“Appreciate Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in
people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic
discovery of what gives a system ‘life’ when it is most effective and most
capable…AI involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a
system’s capacity to heighten positive potential.” (The Change Handbook, Cooperrider & Wihitney)
Appreciate Inquiry is a newer concept for me and my
understanding is that it is closely related to Solution-Focused practice. This
is a practice that speaks to me. It requires that we no longer focus our
attention on problems to solve but on strengths that are present and can be
accessed. I think that it is natural and
quit easy to identify problems, negatives, and to see what is wrong with
situations that we encounter.
AI is the opposite and it takes some getting used to. Making the
change takes time, energy and effort and if you stop for a minute you can begin
to focus on problems and see things through the negative almost immediately. So
I keep working on it. I want to make AI a part of my life and practice and way
of seeing the world. I want to empower not only the people whom I work with but
myself as I see life and challenges as an opportunity to use the strengths that
are present to create solutions. It is a mindset, a habit of asking the
questions that lead to solving problems and not pointing problems out….and it
is an exciting way of being.
This is a great practice to adopt in life. As I was reading your post, it reminded me of a book I once read, "Either You're in or You're in the Way". That may sound a little harsh at first, but really it's a great read about how to overcome the non-stop obstacles that pop up on the way to achieving goals. It addresses how some folks who focus on the negative help keep things from happening. I like the ideas you talk about here in that focusing on strengths, getting creative, being resourceful and moving forward is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post it made me think of a client I had this week. She came in excited she was hired for a job that started today. Her husband stopped drinking and started anti-depressants. She had a big smile a great attitude and was like a breath of fresh air. A week ago she had challenges and came back this weeks with strengths. Thanks for uplifting blog Levi.
ReplyDeleteExciting stuff Levi! It is going to be imperative for you to practice appreciative inquiry while you are working in the county systems. The county systems need to be questioned and challenged as they tend to run from a place of finances and protocols rather than person-centered, strength-based models and systems.
ReplyDeleteLove the book title that Jane Doe posted above! This makes a lot of sense! Get in! And get yourself out of the way!
Assessing and building strengths of a person an organization and the world certainly builds and capitilizes on positives and would increase positive outcomes. At the same time life from my perspective is a balance between yin and yang, night and day, and problems and strengths. Perhaps I do not fully understand the theory I just hope it does not candy coat feelings and issues that are real because pretending they do not exist so that we can focus on the positive only brushes the negative under the table ignoring it. Maybe if I knew more about it there is balance to the theory and it does focus on strengths and acknowledges problems.
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