1. Appreciative Inquiry
“If you are prepared to believe in people, trust them, and
acknowledge that in all probability they are the true
experts about what needs to be done, then this is a
highly productive approach for you.”
David Cooperrider

2. Appreciative Inquiry
“The Evolution of Appreciative Inquiry
Theory and Models”

3. Emergence of AI Theory
1983 David Cooperrider starts doctoral program at Case Western Reserve- Cleveland
AI Commons Timeline
Clinic
1982 Ken Gergen : Toward Transformation of Social Knowledge on Social
Construction theory which was foundation to David’s work with AI.
1986 David Cooperrider completes his doctoral dissertation "Appreciative Inquiry:
Toward a Methodology for Understanding and Enhancing Organizational
Innovation" This paradigm shifting work laid out the principles and logic of
Appreciative Inquiry, the phases of AI (e.g. affirmative topic choice, discovery,
developing provocative propositions, etc), and provided a social constructionist
meta-theory arguing the need to go beyond the deficit or problem focus of the field.
1987 “Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life”
first published article on AI in 1987
1988 Generative Metaphor Intervention- Best Paper National Academy of Management.
1997 ASTD Best Organizational Change Project GTE Corporation with Cooperrider and
Whitney

4. Appreciative Inquiry Involves a
Shift
“No problem can be solved from the same
level of consciousness that created it. We
must learn to see the world anew.”
“Hope is like a road in the country there
was never a road, but when many people
walk on it, the road comes into existence.”
Lin Yutang

5. Problem Solving vs. Appreciative
Inquiry
1. Identification of Problem
2. Analysis of “
Root Causes
3. Analysis on Possible
Solutions
4. Action Planning
(treatment)
1. Appreciating and
Valuing the Best of
What is
2. Envisioning, What might
be?
3. Dialoguing about, What
should be?
4. Innovating , what will
be?

6. Appreciative Inquiry
Principles
1. Our world, our experience is socially constructed -
Social Constructionism
2. The minute you ask a question, change happens -
Simultaneity
3. We can choose what we want to study, organizations
are open books yet to be written - Poetic
4. Positive compelling images of the future, inspire
positive action - Positive
5. We move in the direction of the most positive images
of the future - move toward light - Anticipatory
6. People perform better and are more innovative when
they have choice - Free Choice (Whitney, 2003)

7. Appreciative Inquiry: The “4-D” Cycle
Discovery
Discovery
“What gives life?”
(The best of what is)
Appreciating
“What gives life?”
(The best of what is)
Appreciating
Dream
Dream
“What might be?”
“What might be?”
(What is the world calling for)
(What is the world calling for)
Envisioning Results
Envisioning Results
Design
Design
“How to empower, learn,
and adjust/improvise?”
“What should be--the ideal?”
“What should be--the ideal?”
Co-constructing
Co-constructing
Destiny
Destiny
“How to empower, learn,
and adjust/improvise?”
Sustaining
Sustaining
Affirmative
Topic Choice

8. Enhancement of Th e “4-D” Cycle
1. Inclusion of “Definition”
2. Addition of Describe in Valuation Model
6D
3. Modifying to a 4 I Model
4. Summit- Whole Systems
5. Renaming of Delivery to Destiny
6. Focus on the application of Design
7. Integration with World Café, Open Space

9. An alternative approach to strategic planning can be summarized by the
acronym “SOAR” and the implied image of a high-flying organization.
- SOAR Framework -
“Indeed a new definition of leadership can be expressed as the
‘ability to align strengths (toward a purpose) in such a way that weaknesses are irrelevant.’"
 What are we doing really well?
 What are our greatest assets?
- Peter F. Drucker
Aspirations Results
APPRECIATIVE
INTENT
 What are the best possible market
opportunities?
 How are we to best partner with others?
 To what do we aspire?
 What is our preferred future?
 What are our measurable results?
 What do we want to be known for?
STRATEGIC
INQUIRY
Strengths Opportunities
Diagram adapted from “The Heart of Appreciative Strategy” by John Sutherland and Jacqueline Stavros and “Strategic Inquiry > Appreciative Intent:
Inspiration to SOAR - A New Framework for Strategic Planning” by Jacqueline Stavros, David Cooperrider, D. Lynn Kelley, AI Practitioner, November 2003.

11. Positive Psychology Movement
Marty Seligman-Authentic Happiness
• Pleasant Life (positive feeling and emotions)
• Good Life- (optimally engaged)
• Meaningful Life- (life of affiliation)
Barbara Fredrickson (1998 & 2000)
• Positive Emotions
• Broaden and build (flourish)
Elevation Theory
• Elevation is a moral emotion and is pleasant. It involves a desire
to act morally and do "good"; as an emotion it has a basis in
biology, and can sometimes be characterized by a feeling of
expansion in the chest or a tingling feeling on the skin.

12. AI’s Positive Affect Creates an Upward
Spiral
Appreciative
Positive Affect
Dialogue
Appreciative
Inquiry
High Quality Connections
1. Appreciative Dialogue enhances high quality connections
2. High quality connections result in positive affect
3. Positive affect reinforces the use of Appreciative Inquiry
Adapted from Developing Leaders

13. Convergence of Disciplines (2007
SOS)
Appreciative Inquiry
Strength Based Change
Positive Organization Scholarship
Positive Psychology

14. Theory AI: Co-elevation
Elevate-and-Extend
• Spirit of Inquiry & Ethos of Appreciation
• Resonating Patterns of Positive Emotions
• High Quality Connections
Broaden-And-Build
• Pro-fusion of Strengths
• Magnification (analysis, synthesis)
• Savoring (ritual, story, meaning)
Establish-and-Eclipse
• Generative Imagination and Energy
• Doing & Undergoing (“undoing”)
• Upward spiral
David Cooperrider:SHRM in 2008

15. Magnifying the Strengths-Revolution in Human
Capital Strategy through Appreciative Inquiry
Strengths-elevating
Strengths-combining/
amplifying
Strengths-extending
organizations

16. Appreciative Inquiry
“Appreciative Inquiry is like a road in the country,
there was never a road,
but when many people walk on it,
the road comes into existence.”
-Lin Yutang

17. Appreciative Inquiry
Resources
AI Commons an archive of cases and
resources for Appreciative Inquiry
http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/#
AI Consulting, LLC, a community of
consultants and thought leaders in AI
www.aiconsulting.org
AI Practitioner-Newsletter for Appreciative
Inquiry and Strength Based Change
www.aipractitioner.com