Appreciative inquiry: a positive frame for learning and change, Learning4Change - 1

Published on: 02/12/2011

Recently for a number of professional and personal reasons I decided to revisit an old intellectual ‘love’: Appreciative Inquiry ( AI)  In the past I experimented with this method in developing a somewhat static knowledge center into a proactive learning and facilitation center, and I remember well the lightness of the discussions if we managed to stay with the appreciative mode of working. People responded well to what at first looked like hopelessly naïve questions. Genuine dialogue seemed to emerge more easily, as stories of practical experience emerged. One of the intriguing dynamics was the significantly lower defensiveness of people, a safe environment for exploration and inquiry was quickly established.

Sticking to the AI-method would invite disclosure of uncertainties, rather than the more accepted practice of prodding, nudging and building rapport before you could get to the 'deep' questions, that can be more confrontational, are directed at explanation and would all too often bring about a sense of guardedness. The latter questioning practice is the skeptical attitude based on the rational scientific approach, an approach that starts from an exploration of faults, problems and things that are not going well. This deficit- based starting point inadvertently becomes the reference frame and is difficult to shed. Most of us have been trained in this way.

It appears worthwhile to explore why Appreciative Inquiry could be of interest in working on change and learning in the WASH sector. Firstly, as 70 – 80% of change projects are reported to fail and the vast majority of these change approaches follow the well trodden patch of scientific skepticism. With a failure rate that high any approach that can show positive track record in a wide range of settings and issues deserves attention, a dedicated chance and exploration. AI is one of several approaches to change, it does not claim to be the next silver bullet.

Within the WASH sector like in many other settings we tend to start with an overview of what is wrong and what is not working. Shedding this deficit orientation is never easy and is actually highly problematic. AI is an invitation to start with what worked in the past and to analyse this example for further meaning.  As I have been trained and socialized in being skeptical, applying Appreciative Inquiry is initially demanding, there are frequent instances in a dialogue when I would like to grab, shake or take the conversation to a thorough exploration of what is wrong or not working in the sector before we can start moving ahead. Accept my counsel and resist that temptation and stick with the positive frame of mind. AI requires the development of an interview guide that always starts off with a question that is in invite to speak to or refer to an inspirational example. Active exploration of positive surprises might reveal new insights if pursued systematically..