Appreciative Inquiry Process

CORE APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY PRINCIPLES

  • The Constructionist Principle

    Words Create Worlds

    Reality, as we know it, is a subjective vs. objective state and is socially created through language and conversations.

  • The Simultaneity Principle

    Inquiry Creates Change

    Inquiry is an intervention. The moment we ask a question, we begin to create a change. “The questions we ask are fateful.”

  • The Poetic Principle

    We Can Choose What We Study

    Teams and organizations, like open books, are endless sources of study and learning. What we choose to study makes a difference. It describes – even creates – the world as we know it.

  • The Anticipatory Principle

    Image Inspires Action

    Human systems move in the direction of their images of the future. The more positive and hopeful the image of the future, the more positive the present-day action.

  • The Positive Principle

    Positive Questions Lead to Positive Change

    Momentum for small or large-scale change requires large amounts of positive affect and social bonding. This momentum is best generated through positive questions that amplify the positive core.

EMERGENT APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY PRINCIPLES

  • The Wholeness Principle

    Wholeness Brings Out the Best

    Wholeness brings out the best in people and organizations. Bringing all stakeholders together in large group forums stimulates creativity and builds collective capacity.

  • The Enactment Principle

    Acting ‘As If” is Self-Fulfilling

    To really make a change, we must “be the change we want to see.”
    Positive change occurs when the process used to create the change is a living model of the ideal future.

  • The Free Choice Principle

    Free Choice Liberates Power

    People perform better and are more committed when they have the freedom to choose how and what they contribute. Free choice stimulates organizational excellence and positive change.

  • The Narrative Principle

    Stories are Transformative

    We construct stories about our lives (personal and professional) and live into them.

  • The Awareness Principle

    Be Conscious of Underlying Assumptions.

    Understanding and being aware of our underlying assumptions are important to developing and cultivating good relationships. Practicing cycles of action and reflection can build one’s self-awareness.