Rationale
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Organizations are not machines.
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Organizations are a social reality—that reality is co-constructed.
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Important organizational processes, e.g., communicating, decision-making, and managing conflict, hinge on how the people involved make meaning out of their interactions, not so much on the skillful application of techniques.
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Endeavors to identify or develop the right formula for successful change are often misguided—one cannot treat social reality as if it were objective.
Definition
Process
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Discover People talk to one another, often via structured interviews, to discover the times when their organization is at its best. These stories are told as richly as possible.
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Dream The dream phase is commonly run as a large group conference with the help of facilitators. People are encouraged to envision the organization as though the peak moments identified in the discover phase were the norm rather than the exception.
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Design A team is empowered to go away and design ways to create the organization dreamed in the large group conference.
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Deliver The final phase delivers the dream and the new design. It is one of experimentation and improvisation. Teams are formed to follow up on the design elements and continue the appreciative process. This phase may itself contain more small-scale appreciative inquiries into specific aspects of organizational life).Table. A generic appreciative interview questionnaireThink of a peak experience or high point in your work or experience in your organizationIn that experience, think about the things you valued most about (i) yourself, (ii) the nature of your work, and (iii) your organizationThink about the core factors that give life to your organization, viz., the really positive values it can build uponWhat three wishes would you have that could boost the vitality and health of your organization?×
Applications
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Build a common vision where one is lacking.
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Challenge preconceived notions of what might be by locating the best of what already exists.
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Discover, understand, and amplify the positive forces that exist in organizations.
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Create openness and rapport between people and groups where a negative work climate has prevailed.
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Forge new approaches to human resource issues that will be accepted by staff and lead to positive change.
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Provide an alternative to conventional team building processes.
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Demonstrate the power and value of teamwork by highlighting ways in which teams give life to organizations.
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Open up opportunities for continuous organizational improvement by illuminating the principles, core values, and exemplary practices that support successful teams.
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Develop communities in various ways.