1. And Now for the Good News: Appreciative Inquiry
Maureen Sullivan
Gene Spencer
ALA Annual Conference - June 30, 2008

2. Agenda and Format This will be an interactive working session:
Set the Context for Appreciative Inquiry in Assessment
Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry
The “Art” of the Positive Question
Application of Appreciative Inquiry

3. "The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question." Peter Drucker
Setting the Context

4. Focus of Assessment AI Process Typical Assessment Process
Significantly Better Results
Asking Different Questions
Maintain or Tweak?
Fix or Abandon?
What are we doing well?
What’s broken or
ineffective?
(within some +/- “gap”)
Typical
Assessment
Process

5. Introducing Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
A Whirlwind Tour

6. What is Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?
Appreciative Inquiry is the study and exploration of what gives life to human systems when they function at their best.
This approach to personal change and organization change is based on the assumption that questions and dialogue about strengths, successes, values, hopes, and dreams are themselves transformational.
(from The Power of Appreciative Inquiry by
Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom)

7. The Essence of Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Positive Core

8. AI’s Origins
Research from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University
David Cooperrider is Professor and Chairman of the Case Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
Study at the Cleveland Clinic

9. A Positive View of Organizations
“Organizations are, first and foremost, centers of human relatedness and relationships come alive where there is an appreciative eye, when people see the best in one another and the whole, when they share their dreams and ultimate concerns in affirming ways, and when they are connected in full voice to create not just new worlds, but better worlds. By making it possible for every voice to be heard, a life giving process is enacted.”
Brief exercise here turn to someone nearby and describe the words that “jump off the screen” at you.
(from The Appreciative Organization by Harlene Anderson, David Cooperrider, et. al.)

10. Appreciative Inquiry - Simply Put…
If we continue to search for problems,
we will continue to find problems
If we look for what is
best and learn from it,
we can magnify and
multiply our success

11. Imagine the difference…
Starting with 2 very different questions:
What works well in this organization?
vs.
What problems do we need to fix to make this organization better?

12. 4-D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry
Positive Core
Design
“Determine
what should be”
Affirmative
Topic Choice
Dream
“Imagine
what might be”
Discovery
“Appreciate
what is”
Destiny
“Create what
will be”
One example of a Formal AI Process
From The Power of
Appreciative Inquiry

13. Problem Solving vs. Appreciative Inquiry
Identify problems
Conduct Root Cause Analysis
Brainstorm Solutions & Analyze
Develop Action Plans
Metaphor: Organizations are problems to be solved
Appreciate “What is” (What gives life?)
Imagine “What might be”
Determine “What Should Be”
Create “What Will Be”
Metaphor: Organizations are a solution/mystery to be embraced

14. The Art of the Positive Question

15. Focus Again on the Positive Core

16. From the Appreciative Inquiry Handbook
Language of Assessment: Deficit
WARNING
Error Report
MISSED COMMITMENTS
Gap Analysis
“Satisfaction” Surveys
Variance
Report
CUSTOMER
COMPLAINTS
Failure Rate
Post-Mortem
Evaluation
Fire Fighting
PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
TROUBLE REPORT
“Missed Opportunity”
Emergency
Critical
Thinking
Root Cause Analysis
Deadline
From the Appreciative Inquiry Handbook

17. The Art of the Positive Question
To be compelling, assessment topics should be:
Positive – Overwhelmingly affirmative
Desirable – You want more of it
Motivational – Will take you where you want to go

18. Taking Aim at the Extraordinary
Examples:
Describe a peak experience or high point with your library.
Identify a time in your experience when you felt most effective and engaged.
What are three wishes you have to enhance the health and vitality of your organization?

19. Exercise – Appreciative Questions
Reflect on the sample questions in the handout
Form some new questions that you might use to assess your own organization
Share with a neighbor
Exercise #1 Handout

20. When can you use these questions?
At the beginning of internal or external assessment efforts
To “jump-start” weekly meetings
In thought-provoking messages to staff
In one-on-one conversations with staff or community members
At the conclusion of any activity to assess the experience

21. Encyclopedia of Positive Questions
A Great Resource:
The questions in this book are intended to move the focus to positive possibilities

22. Encyclopedia of Positive Questions
Sample positive questions are provided for:
Seamless service
Customer loyalty
Exceptional partnership
Compelling communication
Integrity in action
Quality moments
Participatory decision-making
Joy in a job well-done
Ownership

23. Application of Appreciative Inquiry

24. Underlying Benefits Appreciative Inquiry unleashes power by:
Building relationships
Creating opportunities for people to be heard
Generating opportunities for people to dream
Allowing people to choose how they will contribute
Giving people the support to act
Encouraging and enabling people to be positive and affirming

25. 4-D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry
Positive Core
Design
“Determine
what should be”
Affirmative
Topic Choice
Dream
“Imagine
what might be”
Discovery
“Appreciate
what is”
Destiny
“Create what
will be”
From The Power of
Appreciative Inquiry

26. Exercise – an Appreciative Interview
It starts with an Appreciative Interview:
Choose a partner
Interview him/her based on the second handout
Take notes
Reverse roles
Exercise #2 handout

27. 4-D Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry
Positive Core
Design
“Determine
what should be”
Affirmative
Topic Choice
Dream
“Imagine
what might be”
Discovery
“Appreciate
what is”
Destiny
“Create what
will be”
Rapport & Empathy
Trust
Mutual Understanding
From The Power of
Appreciative Inquiry

28. Resources for Getting Started

29. Discussion
How can this approach be applied proactively to assessment in/for your library?
How would your stakeholders respond to questions that helped reflect on the “best of what is”?
How might this energy get beyond “assessment fatigue”?

30. Questions for Personal Reflection
How does the “appreciative approach” differ from typical techniques used for assessment?
Can you see how this approach (used regularly) would increase energy, creativity & momentum?
How would your stakeholders respond to a “strengths-based” assessment process?
Can you think of examples of how AI might be applied to internal and external assessment of your organization?
For the plane ride home

31. Closing Thoughts
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.”
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein

32. Thank You! Maureen Sullivan: msull317@aol.com
Gene Spencer:

33. Bibliography
The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, Sue Annis Hammond (Thin Book Publishing Co.)
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry, Diana Whitney & Amanda Trosten-Bloom (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)
Encyclopedia of Positive Questions, Vol. 1, Diana Whitney, et. al. (Lakeshore Communications)
Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, David Cooperrider, et. al. (Lakeshore Communications)
The Promise of Appreciative Inquiry in Library Organizations, Maureen Sullivan in Library Trends (53(1) Summer 2004, page 224)
Using Appreciative Inquiry in Evaluation, Hallie Preskill, Anne T. Coghlan, editors
Reframing Evaluation Through Appreciative Inquiry, Hallie Preskill, Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas

34. Other AI Resources
The Appreciative Inquiry Commons (
The Taos Institute (
The Appreciative Organization by Harlene Anderson, et. al. (Taos Institute Publications)
Appreciative Leaders, edited by Marjorie Schiller, et. al. (Taos Institute Publications)