How to Make Appreciative Inquiry More Accessible

Asked what could be done to make Appreciative Inquiry more accessible and active for all citizens, change-management coach Deborah Grayson Riegel proposes being open to using other terminology.

Even though the term Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is clear if one considers the separate definitions of each word, Riegel suggests there’s something vague and difficult to grasp about the phrase.

In her experience, phraseology like the strengths-based approach, or “looking at challenges from a strengths-based perspective” resonate more with people.

She suggests calling it whatever “your market would care about, want to buy and want to buy into.”

Riegel also proposes keeping in mind a principle anchored in the Jewish faith — that even small components of a powerful concept or story have just as much value as the whole.

She refers to a traditional song to celebrate the Jewish Passover, where the message is that each part of the story, from God’s revelation to his people, to leaving Egypt, “would have been enough.”

In her AI sessions, she often invites participants to break after each conversation and have a similar moment of pausing and reflecting on the importance and value of what they’ve gone through so far.

For instance, she’ll ask them to think if they never went beyond telling the positive stories, how would this be enough?

“At every step along the way, be willing to say, maybe this is enough for now, rather than feeling like you have to go through the entire process, because every piece of Appreciative Inquiry or the strengths-based approach is valuable in and of itself.”

Reflecting on the best that could happen if the strengths-based approach were more widespread, Riegel says she foresees positive outcomes around individual mood and morale, as well as better relationships within families, communities and workplaces.

She looks at her relationship with her young children, and notes she has to remind herself to take a strengths-based approach, to ask herself “how are these children miraculous, how are they doing something incredible every day?”

Riegel adds she would love to see both businesses and non-profit organizations begin with a “what’s working approach” as a natural tendency, rather than always beginning with what’s broken and how do we fix it.

Related Story:
Jewish Coach Unblocks Possibilities Flow with Strengths Approach

If you have feedback on this article please contact Michelle at 800-294-0051, ext. 27, or e-mail michelle(at)axiomnews.ca.