interviews to ensure each person’s perspectives were heard and respected. This reflects AI’s belief that people support what they help create, and that the best solutions come when we tap into the wisdom of the whole system.
Research on AI backs this up: the approach “encourages open discussion, creates opportunities for individuals to share their vision, and supports an environment where individuals feel heard and their contributions are valued,” (investopedia.com) In other words, everyone gets to contribute something essential, and that sense of being truly included unleashes positive energy.
Another principle we experienced is often called the “positive core” of an organization – the idea that every person and group has strengths and successes that, when illuminated, become the building blocks of innovation. At the summit, this meant we spent a lot of time asking things like, “When have we seen learning really come alive in a group? What was happening at that moment?” By sharing these stories, we weren’t ignoring challenges; rather, we were uncovering the keys to excellence that already existed among us. As one author puts it, AI discovers the “untapped positive potential” of a system, (investopedia.com). We saw scientifically how “connecting to shared strengths” helped us see new possibilities immediately…a far cry from the usual drain that comes from focusing on problems.
We were also fortunate to learn from Dr. Ron Fry, one of AI’s pioneers, who joined us during the certification. Ron shared powerful insights that still resonate with me:
· The Power of Storytelling: Ron cannot emphasize enough how storytelling is at the heart of AI. He recounted an example of his own family dinner table, showing how stories can break down barriers and inspire change. When people tell authentic success stories, it “suspends criticism” and allows every person to have a voice in the process, (taosinstitute.net). “The power of stories to connect people – no matter how different or unfamiliar – I see that over and over,” Ron told us, “Start with stories, never start with a list of problems or a dry survey question.” This was a great reminder for any facilitator: if you want engagement, begin by inviting people to share real experiences rather than abstract opinions. The result is an almost instant creation of trust and empathy in the room.
· Question Framing: Another gem from Ron Fry was the idea that “every question is an intervention.” In other words, the very act of asking a question influences people’s thinking and energy. He urged us to pay close attention to how we frame questions in learning environments. If we ask, “Why are learners disengaged?”, we might inadvertently put people on the defensive. But if we ask, “When have we seen learners most engaged, and how can we create more of that?”, we start a completely different conversation. Ron’s point was that we should frame questions in a positive, possibility-oriented way, because the questions guide the outcome. He referenced his own family table example again, “The night I changed the question, there was follow up, new questions, more follow up..the conversation changed.” For L&D professionals, it’s a call to design our needs analyses, evaluation forms, and classroom questions to focus on strengths and aspirations rather than deficits.
· Trusting Spontaneity and the Process: Perhaps one of the most freeing insights Ron shared was the need to trust the spontaneity of the process. Appreciative Inquiry, he reminded us, is “both an art and a science,” (sequoiagroupsingapore.medium.com). While it has structure (like the 5I stages), it’s also non-prescriptive – meaning that as facilitators, we shouldn’t script every outcome in advance. This was vividly demonstrated during the summit exercises: we had to stay present and adaptable, following the energy of the group.
At times, conversations took an unexpected but fruitful turn. Trusting the group’s wisdom and the positive process might feel risky in a corporate setting used to slide decks and strict agendas, but I saw firsthand how it leads to richer results.
In summary, the Appreciative Inquiry approach – with its inclusive ethos, its focus on story-powered inquiry, and its encouragement to embrace spontaneity – provides a refreshing and powerful way to facilitate learning and change. I left the summit not only with a certification, but with a new mindset: by asking different questions and trusting people to co-create the answers, we can unlock solutions that are more innovative and energizing than anything top-down.
In case you missed part one of this three-part series, click here to read last week’s blog post.