2 pages

For this assignment, think about a team you currently work with or have worked with in the past and how well this team has functioned. Think about both the positives and the negatives, and how the material from the background readings applies to what you’ve experienced. Then write a
2 page
paper answering the following three questions below. Make sure to cite at least one of the required readings for each of your answers, and to cite at least two of the required readings in your paper:

1. What are some of the key positive aspects of this team? Discuss some specific positives and include some stories of times when the team functioned especially well. Do you think these stories could work in an Appreciative Inquiry approach to come up with a plan to improve the performance of the team?

2. How is the effectiveness or performance of this team usually measured? Could a traditional organizational development approach help identify problems in this team as well as find ways in which team performance could be improved?

3. Overall, do you think an Appreciative Inquiry or a traditional organizational development would be better for this team? If your team was to hire a consultant, what type of approach would you want the consultant to take?

References:

Whitney, D. K., & Trosten-Bloom, A. (2010). Chapter 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry?

 

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

 

 

Lewis, S., Passmore, J., & Cantore, S. (2016). Chapter 4: Appreciative inquiry: How do you do it? In Appreciative inquiry for change management: Using AI to facilitate organizational development. London: Kogan Page. [EBSCO eBook Collection]

Stavros, J. (2017). Appreciative inquiry brings out the best. [Books24x7 version].

Now take a look at this video detailing the 5D model.

Stavros, J. (2017). The 5d cycle of appreciative inquiry. [Books24x7 version]. 

Venter, J. (2010). Appreciative inquiry. Accountancy SA, , 42-44. [ProQuest]

Zemke, R. (1999). Don’t fix that company! Training, 36(6), 26-33. [ProQuest]

The 5D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry

Jackie Stavros

Appreciative inquiry is a collaborative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. The basic tenet of appreciative inquiry is that a system will grow in whatever direction you focus. If you want to formally bring together a team, an organization, even a community through a guided process, appreciative inquiry uses its 5D cycle. It’s define, discovery, dream, design, and destiny. And this leverages the energy of the positive core to changes never thought possible.

At each phase of the cycle, a conversation takes place. You have representatives of the whole system invited to create positive images of the future. Their dreaming, it’s based on discoveries of the positive core from their conversation. And then they actually real-time design projects, programs, new innovations. Then they decide how to best deploy these solutions to create a flourishing organization.

Let me give you an example, somethinga topic most of us understand. We all want returning customers. So first you frame the focus: “We want returning customers.” When you go into a discovery and you practice inquiry, you get insights into what matters most. Why are customers returning?

Then there’s the dream. Everyone is together envisioning what might be. They’re creating shared images of what the future is. And then they’re the beginning to transform that it’s really about exceptional customer experiences that bring customers back.

The fourth and the fifth D are design and destiny. In real time, there’s cycles of prototyping, generating a design where people can deploy this. And they’re going to come up with, “How do we deliver exceptional customer experiences?”

In all of these phases you have the configuration of the whole system. People are working together to bring about the change identified as most desirable to help your organization flourish. In this example it was not just about returning customers, but exceptional customer experiences. That’s what they wanted to create.

The 5D cycle can be applied to any task, any topic, and it’s been used with a variety of organizations: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Verizon, Google, the United States Navy, and even the United Nations Global Compact.

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Appreciative Inquiry Brings Out the Best

Jackie Stavros

Appreciative inquiry brings out the best in people in any situation. AI originated in

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985 by David Cooperrider, while working with the Cleveland Clinic. Instead of using a deficit approach of “What can be fixed? What’s wrong here?” he experimented with an appreciative eye of asking, “What gives life to this organization? What’s great about working here? What is possible?”

The way you ask a question influences the response. Think about this: inquiry and change, they’re not separate moments. With this subtle change of asking generative questions for the clinic, it sparked an era of advancements and innovations that resulted in extraordinary growth and achievement in the clinic.

Even when dealing with difficult issues, AI conversations, they create trust, positive energy, and transformation to move the system forward in a positive direction. Appreciative inquiry has been used with tens of thousands of organizations to bring out the best in people. Organizations, industries, even global change initiatives—with our questions, we create our worlds.

There are five questions that focus on the best of what is and what might be. The first three questions focus on the best of what is. So think about this. What is a high point experience in your organization? What do you value most about yourself, your work, and the organization? And what gives life to that organization?

Now, the next two questions focus on possibilities. Remember, what might be? Imagine it’s five years later; everything you ever thought possible is happening at your organization. What’s going on? How have things changed? How have you contributed to that change? What are three wishes—the final one: what are three wishes you have for the organization?

Think about this. Generative questions value the past, look to the future. So change becomes a positive experience for all involved. If you want to bring out the best in others, create innovations for changeit really starts with the way you’re asking questions in your organization. Just give it a try. You could easily adapt these questions to any type of conversation or change agenda.

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Radical circumstances require radical action. This piece of knowledge has
been quoted and re-quoted in recent years.
This is especially true for the tough times
the world has experienced in the past 24
months.

Common wisdom prescribes that it is
during these difficult times that companies
must focus on their core business, shed
unnecessary costs and transform the
organisation into a “lean, mean, surviving
machine”.

To achieve this, companies use a mixture
of organisational development (OD) tools
that have been used time and again by
OD consultants. After all, these methods
worked in the past, why will they not work
again? But maybe the time has come really
to consider radical action and not only
change a company, but totally transform it.

To this end, managers should consider
a new and exciting OD tool, called
Appreciative Inquiry.

Appreciative
Inquiry

(AI) is an OD tool that focuses
on the positive, life-giving factors in an
organisation. It is used to help organisations
change by focusing on what has worked
well for them in the past.  A simple
concept, but quite at odds with most
approaches that focus on “problem solving”.
The amazing thing about focusing on what
is working, is that people already know how
to do it. 

This article describes the AI model and
compares it with traditional OD methods.

What is Appreciative Inquiry?
There are two sayings that hugely influence
the way companies and consultants deal
with problems. The first is: “If you can
measure it, you can manage it” and the

second is “In order to improve (grow) you
need to know what is wrong and then focus
on fixing it”

These sayings are in direct contradiction to
the “logic” behind Appreciative Inquiry.

The most outstanding aspect of AI is the
fact that it focuses on the positive side of
matters. This includes the positive stories
of how it has been at the best of times, as
well as the positive dreams of what it could
be like.

AI is by its very nature not a specialist
consultation process, where the
consultant has all the answers, which he
or she suggests to his/her client. AI is a
consultation process where the company
(client) discovers for itself how well it has
been and how great it can become.

The nature of AI is not a pure analytical
and/or mathematical approach. It has at
its core a huge portion of psychology, as
the process of obtaining data affects the
way people think about their company or
organisation.

In simple terms, AI is a mind adjusting or
changing tool. It works in the following way:
A project will be launched that will, for
example, focus on the culture of a company.
Note that it will not focus on the problem
with the culture, as that will be negative,
but it will focus on the positive. Hence even
the project name will be a positive one.

A questionnaire will then be drawn up and
through interviews, employees will complete
it. The questionnaire will typically ask
questions such as: “Tell me about your most
positive experience while working for this
company” or “What positive things about
this company made you decide to join?”

All questions will be open-ended and will
always focus on positive aspects. The
questionnaire will also have a section
dealing with the dreams of how the
company can be.

The results of these questionnaires will
then be used to build a transformational
change or development plan for the
organisation.

AI mainly results in a transformational
rather than an incremental change in
that it replaces most of what exists now;
especially the thoughts that people have
about their organisation.

The most interesting fact about AI is
that it is not only the final plan, once
implemented, that facilitates change.
It is the entire process, including the
questionnaire completion activity that, often
at a subconscious level, enables people to
transform their views and consequently
their actions.

The main focus of AI is on what is life
giving, well and effective. It is not about
what is bad and wrong or ineffective
and inefficient. It is about efficiency and
effectiveness and about dreaming. It is
about building consensus that the future
can be bright.

An explanation of the differences
between AI and traditional OD
approaches
The following table summarises some
of the differences between AI and the
traditional OD approaches. (Watkins &
Mohr, 2001: 42)

Attachment A

has two sketches that most
adequately describe the difference between
AI and traditional OD approaches the best
way and can be summarised as follows:

Traditional Approach:
It starts with a vibrant group who goes
through a “no fun, hard work” process
where the problem is defined and failures
analysed. This usually only involves top or
senior management. The focus is on what is

I hr matters I

Appreciative
Inquiry

I hr matters I

wrong and very often results in “pity parties”,
i.e. sessions where people sit and complain
about all that is wrong. Mostly they will leave
these sessions very negative.

The outcome of these processes is very often
a lengthy document that soon becomes a
SOTS document (SOTS = Strategy On Top
Shelf). It is very difficult to convert this into a
solution that lives in the hearts and minds of
all members of the organisation.

AI Approach:
This also starts with a vibrant group, but this
time it includes people from all levels, if not
all, in the organisation. They go through a
positive, “search-for-what-works” process.
They focus on what was best, and what
can be the best future. The nature of these

sessions leads to positivism, creativity and a
new hope for the future.

Here management does not need to sell the
outcome (to get employee buy-in), as the
employees already own the outcome.

This approach also creates increased levels
of energy and very often not only change
people’s views of their organisation, but also
changes their attitude towards life in general.

Considerations in the designing of AI
approach to change management (OD)
The AI approach can be described as a five-D,
which forms the basis of the theoretical
and practical considerations of AI as an
organisational intervention. This is depicted in
the following diagram:

Phases of appreciative inquiry – 5 D model.

TRADITIONAL OD APPROACH AI APPROACH

Organising is a problem to be solved
“Felt need” identification of the problem
Analysis of causes
Analysis of possible solutions
Action planning

Organising is a mystery to be embraced
Appreciating – “Valuing The Best Of What
Is”
Envisioning – “What Might Be”
Dialoguing – “What Should Be”
Innovating – “What Will Be”

DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTANCY | UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

UJ QE pass rate increases despite
overall decrease
The results of the Part 1 of the SAICA Qualifying Examination (QE1) towards the
professional qualification of Chartered Accountants in South Africa, released on Friday
28 May 2010, shows the outstanding success of the University of Johannesburg (UJ)
Department of Accountancy’s academic teaching programmes.

Whilst the national pass rate declined in 2010,
the UJ pass rate increased to 87%.

Positive Life
Giving Core

Positive Core

 Delivery 

 Design 

 Dream 

 Discovery 

 Define 

Create “what will be”

Determine “what should be”

Imagine “what might be”

Appreciate “what is”

Set the stage

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CPd VERIFIABlE ARTIClE

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The steps are followed in a linear mode:

Define – Awareness of the need for
development. Preparing for an appreciative
process. Committing to the positive.
Discover – “What on earth is going on in this
company?” This is the interview process and
gathering of life-giving experiences within the
company. Valuing the best of what is.
Dream – “What could our company look like?
What would it look like in five years time?”
This stage is about developing common
images of the future. Visioning the ideal.
Design – Aligning values, structures and
mission with the ideal (dream). Developing
achievable plans and steps to make the vision
a reality. Dialoguing what should be.
Deliver – Reaching your goal. Co-creating a
sustainable and preferred future. Who, What,
When, Where, How? Innovating what will be.

The following should be taken into
consideration when designing an AI
questionnaire:
AI Specifies that all questions should be
open-ended. Questions should also always
be positive, i.e. never focus on the wrongs or
problems in the organisation. On a practical
level, questions should also focus on the
central theme; otherwise you will get good
stories, but not related to any specific theme.

The value of AI approach
Strengths
• AI is an exceptional way of dreaming,

designing and discovering the positive life-
giving aspects of an organisation.

• The positive approach of AI really
stimulates a positive attitude among
employees, which assists in creating a
very positive dream.

• AI assists in uncovering previously hidden
resources, such as creativity, in people. It
also stimulates their imagination.

• AI can be used for many aspects such as
vision and mission determining, strategic
planning and company culture changing.

Weaknesses
• AI is not a good tool to look for solutions

to a specific problem.
• Due to its unstructured nature, very little

is known if you’re on the right track. This is
confirmed by Golembiewski (1998: 32)

• When using AI, one has to first determine
a specific theme (Define). This might lead
to tunnel vision, i.e. any solution outside
this theme will not get listed.

• Golembiewski (1998: 11-20) lists the

following shortfalls (that can also be
construed as disadvantages) :

AI dwells on instrumental-values rather
than end-values. Other approaches to
planned change provide rules to deal
with these conflicts.
Conventional OD is seen as a three-
legged stool: the character and quality
of interaction; policies, procedures
and structures for organising work and
workers. AI is a one-legged stool for
good or ill.
AI has developmental inadequacies
both from an individual perspective and
a group perspective.
AI has inadequacies as an interaction-
only, which means AI rejects two
realities in conflict. AI also handles
team conflict poorly, whereas historic
action research focuses on differences
and disagreements. That is differences
in perceptions, preferences and
priorities that cause dysfunctions in the
way people deal with each other.

Advantages
• AI results in a positive mindset and energy

rather than a blaming culture.
• AI creates a learning environment where

self-driven learning is the norm.
• AI gets people to think and dream about how

good it has been and how good it can be.

• It is a process that generates positive
relationship building in organisations.
Members require the best of each
other.

• It is a regenerating process that is life-
giving rather than life-draining during a
change process.

Disadvantages
• AI is not a good process for pre-

judged outcomes. This is confirmed by
Rossi (1999: 2) when he says “where
predictability and a linear process and
outcome is required, you need to avoid
AI”.

• It is a time consuming process
compared to other interventions.

Attachment A summarises well the whole
AI approach as compared to the traditional
approach. asa

For further reading and reference please go
to www.accountancysa.org.za

Jaco Venter, NHDip (Eng), MBA, is Project
Director: Business Information, SAICA.

Source: Golembiewski, R.T. 1998.
Appreciating appreciative inquiry: Diagnosis
and perspectives on how to do better.
Research organisational change and
development. Vol. 11:1-45.

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Attachment A

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Don’t fix that company!
Zemke, Ron
Training; Jun 1999; 36, 6; ProQuest One Academic
pg. 26

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