Appreciative

Inquiry

Lesson workbook
Your companion guide

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 WELCOME

Welcome to Zone Positives Appreciative Inquiry (AI) lesson. We are

delighted that you have chosen to join us. We launched Zone
Positive to help people create well-being and thrive in their personal
and professional lives. If you want to learn how to apply the lessons
of Positive Psychology to your life then this course is designed for
you.

This workbook accompanies the online lesson on Appreciative

Inquiry. It provides practical exercises, gives you a place to jot down
ideas and can serve as a handy reference manual that you can keep
coming back to. The lesson is flexible so that you can learn at the
pace that is right for you.

Note:

Much has been written about the Appreciative Inquiry (AI)

movement since its start in the mid 1980s. For the purpose of this
lesson, we have relied heavily on the works of its founder, Dr. David
Cooperrider, to help explain the methodology and benefits of the AI
approach. For those interested in digging deeper, we encourage
you to read any of the excellent publications on this subject
including:

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change by Diana

Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and David Cooperrider (Mar 8, 2010)

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: For Leaders of Change by David L Cooperrider, Diana

Whitney, Jacqueline M. Stavros and Ronald Fry (Jan 1, 2008)

Positive Family Dynamics: Appreciative Inquiry Questions to Bring Out the Best in
Families by Dawn Cooperrider Dole, Jen Hetzel Silbert and Ada Jo Mann (Jul 1, 2008)

Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A Transformative Force by Jeanie Cockell,

Joan McArthur-Blair and Marjorie Schiller (Aug 28, 2012)

Zone Positive, LLC. 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, storied in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise),
without the prior written permission from Zone Positive.
For any questions on this, or to inquire about licensing opportunities, please email: info@zonepositive.com

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 Table of Contents

Lesson topic Page

Before you jump in 4
Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry 5
Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry 8
Part 2: Theory and Methodology 15
Part 3: Conducting an AI Summit 22
Personal action plan 29
References and suggested readings 30
Order a certificate of completion for this course 32

General instruction for watching all Zone Positive videos

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 Before you jump in

What to do first Before you start watching the video we recommend that you print out this
workbook since it contains instructions for the exercises that you will be
doing. For background reading we recommend the book, _____________
.

Distractions When doing the lesson, if you are the kind of person who gets distracted, we
strongly recommend closing down email, listening to this video on your
headphones and finding a quiet place where you wont be disturbed. You can
pause the video at any time and return later to complete it.. You can also
maximize the screen by clicking on the screen icon in the lower right hand
corner of the video (by the volume control).

Exercises Exercises are included throughout this lesson. The video will enable you to
pause to allow you as much time as you need to complete each exercise.

Goal setting What is one goal you would like to accomplish in taking this lesson?

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

Key Points The Appreciative Inquiry movement was founded in the mid 1980s by Professor of
Organizational Behavior David Cooperrider and his colleagues at Case Western
Reserve University. Since then, the subject has been extensively researched, and
applied worldwide by thousands of organizations and communities. The goal of AI
remains today as it has been from the very start. It seeks to help organizations build
upon what they do best in a generative manner. In the words of Thomas H. White,
former head of GTE Telephone Operations, Appreciative Inquiry focuses us on the
positive aspects of our lives and leverages them to correct the negative. Its the
opposite of problem-solving.

Appreciative Inquiry proposes that within every human grouping or system, people
have experienced periods of exceptional performance and achievement, and
moments of connectedness, meaning, and joy. They have also been stirred and
energized by visions of a valued and positive future. These times of extraordinary
success and inspired feelings often tend to be forgotten. They can get swallowed in
the day-to-day grind, and lost in the seemingly relentless cycle of damage control.
So Appreciative Inquiry creates a framework for systematically recalling the
behaviors, attitudes, and emotions that were present during these peak
experiences or exceptional achievements. It asserts that it is through the
exploration of what has gone right that new insights can be arrived at which can
refashion the culture of a system.

A fundamental assumption of Appreciative Inquiry is that systems grow in the

direction of the questions they ask. Hence, if we ask what is thriving within a
system, we will nourish the systems development in a generative, forward direction.
And conversely, if we look for what is wrong, we will be more likely to push a system
in the direction of continued dysfunction. To be clear, AI does not propose that we
ignore our problems; rather it just attends to them with a different mindset. It
addresses dysfunction through harmonizing a system with that which it normally
does well. Keep in mind that this is a real paradigm shift. Its a whole new way of
doing business. And this process is all centered around the quality of
inquirymeaning the kinds of questions we ask.

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 Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

David L. Cooperrider is the Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social

Entrepreneurship at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western
Reserve University. Professor Cooperrider is past Chair of the National Academy of
Managements OD Division and has lectured and taught at Harvard, Stanford,
University of Chicago, Katholieke University in Belgium, MIT, University of
Michigan, Cambridge and others.
Meet the
David is founder and Chair of the Fowler Center for Sustainable Value. The centers
expert
core proposition is that sustainability is the business opportunity of the 21st
century, indeed that every social and global issue of our day is an opportunity to
David
ignite industry leading eco-innovation, social entrepreneurship, and new sources of
Cooperrider
value.

David has served as advisor to a wide variety of organizations including the Boeing
Corporation, Fairmount Minerals, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, McKinsey,
Parker, Sherwin Williams, Wal-Mart as well as American Red Cross, American
Hospital Association, Cleveland Clinic, and World Vision. Most of the projects are
inspired by the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology for which Professor
Cooperrider is best known.

His founding theoretical work in this area is creating a positive revolution in the
leadership of change; it is helping institutions all over the world discover the power
of the strength-based approaches to multi-stakeholder innovation and sustainable
design. Admiral Clark, the CNO of the Navy, for example brought AI into the Navy
for a multiyear project on Bold and Enlightened Naval Leadership. In June 2004
Cooperrider was asked by the United Nations to design and facilitate a historic,
unprecedented Summit on global corporate citizenship, a meeting between Kofi
Annan and 500 business leaders to unite the strengths of markets with the
authority of universal ideals to make globalization work for everyone.

Cooperriders work is especially unique because of its ability to enable positive

change, innovation, and sustainable design in systems of large and complex scale.
At the 2007 international conference on AI hundreds of organizations such as
Hewlett-Packard, IDEO, Yahoo!, and US Cellular shared the breakthrough results
they are experiencing as a result of becoming strengths-based organizations.

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 Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

Compare Traditional problem- Appreciative Inquiry

Approaches
solving approach approach
What problems do you Under what
face in your work? circumstances does your
work give you the most
satisfaction?

How do we get our staff What are the dynamics in

to reach out more to the the office when the staff
community? is fully engaged in
community work?

How do we reduce How would this unit

absenteeism? perform and look like if it
were fully staffed?

How do we stop sexual What would this place be

harassment and EEOC like if we all treated each
complaints? other with dignity and
respect?

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Key Points AI is a collaborative endeavor drawing on the participation of all members of an

organization with the understanding that everyone has a part to play in shaping its
future. When the process is applied in the context of a large-scale meeting, it is
often referred to as an AI Summit.

A summit ideally involves a coming together of each and everyone involved in a

company or system. The size may range from a small group of 25 to 50 peopleto
a gathering of 2,000 or more in the same room. For between two to six days,
these participants are immersed in interviews, meetings, and collaborative
exercises intended to draw out an organizations positive core and help build upon
it for the future. The outcome at the end of the summit ultimately aims to offer a
concrete blueprint for organizational change moving forward.

However, the applicability of the Appreciative Inquiry model is not limited to these
large-scale summits. It can also be effective for small groups as welleven for
families and relationships. The point is that wherever there is a group of people,
there is always an opportunity to focus attention and energy on the natural
strengths and assets of that group.

At the heart of the AI process is customized inquiry. AI Summits are informed,

nourished, and directed by the quality of questions that are asked there.
Appreciative Inquiry entails that its participants pose the kinds of guided questions
that encourage employee interaction, and above all, positive thinking. As we will
explore in greater detail in Part II of this lesson, the Appreciative Inquiry questions
are compartmentalized into four key stages: Discovery, Dream, Design, and
Destiny. This is otherwise known as the 4-D model.

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry
Example The following example is from an AI summit conducted for a major international airline-
two exercises performed during the Discovery stage of their meeting.

Task: To conduct an Appreciative Interview with one other member of your table group.

Time: 45 minutes (20 minutes for each interview)

Process:

Select a partner at your table, someone you dont know or dont know well.
Using the questions below, interview your partner for 20 minutes.
Take notes, you will use the information you hear later in the workshop.
At the end of your interview, briefly tell your partner what was most outstanding for you
during the interview.

Interview Questions #1:

As we all know, excellent customer service depends on excellent relationships . Our
ability to create and maintain great relationships, with one another and with customers,
contributes to our capacity to provide excellent customer service. Tell me about a time
when you experienced excellent customer service - a time when your ability to create
and maintain positive relationships contributed to XYZ Airways success. What was the
situation? Who else was involved? What did you do? What relationships were
important in this situation? How did positive relationships contribute to the success of
this situation?

Interview Questions #2:

It is often said that people like to work for a cause greater than themselves. When you
think about your future with XYZ Airways, what is your cause? To put it another way,
when you leave XYZ Airways, what positive legacy do you personally want to be
remembered for having contributed? In what ways would you like to leave XYZ Airways
a better place than you found it?

Interview Questions #3:

Imagine that the year is 2005 and we have all just awaken from a very long sleep 5
years! As you look around, you see that XYZ Airways is very successful and just as you
always wished it could be. What do you see going on? What are people doing? Saying?
What is different than today? How has technology advanced customer service?

As you reflect on your dream, your mind comes back to today. You recognize that to
make your dream come true, we have to start now. What are the 2 3 actions that you
believe we should begin now to realize your dream of XYZ Airways 2010?

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Example The following example is from an AI summit conducted for a major international
airline- just one exercise during the Discovery stage of their meeting.

(5 minutes)
Welcome everyone and review the purpose of the meeting.
Review the agenda and timeline for the meeting.
Ask participants to get into small groups of 6 - 8 people.

(30 minutes)
Go around the small group and have each person answer the following 3
questions. As each person shares, record their ideas on a flip chart in three
columns or on three separate pages.

What was the high point for you in the interview process? Describe it.
What did you learn in the interview process that has positively impacted the way
you work with others at XYZ Airways colleagues and customers?
What are some of the things you know people are already doing differently as a
result of the interview process?

(15 minutes)
Explain that there will be a video made of XYZ Airways Customer Service. People
from each group will be interviewed on the video about a story that represents
the company at its best. The task now is to select the story we would like to tell.

Go around the small group and ask everyone to share the best story that she/he
heard during her/his interviews the story that best illustrates one of the 4 topics
(Happiness at Work, Harmony and Sharing Among All Employee Groups,
Continuous People Development, and Exceptional Arrival Experience) in action. It
should be a story that makes you and others really proud to be part of XYZ Airways.

(15 minutes)
After all the stories are shared, as a whole group collectively decide the one you
would like told on the video. Create a name for the story and record the names of
everyone involved in the story and the name of the interviewer who discovered
the story.

Tell why it was selected. Do this in a way that really honors the people involved.

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Exercise 1 Positive Core: That which makes up the best of an organization and its people

The following are some of the ways in which the positive core can be expressed for
an organization. Think about an organization that you belong to. Give an example
of how your organization demonstrates strength in each of these areas (or as many
as possible).

Achievements and awards _____________________________________________

Innovations _____________________________________________

Leadership _____________________________________________

Positive emotions _____________________________________________

Product superiority _____________________________________________

Service superiority _____________________________________________

Relationships _____________________________________________

Vision _____________________________________________

Technical strength _____________________________________________

Vital traditions _____________________________________________

What are other strengths that you might list for your organization as part of its
positive core:

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Exercise 2 Try an Appreciative interview. This one is for a life partner or close friend

What first attracted you to the other person? What qualities, behavior, potential
etc.?

What are two or three of the most inspiring, rewarding or satisfying experiences of
your time together? What factors helped make it so?

How has this relationship helped, benefited or contributed to you the most?
Individually and personally?

What two or three difficult circumstances, disappointments, and roadblocks have

you successfully addressed or overcome together? What factors helped to do so?

What currently do you truly appreciate about the other person?

What gives life to your relationship? Without this positive life giving force the
relationship would cease to exist o What three wishes would you make to enhance the
quality and vitality of your relationship?

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Key Points Research has demonstrated that organizations that have applied the AI process have
reaped impressive benefits:

The value of AI An increase in their bottom lines.

Better employee recruitment and retention. These companies become the types of
workplaces that people are more attracted to working in and staying in.

Increased internal standards and improved client service. They essentially become
better functioning entities.

AI has also been shown to be helpful in developing a unified, common vision in

organizations where one might be lacking. This is clearly a product of the collaborative
nature of the inquiry process.

Additionally, through fostering a climate of openness and cooperation, Appreciative

Inquiry has been shown to break patterns of negativity that may be plaguing a system.

In sum, the AI model has been demonstrated to promote organizational

improvement through embracing the core values, principles, and exemplary
practices that tend to support best in class entities.

HOWEVER Not all groups or environments are suitable for the AI approach. There may be some
organizations where the traditional problem-solving model may be the optimal tactic.
In other cases, there may be a lack of leadership support for the kind of collective
dreaming and inspired self-initiative that AI asks of a summits participants. Some
company heads just wont feel comfortable having so many cooks having a voice in
making the proverbial soup! In this case, the more traditional top-down linear process
may still be more appropriate.

And even if an organization seems ripe for AI, there are potential landmines along the
road that can derail the process. For example, does the group have the collective
courage and will to implement a process with no clear outcome? AI takes a leap of
faith that some groups may not end up buying into. If there is not sufficient faith in the
process amongst the participants, the summit may very well implode.

Overall, it is critical that those leading an Appreciative Inquiry summit be aware of

these potential obstacles and take corrective action, if needed, to keep the process on
track.

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 Part 1: What is Appreciative Inquiry

Key Points 10 essential conditions for a successful AI Summit

1. A relevant, clear, and compelling task: the task should be clearly stated in the title
of the meeting, making the purpose of the summit clear and building energy for
people to contribute their stories, ideas and opinions.

2. An unconditional focus on the positive: questions are crafted and activities

designed to guide participants in discovering and learning about their organization
at its best.

3. Robust planning: the power of the summit is directly related to whether it is

focused on the right task, has the right stakeholders in the room and creates the
right conditions for safe, open and inclusive participation.

4. The whole system (everyone) in the room, the who le time: the meeting is
designed for active involvement, open dialogue and co-creation of the future. It is
essential that everyone who attends be present for the entire process. Leadership
must commit to being present for the entire meeting, or the meeting might as well
not be held.

5. Commitment to support success of decisions and outcomes: the key is the

summit sponsors; they provide strategic legitimacy, resources, rewards, integration
across initiative and encouragement.

6. A healthy physical and relational space: this allows participants the comfort and
facilities they need to be able to focus on whats really important- other people
and the summit task.

7. Minimal and mindful facilitation: the facilitators job is to guide the large group
through a series of activities. The group itself generates the ideas, establishes the
relationships, decides on whats important and manages its own process. The
facilitator provides focus, enthusiasm and clarity.

8. Begin with appreciative interviews: the interviews go to the core of the summit
task and initiate a deep study and analysis of the root caused of success for that
task.

9. Flow through the AI 4-D cycle: each phase discovery, dream, design and destiny-
adds essential ingredients to the total process. Taken together, they create an
ascending spiral of learning, energy and action.

10. Create a narrative-rich environment: stories are easy to relate to, they spark
spontaneity, humor and joy, they connect people with each other

Source: Ludema, J., Whitney, D., Mohr, B. and Griffin, T (2003). The Appreciative Inquiry Summit. San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Key Points There are four underlying principles that form the foundation of Appreciative Inquiry:

1. The principle of Appreciation. The key is to seek out the positive, life-giving forces
within each system and to appreciate the best of what is. In AI, we are seeking to
identify and acknowledge the value within a system. Each participant in a summit
will begin the process by taking an appreciative position regarding their own
contribution to the organization. From there, an appreciative eye can be cast
outward toward the value of others within the group.

2. The principle of Application. This means that the knowledge and insights
generated by an inquiry should be applicable toward actions that can move an
organization forward. Dreaming about all the possibilities can without a doubt be
fun and exciting. But getting seduced by unattainable fantasies will not help to
transform an organization. Not every company will get to be the size of Microsoft.
Not every non-profit will completely eradicate the problem to which they are
dedicated to confronting. And not every sports team will shut out its opponents in
every match. The ideas that are spawned during an AI process should eventually
lead to agreed-upon actions that can ultimately be implemented in the world.
Overall, this principle of application ensures that the AI process remains grounded
in reality

3. The principle of Provocation affirms the notion that systems are capable of
becoming more than what they currently are. Every system inherently has the
potential to improve. Provocation means inviting people to take some risks in
envisioning their collective future. This means encouraging new ways of thinking
and bold dreams of what a system might become. So an AI summit provokes
participants to think radically and outside the box in order to arrive at new visions
for a system.

4. The principle of Collaboration. An Appreciative Inquiry process is imbued with the

spirit of building something collectively. Participants should view themselves as
interdependent, willing to share resources and contributions to imagine a shared
fate. The better people are able to release a sense of individual concern, the more
likely an AI summit is to be successful.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Exercise 3 Think of an entity that you belong to. For example, it could be a company where you
are employed, a community group, a social organization or a sports club. Whats
important is that you are an active member with a sense of belonging.

You can complete this exercise on your own, or you can share it and compare
responses with another member of this group (or with multiple participants).

For the purposes of this exercise, we will refer to the entity as XYZ.

Think back to when you first became involved with XYZ. What was it that attracted
you?

What is it about XYZs programs that appeal to you?

What makes you proud to be associated with XYZ now?

What do you value about yourself and your association with XYZ?

What five words describe the positive core of XYZ (whats best about this entity)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Key Points AIs primary purpose is to identify and leverage the strengths that already exist
within an organization. This is accomplished by taking participants through a four-
phased processDiscovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny.

Discovery First, there is the Discovery stage, which is essentially a search to identify the best
Phase of what is and what has been within a system. It is an illumination of the
systems innate assets and qualitieswhat we may call its positive core.

So the questions in this phase are geared toward helping to distinguish the
components and processes in the organization that have worked particularly well.

Example One AI summit conducted by Dr. Cooperrider in 2004 was for Green Mountain
Coffee Roasters. Green Mountain is a leading company in the specialty coffee
industry. Heres how the Discovery phase was introduced at that summit:

One of the things that helps to increase our capacity to execute at Green Mountain
is the personal excellence of everyone who makes up the company community.
Meaning your capabilities, your values, your consciousness, and your team and
leadership capacities. As you look at your life, there have been many experiences
that have helped nurture your personal excellence as a human being, as a leader,
and as a member of the Green Mountain team. Wed like you to think of one or two
these moments that stand out as the most memorableas real high point moments
that helped nurture and develop your personal excellence. These moments might
have been from a long time ago, before you came to Green Mountain, or they may
be a part of your learning and growth as you connected with the company.

We can see how the facilitator is setting the stage for the summit by getting
participants in the mindset of shining a light on what is valued and positive.

Once the Discovery process begins, its first step is the interview stage. At the Green
Mountain summit, participants were divided up into pairs. Each participant was
then requested to share the story of one or two of these high-point moments that
contributed to his or her sense of personal excellence. They were then asked a
series of questions about these peak experiences:

Where did these moments take place?

What happened and how did it feel during your high-point moment?
And What were the key features that made these experiences so powerful?

This activity was just one of 6 or 7 exercises conducted during the day-long
Discovery stage meeting devoted to identifying and understanding the positive core
of Green Mountain.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Dream Phase In the next phase, the Dream stage, participants draw on the inspiring insights
gleaned in the Discovery stage to imagine a future for the organization.
Questions are posed to understand why the processes identified in the
Discovery stage have been working particularly well.

Participants, in this phase, will then brainstorm ways to apply that knowledge
elsewhere in the future. For all intents and purposes, now that the group has
identified the organizations positive core-its strengths and assets, the Dream
Stage becomes an energizing exploration of what might be going forward.

Example At the Green Mountain summit, participants were asked to do an exercise

envisioning the future of the company. Heres what their instructions were:

Imagine that it is five years from now and Green Mountain has broken all
industry records. People are lined up at the HR office to work for the company.
Investors have the stock rated as a must buy. CIO and CFO magazines are
writing glowing feature stories about Green Mountains financial and
performance management systems. The business press and the industry trade
magazines are trying to figure out how were doing it. The company has
captured the attention of the whole business community Wall Street,
customers, competitors, and partners. Use your imagination now to portray a
scene from this future.

What does it look like?

How did it occur?
What is the financial picture?
What measures impacted this picture?
Describe the growth in market share.
How did Green Mountain magnify its distinctive capabilities and strengths?
Describe the innovations, new products, new markets, new internal efficiencies,
and relationships which drove our success.

Being playful and imaginative with these hypothetical visions has helped
participants to foresee new potentialities for the future of Green Mountain-
preparing the group for the next stage.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Design Phase In the design phase, participants work to create the ideal future based on the
strengths, hopes, and dreams articulated in the first two phases. The task now is
to create a blueprint that can bring these dreams to life. It involves a process of
building commitment to a common future through dialogue and debate.

The blueprint is crafted and reworked until the point is reached where everyone
can say, Yes! This is the kind or organization in which I want to invest my time
and energies. This is the kind of place that makes me excited to be here going
forward. Lets make it happen! As participants become aware that they have a
real voice in shaping the future of the company, they feel even more invested and
energized in the process.

In the Design phase, we see the creation of an envisioned social architecture. The
social architecture of an organization includes its structures, strategies, processes,
and procedures---essentially everything that goes into running a company.
Virtually all aspects in organizational life are influenced by social architecture
design choices that had been made in the past: how much time you spend in the
office; how much productivity is expected of you; with whom you interact; how
closely you collaborate; how free you are to innovate; and in the big picture, how
much you can grow and feel fulfilled at work.

Provocative A typical exercise during the Design phase is the creation of a provocative
proposition proposition. Remember that a provocation, in AI lingo, is an invitation for
participants to engage in bold and innovative ways of imagining a future. People
are essentially asked to challenge the status quo and to question commonly held
assumptions in order to fashion a new blueprint for the organization. As an
example, lets take a look at a provocative proposition created by a manufacturing
company describing a vision of their optimal work environment:

Example Our organization has an environment that attends to the physical, mental and
spiritual health of its employees. Equipment for physical workouts and for
swimming is available to all. The cafeteria offers healthy food and a pleasant
atmosphere. Employees are given mental health days off, along with the usual
time for sick leave.

Some of this may sound utopian, but these provocative propositions can truly be
stimulating and useful. They are usually crafted in smaller groups within the AI
summit. The propositions are then shared within the larger group, after which an
appreciative dialogue is opened up to enrich these ideas and to integrate them
with other propositions. As is the spirit of Appreciative Inquiry, everyone and
anyone within the organization is encouraged to comment and contribute.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Destiny Phase The Destiny phase is the culmination of the AI model. This is the stage when
people work out the nitty-gritty specifics on what will be need to done to realize
the transformational blueprint for change that has emerged at the summit. This
time presents the opportunity to translate the provocative propositions from the
Design Phase into tangible steps of action.

Example Returning to the example of the Green Mountain AI summit, for the Destiny
Phase, participants were asked to take their aspirations, or envisioned blueprint,
to the next level through the creation of a tactical plan. The guideline instructions
offered to Green Mountains participants by Dr. Cooperrider were as follows:

Starting with the aspiration statement, formulate goals that can be accomplished
and will demonstrate that we are on our way to achieving our vision. Brainstorm
goals existing or undiscovered that will need to occur to put us on a course to
realize our vision 5 years from now.
3 goals, and the order of these goals, that best support the aspiration statement.

Determine the
What are 3 action steps required to achieve each goal? What is the associated
timeframe for your action plans? Agree on key action steps and scenarios for how
to get there.

In what functional areas or work groups do these action steps belong?

Discuss and finalize your groups goals and action steps and prepare a 5-minute
presentation for the larger group.

Finally, as the summit comes to end, Green Mountain is left with a new blueprint
for transforming its company, and a specific action plan to help realize this desired
transformation.

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 Part 2: Theory and Methodology

Exercise 4 Our communities are becoming more diverse with culture, ethnic and economic groups
working together for mutual benefit.

When organizations or communities are at their best, they capitalize on the strength of
their diversity. They appreciate individuals or groups that bring different experiences,
expertise and ways of thinking to the organization or community. They build teamwork
and cooperation on the strength of diversity-the ability to honor differences in service
to a shared vision.

The ability to value diverse perspectives allows people and groups to maintain their
separate and unique identities, while at the same time contributing to the achievement
of a larger purpose.

Think about the entity you identified in Exercise 3. How would you answer these
questions:

Describe a time when you when you worked on a team at XYZ which benefited from its
diversity.

How did you learn about each others unique gifts and differences?

What was special about what this group achieved?

What most appeals to you about working with diverse people and perspectives?

What strategic advantages can XYZ claim for itself and others that embrace the
importance of valuing diverse perspectives and inclusion?

What type of services or programs might XYZ develop or offer that capitalize on this
strength?

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Key Points You may be part of an organization, a company, a group, or even a family that you
feel would be able to benefit from an AI intervention. Perhaps your group has
lost sight of its collective strengths and it could really use a technique that helps
to draw attention to its positive core.

How would you go about creating an AI summit on your own?

10-step We will now lead you through a 10-step process for conducting an AI summit on
implementation your own. For our example, a traditional 4-day summit meeting will be assumed.
process
What is to follow will be a general overview of each step, from the initial planning
stages to post-summit implementation.

Conducting a 4-day AI Summit:

We suggest that you start your planning for the summit 3 to 4 months in advance
of the event. You will need this time to organize the logistics for the event, to
engage its participants, and to create the necessary materials for the summit.

Step 1 Your first move should be to identify a sponsor or sponsors for the summit. These
are individuals in places of power within the organization who are willing to make
the necessary commitment to ensure the success of the process. In corporations,
they tend to be the key leaders of the senior management team. Collectively,
your sponsors will serve as an advisory team who will help to create and sustain
an overall vision for a fruitful summit. The sponsors, in giving their imprimatur,
are essentially lending credibility and gravitas to the event in order that others
will feel more compelled to get on board and to trust the AI process.

Step 2 Your next step should be to form a planning team. This is the working group
whose job it will be to design, orchestrate, and carry out the entire process from
start to finish. They will be the ones involved in the nitty-gritty details of pulling
off the event. Working teams can be as small as three people, or as large as 50.
It all depends on the size of the organization and the scale of the summit
meeting. Ideally, the working team should be representative of the diversity of
ranks, personalities, and perspectives within the company. It is especially useful
to have key stakeholders from the senior management team to participate in
these working groups.

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Key Points

Step 3 Now, it is time to define the task of the proposed summit. This is potentially the
most important step prior to the summit meeting. It entails the identification of a
clear and relevant task that can serve as a call to arms for the company. It
essentially will be the raison d'tre of the summit. The more engaging and
actionable the task, the more attention it will command across the entire
organization. For a school system, for example, it may be bringing up the districts
test scores. For a corporation, on the other hand, the task may be to increase
employee retention. Whats important is that the reason for conducting the
summit be both clear and compelling.

Step 4 The next step, in preparing for the event, is when you will select the participants
of the summit. Ideally, everyone within the organization and from all
stakeholders groups will be able to attend the summit meeting. However, in the
case of very large companies, it is unrealistic to expect the entire business to shut
down so that each employee can be present. In the case of a summit of this
scale, at least all stakeholder groups should be represented there. Thus, in large-
scale summits, participants should be selected from all levels, functions, business
units, and staff groups, as well as from a sampling of customers and suppliers.
The key point is that voices be heard from all spheres of a companys operations.

Step 5 As the summit approaches, the next step will be to conduct an AI orientation
meeting with the planning team. You have already defined the task of the event,
and selected its participants. At this time, you hold a two-day orientation
gathering, which is intended to mirror the actual summit. In many ways, this is a
test run. It enables the planning team to can get a good grasp of what a summit
entails. This dress rehearsal serves as a further opportunity to customize the
design of the summit to best meet the needs of the company. And after the
orientation meeting, the planning team will be able to more fully explain the
process to other members of the organization in anticipation of the upcoming
summit.

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Key Points

Step 6 You have now reached the big day. This is Day 1 of the AI summit. As you recall,
the first stage of the actual AI process is the Discovery Phase. The focus of this
days meetings will be to bring to light the many facets of the organizations
positive core. Questions will be digging to identify the unique strengths and
contributions that are present when your organization is at its best.

You should begin this day with an orientation, introducing the methodology of
Appreciative Inquiry to the group. This introduction will also serve as your
opportunity to present the overarching task of the summit to the participants.
Then, activities during the day will be conducted with the intention of identifying
the innate assets and high-functioning areas within the organization. These
activities include: one-on-one interviews between the participants; small group
recollections of high-point and best-practice moments; and the creation of a
positive core map illustrating all the strengths, resources, capabilities, and
assets of the organization. Once again, we provide additional detail for each of
these activities in your workbook so you can have a deeper understanding of the
process.

Step 7 You are now at Day 2 of the AI Summit, the Dream Phase. This is the day for
envisioning the future, based on all the strengths and positive qualities that were
illuminated on the first day. One essential group of activities you will conduct will
be creative dreaming, which is a series of inspired exercises intended to formulate
a guiding image of the organizations future. For example, you may want to
stimulate a dialogue by asking participants to imagine the company ten years
down the road. A similar activity for Day 2 will be consensus visioning, which
aspires to achieve a collective mission or vision statement for the organization.
This is the time to share ideas on what kind of entity the participants ideally
envision the organization becoming. And keep in mindthese dialogues should
ultimately be fun, inspired, and focused on the possibilities. A final series of
activities for this day will involve opportunity mapping. These are meetings
designated to mobilize action around a set of specific strategic opportunities that
can elevate the organization going forward. These involve the kinds of smaller
initiatives that may help the organization reach the next level.

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Key Points

Step 8 Day 3 of the Summit finds you in the Design Phase. Here, the insights and
imagination generated from the first two days are integrated into the formulation
of a transformative action plan. It is a day for crafting the kinds of provocative
propositions that can serve as a bridge between the strengths identified in Day
One and the dreams expressed in Day Two. Activities for this day include the
creation of a revamped organizational design architecture; selection of high-
impact organizational design elements; and the incorporation of required change
into these design elements. Essentially, these activities will be looking for
concrete ways to reform the organizations social architecture to meet the
expressed aspirations of the group. At the end of the day, a conceptual blueprint
for the future of the organization will have been formulated.

Step 9 You have now reached the final day of the AI summit: the Destiny Phase. Day 4
results in the culmination of all that has been identified, learned, and imagined in
the first three days of the process. This is when the group focuses on the specific
tasks that will need to be accomplished to realize the desired change within the
organization. Innovation teams will be assembled. It will be their responsibility
during the day to meet to generate and, ultimate select the actions that need to
be taken by the organization to fulfill its proposed future. What should emerge at
the conclusion of the summit is a specific roadmap for the revitalization and
transformation of the organization.

Step 10 You are now in the aftermath of the Appreciative Inquiry Summit. The days and
weeks following the summit will clearly be a busy period for the organization.
During this time, many of the activities will be focused on following up on the
achievements of the summit. The insights and outcomes that emerged from the
process should be communicated to all the members of the organization. In
addition, leadership support must be sustained for the innovation teams who will
be responsible for implementing the strategic roadmap developed at the summit.

You may also choose to extend the AI process within your organization by
applying it to smaller group training initiatives. For example, a company might
conduct an AI summit for new product development, but then continue to use
the AI methodology for strategic planning and process improvements.

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 Part 3. Conducting a Summit

Exercise 5 Companies that support a culture of learning continually invest in their most
valuable asset their people!

Continuing with the entity you identified in Exercise 3, answer these questions:

Describe a learning experience that contributed directly to your success and allowed
you to perform at a particularly high level?

What made this learning experience exceptional?

What 2-3 things could be done to build a culture of learning at XYZ?

Think about a time at XYZ that you recall as a highpoint...an experience or

moment you remember as having left you with an intense sense of pride,
excitement, or involvement in having been a part of something that was meaningful.

Describe that experience; What was going on? Who was involved? What made it
memorable?

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Example A small company called Secure-Comm decided to utilize an AI approach to reverse

recent negative trends and to transform its culture. Secure-Comm was
established in 1975 as an electronic security and burglar alarm company. The
small family-owned business had grown to be a regional leader, employing a full-
time professional staff in telecommunications and security systems. It currently
services over thirty-five hundred governmental, residential, and commercial
customers, including Fortune-500 companies throughout Northeastern Ohio.

At the time of the AI summit, the company had become a stagnant organization.
Its social architecture had become calcified in ways that stifled opportunities for
change. Secure-Comms structure and culture both reflected a conventional top-
down hierarchical organization with an authoritarian bent.

And the companys numerous policies and procedures left little space for the
unique contributions of its employees. Growth of the organization had slowed
and it had become apparent that employee morale was low. The working
relationship between the sales and operations departments was particularly
strained. It should come as no surprise, then, that Secure-Comm was
experiencing an increase in employee turnover. They were losing good workers
who were taking with them their much-needed security and telecommunications
know-how.

The new president of Secure-Comm, the younger of two brothers that ran the
company, realized that immediate action needed to be taken to right the ship.
He was open to unorthodox solutions if it meant returning the company to higher
levels of performance. He decided to experiment with an Appreciative Inquiry
approach in the hope that it could serve as the much-needed catalyst for positive
change at the company.

A number of objectives were identified in the meetings ahead of Secure-Comms

AI summit. In the process, they sought to:

*Envision the companys potential for positive influence and impact in the world

*Involve the entire organization in defining the core values, the mission, and the
vision that would drive the organization

*Empower the companys employees to design the companys systems, strategies,

processes, and structures in order to support the newly envisioned culture and
organization.

*Develop the appropriate projects and action plans for implementing the vision.

*Determine how to keep the momentum achieved at the summit moving forward.

*And overallto build, bond, and strengthen the Secure-Comm team.

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 Part 3: Conducting a Summit

Example cont. An AI summit, condensed into a two-day session, was conducted as part of
Secure-Comms transformative initiative. Prior to the summit, the leadership had
carried out a company-wide culture assessment that identified the positive values
that the organization was striving to embody---accountability, teamwork,
customer satisfaction, commitment, and integrity. Promoting these five values
became the overarching topic of inquiry for the summit.

The summit ended up being attended by everyone in the company. The first day
included both the Discovery and the Dream phases of the AI 4-D model. The
Design and Destiny phases were executed on the second day. In this condensed
summit, participants immersed themselves in two days of energizing storytelling
and inspired imagining. They were able to tap into their unique creative sides
with various exercises such as collage-making and role-playing. At the end of the
final session, after the participants had formulated an action plan, everyone in the
organization committed personal pledges to the new collective vision of Secure-
Comms future. It was clear, by many of the comments offered at the conclusion
of the summit, that participants had been moved in a profound way by this
collaborative, appreciative process.

Since conducting the AI Summit, Secure-Comm has made considerable strides.

The process generated 25 short-term and long-term initiatives to build and
reinforce the new company culture. These initiatives were prioritized and many
have already been put into implementation. Within the company, a spirit of
teamwork has emerged where there had been little before. In fact, functional
silos have been all but eliminated. Employees now feel more empowered, as
there is a greater sense of shared leadership in navigating the companys future.
Their new culture fosters an environment that is more conducive to the use of
soft skillssuch as giving and receiving feedback. As a whole, interpersonal
relationships are reported to have gotten stronger.

In sum, the positive philosophy of AI has gained significant traction at Secure

Comm as an organizational mindset. AI-style inquiry is currently being used to
address everything from performance feedback to organizational design. And
these benefits have extended beyond the improved culture to affect Secure
Comms bottom line. After the AI Summit, the companys next fiscal period
ended up being one its best years to date. Suffice it to say, the presidents
decision to use an AI intervention to reorient the direction of the company has
ended up reaping great dividends.

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 Personal Action Plan

What are your key

takeaways from
this lesson?

What can you do to

ensure you
remember them?

How can you

incorporate your
learning into your
work life?

What specifically
will you do
differently with
those you work
with?

What would you

like to incorporate
into your life
outside of work?
I will know that I have
succeeded when

Which other
Positive Psychology
lessons would you
like to take?

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 References and suggested readings for this lesson

Bascobert-Kelm, J. (2005). Appreciative Living: The Principles of Appreciative Inquiry in Personal

Life. Wake Forest, NC: Venet.

Cockell, J., McArthur-Blair, J., Schiller, M. (2012). Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A
Transformative Force.

Cooperrider, D., Whitney, D. and Stavros,J. (2008) . Appreciative Inquiry Handbook. Brunswick,
OH: Crown Publishing, Inc.

Cooperrider, D. and Whitney, D. (2004) Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Revolution in Change.

Berrett-Koehler

Dole, D. C., Silbert, J., Mann, A. (2008). Positive Family Dynamics: Appreciative Inquiry
Questions to Bring Out the Best in Families.

Ludema, J., Whitney, D., Mohr, B. and Griffin, T (2003). The Appreciative Inquiry Summit. San
Francisco: Berrett-Koehler

Orem, S., Binchert, J. & Clancy, A. (2007). Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change
(Jossey-Bass Business & Management). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Whitney, D., Trosten-Bloom, A., Cooperider, D. (2010). The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A
Practical Guide to Positive Change.

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal
Life. New York: Penguin.

Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook

 What else can I learn?

We hope you enjoyed our Appreciative Inquiry lesson. We have been busy designing other
lessons to bring you the most important and actionable insights from Positive Psychology to
Coaching. Zone Positive offers you exciting ways to develop both personally and
professionally.

Introduction to Understanding of the basics of positive psychology: what this science

Positive is all about, why its important to you and your clients and how to
achieve positive outcomes. It is the perfect starting point for taking
Psychology the courses offered by Zone Positive.

What are emotions and what role do they play in our lives? How do
Positive both positive and negative emotions help us function effectively? Can
Emotions they be measured? Can they be raised? And most importantly, how
will you and your clients benefit?

Have you ever been so engaged in an activity that you loose track of
time. so immersed in the challenge and enjoyment of the task that
Engagement you dont want to stop? This course will introduce you to the theory
and benefits of flow as well as ways to experience it more often

What is the meaning of this thing we call life? Do we all have higher
Meaning and callings? How can we find our a sense of purpose. This course will
Purpose address the benefits of meaning & purpose and the positive exercises
you can use with your coaching clients

Our ability to trust others drives our ability to forge meaningful

Positive relationships and succeed in teams and in love. How trusting are you
Relationships of others? What techniques and habits are most holding you back?
Our course in Positive Relationships probe these questions and more

This is one of the foundations of positive psychology. Learn why

strengths matterand how they operate as one of the basic drivers of
Strengths well-being. You will come to understand your own strengths (and help
clients identify theirs as well) and how to apply these gifts towards a
more flourishing and fulfilling life

Using Positive Psychology to change habits and behaviors. Ever feel as

Changing if youve tried everything and still no luck? Maybe its time for a
scientifically proven approach. Gain a deeper understanding of the
change process and how it can be used to enrich your life.

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 Parting Thoughts

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32 Zone Positive Appreciative Inquiry Workbook